Rudolph Isley, a founding member of The Isley Brothers, died at the age of 84 in Illinois on Wednesday (Oct. 11). The cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
According to TMZ, a source close to the late singer believed he suffered from a heart attack.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 1, 1939, Rudolph started The Isley Brothers in the late 1950s with his siblings O’Kelly, Vernon, and Ronald Isley. The group gained mainstream recognition during the 1970s with their first No. 1 album, The Heat Is On. They spawned hits like “Twist and Shout,” later covered by The Beatles, “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You),” and “It’s Your Thing.”
In 1989, Rudolph left the limelight of the music industry to become a Christian minister. Fortunately, his career shift didn’t diminish the band’s impact as The Isley Brothers were later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
After headlines broke of Rudolph’s passing, Ronald announced the cancellation of his liquor company, Liquid Gold’s, launch party in Atlanta, which was initially slated to take place on Oct. 18.
Rudolph resurfaced in the news earlier this year due to legal battles with Ronald. According to a lawsuit filed in Chicago Federal Court obtained by Billboard, the late musician claimed that his sibling “improperly registered the ‘The Isley Brothers’ trademark as a sole individual,” thereby legally excluding him from shared ownership.
The complaint read, “Counsel for defendant Ronald Isley has asserted in correspondence that defendant alone has exclusive ownership of the [trademark]. These assertions … are false.”
Counterarguments from Ronald’s legal team maintained that the trademark rightfully belonged to the person actually using the name. They stated that any profits generated should belong solely to the lead singer, as Rudolph had not performed with the ensemble since 1986.
In March, The Isley Brothers appeared on “Drink Champs” to discuss their group’s legacy. Regarding his collaboration with Beyoncé on “Make Me Say It Again, Girl,” Ronald said, “We’ve been charted all the way up right now for eight decades. Our album right now has been on the charts for five weeks — it was No. 1 — and for 30 weeks, it’s been in the top 10. It’s No. 6 now with Beyoncé.”