Remembering the Isley Brothers

With the death of Rudolph Isley, the founding member of The Isley Brothers, I wanted to look back on the legacy that he led and the impact they had on the funk genre as a whole.

The group was founded in 1954 in Cincinnati with Rudolph, alongside brothers Ronald (Ronnie), Vernon, and O'Kelly (Kelly). They originally performed primarily gospel music before Vernon was hit by a bike and passed away. The group took a brief hiatus before reforming as a band and became more of a funk and soul group.

After they moved to New York City in the later 50's, they came out with their first hit of many, "Shout" in 1959, which allowed for their rise to fame.

I have very specific nostalgia associated with this song where it reminds me of a mini golf course that I always frequented. They would play this song non-stop during the game and it is just automatically is associated with that time of my life for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEjLFpU2pJ4

In the early 1970s, the trio added their younger brothers, Ernie and Marvin Isley and Rudolph's brother-in-law Chris Jasper, to form a full band. One of my personal favorite albums of theirs, "Go For Your Guns" was created shortly after they became a full ensemble.

It's one of those albums I can listen to front to back without even thinking about skipping and it's a comfort album for me. My favorite song is Footsteps in the Dark pts. 1 & 2; the beginning drums inspired Thundercats Them Changes and it makes sense why. The song is perfectly crafted and is the perfect tune to walk to.

Rudolph left the brothers in 1989 to become a Christian Minister following Kelly's death by a few years.

The Isley Brothers have a career that has spanned over 6 decades and recounting just some of their impact is bittersweet with the death of Rudolph Isley. But their legacy will continue for generations and their music has made waves across the world.