Motown legend Rudolph Isley of The Isley Brothers dead at 84, months after sibling battle
Rudolph Isley of the legendary Motown group The Isley Brothers has reportedly died of a suspected heart attack aged 84.
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Rudolph Isley of the iconic Motown group The Isley Brothers has died at the age of 84.
The singer reportedly died on Wednesday in Illinois but the cause of death had not yet been confirmed.
TMZ reports that a source has revealed that Rudolph died after suffering a heart attack.
Rudolph, along with his brothers, Ronald, and O'Kelly, created The Isley Brothers.
Their songs have been covered by some of the biggest artists, including The Beatles.
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Rudolph began singing at a young age at his local church.
He and his brothers former their group when they were teenagers.
Their other brother Vernon was hit by a car aged just 13 in 1955 and the brothers decided to move to New York in the hopes of scoring a recording contract.
They eventually signed with RCA Records and their first single, Shout, became their top hit.
The tune currently has 105 million streams on Spotify.
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In the 1960s, the group recorded songs for a variety of labels, including the top 20 single Twist and Shout, which The Beatles later covered.
They also recorded the Motown single This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You), before recording and releasing the Grammy Award-winning hit It's Your Thing on their own label, T-Neck Records.
Rudolph was often put at the front of the group and sang lead vocals on a number of The Isley Brothers' tunes ahead of Ronnie.
In 1989 he left the group to become a Christian minister.
However, he reunited with his brothers on numerous occasions in the following years.
In 1992, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receiving the accolade from fellow music legend Little Richard.
The Isley Brothers feature on a number of popular rap hits, including on Ice Cube's It Was a Good Day and Notorious B.I.G's Big Poppa.
In March, Rudolf sued his brother Ronald over The Isley Brothers' trademark.
He claimed he improperly registered the trademark for "The Isley Brothers” as a sole individual, excluding him from an asset in a partnership in which they are equal members.
The singer was seeking a full accounting and 50 percent of profits from the trademark.
