The Isley Brothers at Municipal Auditorium

The Isley Brothers are an American soul group originating from Cincinnati, Ohio. The group began in 1954 as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, and Ronald Isley. Together with another brother, Vernon Isley, the group initially performed gospel music. After Vernon’s death in 1955, the remaining brothers moved to New York City in the late 1950s and began recording secular music. They achieved early success in 1959 with their fourth single, "Shout," written by the three brothers. The song became their first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over one million copies. During the 1960s, the group recorded for several record labels and released songs including "Twist and Shout" and the Motown single "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)." In 1969 they released the Grammy Award-winning hit "It's Your Thing" on their own label, T-Neck Records. In 1973, the lineup expanded with the addition of younger brothers Ernie Isley on guitar and drums, Marvin Isley on bass, and Rudolph Isley’s brother-in-law Chris Jasper on keyboards and synthesizers. This transformation from a vocal trio into a band coincided with a period of significant commercial success. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the group released a series of successful albums including "3 + 3," "The Heat Is On," and "Between the Sheets." "The Heat Is On" reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The six-member lineup ended in 1983 when Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, and Chris Jasper formed the group Isley-Jasper-Isley. O'Kelly Isley Jr. died in 1986. Afterwards, Rudolph and Ronald Isley recorded two albums as a duo before Rudolph retired from the music industry in 1989 to pursue Christian ministry. Following several lineup changes, Ronald Isley and Ernie Isley continued the group and achieved commercial success with the albums "Mission to Please" (1996), "Eternal" (2001), and "Body Kiss" (2003). The album "Eternal" included the hit single "Contagious." As of 2026, the Isley Brothers continue to perform with Ronald and Ernie Isley as members. The Isley Brothers have sold more than 18 million units in the United States. With chart entries ranging from "Shout" in 1959 to "Contagious" in 2001, they are among the few musical acts to have reached the Billboard Hot 100 with new recordings in six different decades, and the only act to do so in consecutive decades from the 1950s through the 2000s. Their long span of success on the R&B charts has been recognized with a Guinness World Record. Sixteen of their albums reached the Top 40, and thirteen have been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, added to Hollywood’s Rockwalk in 1997, inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Studio albums Shout! (1959) Twist & Shout (1962) Twisting and Shouting (1963) This Old Heart of Mine (1966) Soul on the Rocks (1967) It's Our Thing (1969) The Brothers: Isley (1969) Get into Something (1970) Givin' It Back (1971) Brother, Brother, Brother (1972) 3 + 3 (1973) Live It Up (1974) The Heat Is On (1975) Harvest for the World (1976) Go for Your Guns (1977) Showdown (1978) Winner Takes All (1979) Go All the Way (1980) Grand Slam (1981) Inside You (1981) The Real Deal (1982) Between the Sheets (1983) Masterpiece (1985) Smooth Sailin' (1987) Spend the Night (1989) Tracks of Life (1992) Mission to Please (1996) Eternal (2001) Body Kiss (2003) Baby Makin' Music (2006) Power of Peace (2017) Make Me Say It Again, Girl (2022)