Musician. Best remembered for his work as a member of The Isley Brothers. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of O'Kelly Isley Sr. and Sally Bernice Bell Isley, he was raised in the church were he was a member of the congregation's choir. In 1954, he along with his siblings, O'Kelly Jr., Vernon and Ronald Isley formed the eponymous group, "The Isley Brothers." Following the death of Vernon in 1955, the act relocated from Cincinnati to New York City in 1957, where they secured a recording contract with RCA Victor. In 1958, he married Elaine Jasper Isley. Two years after signing with RCA, the group scored its first major success in 1959 with the single "Shout." The song climbed the singles charts, peaking at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1962, the Isleys recorded the Bert Berns & Phil Medley-penned "Twist and Shout" which landed at number 17 on the pop singles charts. The song was later covered by major groups such as The Beatles. In 1964, the Isleys founded the record label, T-Neck Records in Teaneck, New Jersey. In 1966, they recorded "This Old Heart of Mine" for the Motown Records label. The single reached the number 12 position on the Hot 100 and number 6 on the Billboard R&B Charts. Three years later, The Isley Brothers released the smash hit, "It's Your Thing" which garnered a Grammy Award for the group. The song was later counted amongst Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time. In 1973, The Isleys found continuing success with the release of their eleventh studio album "3+3." With the introduction of cousin Chris Jasper (keyboards) into the group, the record contained the top ten single "That Lady." Buoyed by the success of the single, the album sold in advance of two million copies, catapulting the band to tremendous fame. 1975's "The Heat is On" produced the hits "Fight the Power," and "For the Love of You," which would become the band's first number one singles. The decade saw a continuous string of successful releases including "Harvest for the World" (1976), "Go for Your Guns" (1977) and "Showdown" (1978). The early 1980s saw a gradual breakdown in the group's dynamic however, with several lineup changes and departures. In 1985, the original lineup released their 23rd studio album "Masterpiece" shortly before the death of O'Kelly Isley the following year. 1989 saw the departure of Rudy from the band, having elected to leave behind the recording industry in favor of a life devoted to ministry. Eleven years later, brother Marvin Isley was forced to retire from the group following a lengthy struggle with medical issues. Ron and Ernie continued the group as a duo to the present. In 1992 Rudy, along with his siblings, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2003 saw the Isley's induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In addition to these honors, the group were nominated on five occasions for Grammy's, securing two of the awards. They were also bestowed the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and two compositions (Shout and Twist and Shout) were enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame.