Rudolph Isley was one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
ADVERTISEMENTRudolph Isley, one of the founding members of US R&B group The Isley Brothers, who were best known for classics hits like 'Shout' and 'Summer Breeze,' has died at age 84, his family announced.
“There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother,” Ronald Isley wrote in a statement. “Our family will miss him. But I know he’s in a better place.”
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Rudolph Isley began singing in church with his brothers Ronald and O’Kelly.
In 1957, the trio moved to New York to embark upon a music career that would span six decades and see their sound evolve from gospel to pop to R&B.
Rudolph was still in his teens when they released their breakout hit 'Shout,' a secularised gospel tune that was later immortalised in the toga party scene in 'Animal House.'
It was around this time that the band added a young guitar player, then-unknown Jimi Hendrix, who would play with them until 1965.
The Isleys scored another hit in the early 1960s with the equally-spirited “Twist and Shout,” which became a favourite of the Beatles.
The British rock group used it as the closing song on their debut album 'Please Please Me'. They also opened with it for their famed 1965 concert at Shea Stadium.
In the 1970s, after younger brothers Ernest and Marvin joined the group, The Isley Brothers had even greater success with singles including 'That Lady' and 'Fight the Power (Part 1)'.
Their later songs became prime fodder for US rappers – 'Footsteps in the Dark' was sampled in Ice Cube’s 'Today Was a Good Day' and 'Between the Sheets' can be heard in The Notorious B.I.G.’s 'Big Poppa.'
Rudolph Isley left the group in 1989, three years after the sudden death of O’Kelly Isley. He retrained to become a Christian minister.
Along with his brothers, Rudolph was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. He also won a BET award with the band in 2004.
