Isley Brothers Ronald, Ernie and Rudolph during 4th Annual BET Awards - Arrivals at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
<p><strong>Rudolph Isley</strong> of the iconic <strong>Isley Brothers </strong>group has passed away. The singer died at age 84 in Illinois on Wednesday (Oct. 11). <em>TMZ </em><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/10/12/rudolph-isley-brothers-founding-member-dead-dies-singer-motown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke the story</a>, and <em>Rolling Stone</em> <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rudolph-isley-isley-brothers-dead-obit-1234852904/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired a statement</a> from brother and bandmate <strong>Ronald Isley </strong>confirming the news.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him. But I know he&#8217;s in a better place,&#8221; Ronald said.</p></blockquote>
<p>The family has not disclosed the circumstances under which Rudolph Isley <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/hughes-van-ellis-tulsa-race-survivor-passes-away/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away</a>. There are no additional updates surrounding his death at this time.</p>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">Who Was Rudolph Isley?</h3>
<p>If you&#8217;re not privy to Rudolph&#8217;s legacy, the late singer formed one-third of the Isley Brothers, along with siblings Ronald and O&#8217;Kelly. The brothers started in the group in 1954 as a four-person sound, but their brother and additional member, Vernon, <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-isley-brothers-mn0000766893/biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died in 1955</a> after a car struck him while bicycling. He was 13 years old.</p>
<p>Though the teenage band crumbled temporarily after the accident, they later reentered the music scene as a trio. This time, Ronald led the band&#8217;s vocals while Rudolph and O&#8217;Kelly added to the magic with background vocals. Their debut track, &#8220;Shout,&#8221; is still widely known as an Isley Brothers classic.</p>
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<p>In 1958, Rudolph Isley tied the knot with Elaine Jasper &#8212; and reportedly leaned more into married life than band life. When he split from his wife <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/world/who-was-rudolph-isley-age-cause-of-death-wife-children-net-worth-top-songs-article-104380957#:~:text=Rudolph%20Isley%20Wife%20and%20Children,later%20married%20Marla%20in%201989." target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 1971</a>, the Isley Brothers had grown from a trio to include more family talent. His younger brothers, Ernie and Marvin, joined the group along with Rudolph&#8217;s brother-in-law, Chris Jasper.</p>
<p>Rudolph again took a step back from music in 1989 to pursue a career as a Christian minister. Still, his newfound interest didn&#8217;t stop him from occasionally lending vocals to the group.</p>
<p>Despite Ronald often being the lead, Rudolph also belted on the front lines. Not only that, Rudolph Isley flexed his pen game for the group in hits like &#8220;That Lady,&#8221; &#8220;Nobody But Me,&#8221; and &#8220;Testify.&#8221;</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Details On Rudolph&#8217;s 2023 Lawsuit Against Ronald</h3>
<p>Unfortunately, in the last few months, Rudolph and brother Ronald had been involved in <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/family-feud-rudolph-isley-reportedly-sues-ronald-for-cutting-him-out-of-the-isley-brothers-trademark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a legal feud</a> over rights to the band&#8217;s name. Earlier this year, <em>TMZ </em>cited a lawsuit brought forth by Rudolph, accusing Ronnie of trademarking their name and retaining all the profits.</p>
<p>The late singer argued that they both had 50% ownership rights to the group&#8217;s name after O&#8217;Kelly passing in 1986. His lawsuit requested an accounting of Ronnie&#8217;s finances, beginning when the US Patent and Trademark Office approved the trademark in August 2022. Rudolph sought to acquire 50% of any relevant earnings. Secondly, he requested to be named as part-trademark owner.</p>
<p>In August, Billboard reported that Judge Thomas M. Durkin declined to dismiss the lawsuit, instead escalating it to a court trial. It&#8217;s unclear where Ronald stands on the lawsuit&#8217;s requests now that his brother has passed away.</p>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">RELATED: <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/ronald-rudolph-isley-prepare-to-head-to-court-over-rights-to-the-isley-brothers-name/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ronald &; Rudolph Isley Prepare To Head To Court Over Rights To &#8216;The Isley Brothers&#8217; Name</a></h5>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>The Shade Room extends its deepest condolences to the Isley family during this time. </em></p>
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