Rudolph Isley is dead. For years, he recorded hits with the Isley Brothers group, in which Jimi Hendrix was a member

The artist’s death was announced by his brother, Ronald Isley. “There are no words to express my love for my brother. Our whole family will miss him. However, I know that he is in a better place now,” the musician is quoted by Rolling Stone. The artist died on October 1 at the age of 84, unofficially it is said that the cause of death was a heart attack.

Rudolph Isley is dead. The Isley Brothers member was 84 years old

Rudolph and his brothers Ronald, Vernon and Kelly formed the Isley Brothers when they were teenagers. In 1954, they started their business, not knowing how much success awaited them. Just a year later, Vernon died in an accident – he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle. The brothers decided to suspend their activities. They came back as a trio.

They soon signed their first record deal and released the single “Shout”, which became a huge hit. Three years later, in 1962, their own version of the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” was released.

Rudolph was rarely the lead vocalist in the band, but he participated in songwriting and sang backing vocals. You can hear him in hits such as “That Lady”, “Nobody But Me” and “Testify”. Young Jimi Hendrix took part in the recording of the last composition. The legendary guitarist worked in the group as a sideman – he was not an official member of the band, but he supported the band during live performances and even recorded with them.

The Isley Brothers played with Jimi Hendrix. One of the founders of the formation has died

After several years of working under contracts, the Isley Brothers founded their own label. The first hit released independently by the band was “It’s Your Thing”. Over the years, the band’s sound and composition have changed. The musicians played funk, rock and roll, gospel, disco and R&B, and Rudolph was joined by younger brothers Marvin and Ernie in the late 1960s.

In 1986, Kelly died, and three years later Rudolph decided to abandon his music career. He became a priest and stopped participating in the band. He didn’t even show up at the band’s induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. A few months before his death, however, he became involved in a battle against his brother Ronald, with whom he fought for the copyright to the Isley Brothers name.