The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers are a hugely (very big) popular African-American group of brothers from Cincinnati, Ohio. Starting in 1954 and lasting into the new millennium, the group has spanned decades, two generations of members and music genres a

The Isley Brothers are a hugely (very big) popular African-American group of brothers from Cincinnati, Ohio. Starting in 1954 and lasting into the new millennium, the group has spanned decades, two generations of members and music genres as diverse as gospel, doo-wop, R&B, soul, funk, rock, adult contemporary and even hip-hop. Founded in 1954, the original members were O'Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald and Vernon Isley, initially singing gospel until Vernon's tragic death from a bicycle accident in 1955. After a brief split, the three older brothers reformed as a trio and remained that way until 1973 when they included younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and brother-in-law Chris Jasper, reinventing the vocal group into a band and giving them the moniker 3 + 3 until the younger half broke off from the group in 1984 bringing them back into a vocal trio until 1986 when oldest brother O'Kelly suddenly died of a heart attack. After one album as a duo, Rudolph retired to become a minister and Ronald carried on with a solo career until he, Ernie and Marvin reformed the Isley Brothers in 1991. After Marvin left due to his battle with diabetes in 1997, Ronald and Ernie carried on right into the new millennium. In the process, Ronald's new alter ego, the gangster and R. Kelly video villian Mr. Biggs, helped bring newfound success to the group well into the new millennium.

The Isley Brothers all began singing in church under the tutelage of their parents, who were also musicians. In 1954, the four older sons of Sally and Kelly Isley's nine children formed the group as a gospel quartet touring all over their area of Ohio and other areas in the Midwestern and Eastern side of the United States until Vernon tragically was killed in a 1955 accident while riding on his bike. He was only 13. Shaken over the tragedy, the brothers decided to disband the group until their parents' coaxing got them back into music in 1956 where they were looking to branch out of gospel. In 1957, with their parents' blessing, the trio left Ohio for New York and began recording doo-wop for small labels with little success.