Biography
Ronald Isley was born May 21, 1941, in Cincinnati, OH. He and his five brothers proved musically inclined from the get-go, singing in church choir as children, as well as on programs like "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour" (CBS 1948-1970). As a teenager, Ronald and his brothers had relocated to New York City to land recording contracts, producing the iconic number "Shout," and its eponymous album, with RCA Records by 1959. Known officially as the Isley Brothers, Ronald as his siblings and band mates would continue to produce records throughout the '60s-namely Twist & Shout (1962), This Old Heart of Mine (1966), and It's Our Thing (1969)-though great commercial success evaded the troupe until the following decade. After forming their own label, T-Neck Records, the Isley Brothers reshaped their style and released Platinum records like 3 + 3 (1973), The Heat Is On (1975), Harvest Your World (1976), Go for Your Guns (1977), and Showdown (1978). The 1980s saw significant changes for the Isley Brothers; the departure of Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, and Chris Jasper (the only non-Isley member of the band) in '84, the sudden death of O'Kelly Isley Jr. in '86, and the departure of Rudolph Isley in '89 forced Ronald to explore a temporary solo career before the return of Ernie and Marvin in 1991. The years to follow saw Ronald Isley collaborate with big name hip hop artists like Tupac Shakur, on whose album Loyal to the Game (1993) Isley provided vocals, and R. Kelly, appearing in the video for his single "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" in 1995. Isley began releasing his own solo albums in the 2000s, beginning with Here I Am (2003), along with Isley Brothers albums such as the successful Body Kiss (2003). In 2006, Isley was arrested and jailed briefly for tax evasion. He returned to releasing solo albums later on, with Mr. I (2010), and This Song Is for You (2013).
