The Isley Brothers’ R&B group’s founding member Rudolph Isley has passed away, according to his family.
He was 84.
“Words are inadequate to convey my emotions and my affection for my brother. We will miss him in our family. But I’m confident that he’s in a better place, said Ronald Isley, Rudolph’s brother and the other half of the Isley Brothers band, in a statement to CNN on Thursday.
According to a spokesman for The Isley Brothers, Rudolph passed away on Wednesday. The cause of death wasn’t known right away.
Rudolph, Ronald, O’Kelly, and Vernon Isley started a gospel quartet as youngsters, which eventually evolved into the Isley Brothers band in the middle of the 1950s. Tragically, Vernon passed away at the age of 13 before the brothers could record “Shout!” and have their first big hit.
The Isley Brothers enjoyed long-lasting popularity with songs like “Love The One You’re With,” “Testify,” and “Between the Sheets,” despite the band’s membership changing over time.
Since 1986, Rudolph had not performed with the group. When The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, he rejoined the group after leaving the music business in 1989 to pursue a career in Christian preaching.
They won one Grammy in 1970 while the Cincinnati native was still a member of The Isley Brothers for the well-known hit song “It’s Your Thing” from their 1969 album “It’s Our Thing.”
More recently, according to Billboard, Rudolph and Ronald had been involved in legal procedures since March over a trademark dispute over ownership of the band’s name.