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He was killed after a car struck him as he was riding his bicycle in his neighborhood.
Vernon Isley was only 13.
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He & his 3 brothers were from Cincinnati, Ohio & formed an American music group that
performed gospel music until Vernon's death a few years after its formation.
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Devastated, the remaining trio disbanded but then Eventually were convinced to regroup. The brothers decided to record pop music & left Cincinnati for New York in 1957.
O'Kelly, Rudolph & Ronald Isley gained pop recognition in 1959 with their composition “Shout.”
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The Isleys began their own record company called T-Neck Records in 1964. Shortly thereafter, they recruited a guitarist named Jimi Hendrix for their band.
A year later, they abandoned T-Neck & signed with Motown. The group had a hit a year later with “This Old Heart of Mine.”
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The Isleys’ sound was rawer than standard-issue Motown, so they decided to restart T-Neck in 1969 & developed an increasingly funky fusion of rock & soul, most notably on “It’s Your Thing”.
In 1973, younger brothers Ernie & Marvin and brother-in-law Chris Jasper joined the group.
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As time went by, The Isleys scored many more hits. In 1985, the original Isleys trio of Kelly, Rudy & Ronnie signed with Warner Bros. Records, recorded & released an album.
One year after its release, Kelly Isley died of a heart attack while battling cancer at the age of 48. Rudy retired from the music industry & followed life in the ministry & Ron put the group on a brief hiatus in 1990 while he recorded solo material.
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FUN FACT The Isley Brothers song "Footsteps in the Dark"
was sampled by hip-hop artist Ice Cube for the hit single "It Was a Good Day".
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In 1991, Ron revived the group; Ernie Isley and brother Marvin returned to the fold.
Five years later, Ron Isley gained popularity as video villain Mr. Biggs in the music video for R. Kelly's hit "Down Low", which included the Isley Brothers as featured artists
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FUN FACT The Isley Brothers song "Between the Sheets"
was sampled by The Notorious B.I.G. for his hit single "Big Poppa".
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In 1996, Marvin's career ended when diabetes forced him to have both of his legs amputated. Ron and Ernie have carried on as a duo from then on.
In 2001, the duo released their best-selling album in years which sold over two million copies & featured the top 20 hit single "Contagious", making the Isley Brothers the only act to reach the Hot 100 during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
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In 2007, the Isleys' career was interrupted by Ron Isley's three-year prison sentence for tax evasion
He was released in 2010. In June of that year, youngest brother Marvin Isley died in Chicago after his longtime bout with diabetes at the age of 56.
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FUN FACT R&B singer Aaliyah did a cover version of "(At Your Best) You Are Love"
for her debut album.
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The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. became known as the "longest, most influential, and most diverse artists of popular music"
And there was no other like them.
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