Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the Isley Brothers, has died at the age of 84 after reportedly suffering a heart attack.
His lawyer Brian D Caplan issued a statement saying: “Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the world famous Isley Brothers, died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of 11 October 2023.
“He died at his home, with his devoted wife Elaine by his side. They had been married for 68 years. Rudolph was a deeply religious man who loved Jesus.”
Rudolph created The Isley Brothers with siblings Ronald, O’Kelly and Vernon as a teenager in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The brothers moved to New York in 1955 to record music, eventually signing with RCA Records.
The band’s hits included For the Love of You and Harvest for the World.
Rudolph had taken legal action against Roland for trying to trademark “The Isley Brothers”, a name he claimed is jointly owned.
In 1971, the group gained brothers Ernie and Marvin, as well as Rudolph’s brother-in-law.
Rudolph then quit in 1989 to become a Christian minister, but eventually rejoined. His death came after an Illinois judge refused to dismiss his lawsuit against Ronald over trademark rights to the band’s name in August.
