Rudolph Isley, Founding Member of The Isley Brothers, Dead at 84

Rudolph Isley, one of the founders of The Isley Brothers, has passed away. He was 84 years old.

The singer “died peacefully in his sleep” Wednesday morning in Illinois, his daughter Elaine confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement.

“He died in his home with his devoted wife Elaine by his side. They were married for 68 years,” his daughter said. “Rudolph was a deeply religious man who loved Jesus.”

Rudolph’s brother and bandmate Ronald tells PEOPLE in a statement, “There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. He will be missed by our family. But I know he is in a better place.”

TMZ first broke the news. The cause of death has yet to be determined.

O’Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley.

GAB/Redferns Archive

Rudolph Isley Sues Brother Ronald Isley Over ‘The Isley Brothers’ Trademark

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Rudolph grew up singing in church and became a member of The Isley Brothers with his siblings O’Kelly, Ronald and Vernon as teenagers. After Vernon died in a car accident in 1955, the band moved to New York City where they sought a record deal. Just a year before the family band signed to RCA Records and recorded their hit “Shout,” Rudolph married Elaine Jasper.

During their career, the group, known for their soul and doo-wop sound, produced hits such as “Twist and Shout” (which was covered by the Beatles), “This Old Heart of Mine” and “It’s Your Thing”. In 1964, The Isley Brothers formed their own record label, T-Neck Records, and even hired Jimi Hendrix to play guitar for their band briefly. But a year later, they ended up signing to Motown.

By 1973, The Isley Brothers had expanded to include their younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and brother-in-law Chris Jasper.

In 1989, Rudolph left The Isley Brothers to pursue his goal of being a Christian preacher and due to ill health and the death of his brother and bandmate O’Kelly, according to a lawsuit filed in March, but reunited with the band during their tenure. Three years later, the Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Rudolph made headlines in early 2023 when he filed a lawsuit against his brother and former bandmate Ronald, claiming that Ronald had registered The Isley Brothers trademark behind his back on his own, even though it was actually “jointly owned” by the two of them .

In documents filed in March in Illinois federal court and obtained by PEOPLE, Rudolph said he, Ronald and O’Kelly — the band’s founders — ran the group “as a common-law partnership,” sharing all expenses, profits and control of the business.

According to the lawsuit, after O’Kelly’s death in 1986, his shares were transferred equally to Rudolph and Ronald, 82, with each receiving a 50% ownership stake in the group and the Isley Brothers brand. Over the years, the schism has been maintained by both sides.

But Rudolph claimed that in November 2021, Ronald applied to register exclusive trademark rights in his personal name “for visual recordings and audiovisual recordings with music” without telling Rudolph, and his application was approved and registered by the US Office for patents and trademarks in August 2022.

Ronald Isley, Ernie Isley, Rudolph Isley.

Chris Walter/WireImage

Ronald Isley says Tina Knowles cried when she heard Beyoncé’s new duet with the Isley brothers

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Rudolph wanted transparency of all transactions made and income generated “through Ronald’s improper registration,” and demanded his “rightful 50% share of all results and income” since his brother registered the trademark.

Although Rudolph left the group in the ’80s, he remained active in promoting and managing the group’s assets, the complaint states, including a multimillion-dollar music publishing deal in 2018 and, more recently, negotiating a licensing deal that “Shout ” used in a commercial for the 2023 Super Bowl.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education