Rudolph Isley, one of the four founding members of the Isley Brothers, has died at age 84.
TMZ first reported his death. Isley passed in Illinois on Wednesday, Oct. 11. A cause of death has not been revealed. "There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother," said his brother Ronald Isley in a statement. "Our family will miss him. But I know he's in a better place."
The Isley Brothers formed in 1954 when they were just teenagers. The group comprised of Ronald, Vernon, O'Kelly, and Rudolph. They briefly split when Vernon was fatally struck by a car in 1955 but reunited shortly after. As a trio, they scored a record deal with RCA Victor in 1959, releasing their hit single "Shout" that same year. They also released a popular cover of Phil Medley and Bert Berns' "Twist & Shout" in 1962, a year before the Beatles covered the track on their debut studio album, Please Please Me.
Rudolph was one of the main songwriters in the group and provided backing vocals alongside brother O'Kelly until he departed from the band in 1989. O'Kelly passed away in 1986 at age 48 following a heart attack. The group expanded to include Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, and Chris Jasper in later years.
Ronald Isley, who took over lead vocals following Vernon's death, is the only surviving founding member of the band. He still performs under the Isley Brothers name alongside Ernie, who joined in 1969 until 1984 and rejoined in 1991.
Earlier this year, as Billboard reported, Ronald and Rudolph Isley were set to go to court over a legal battle over the usage of the Isley Brothers name. Rudolph accused his brother of trying to register an individual trademark on the band's name, stating they should own the name equally. Ronald attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, but a court denied the motion.
