The Isley Brothers ( ) are a music group from Cincinnati, Ohio, who hold the record for being the longest-running charted group in music history. Starting in 1954 and lasting into the new millennium, the group has spanned decades. Two generations of members and music genres as diverse as gospel, doo-wop, R&B, soul, funk, rock, adult contemporary, Quiet Storm and even hip-hop. Their early hits, "Shout!", "Twist & Shout" and "Nobody But Me", laid the groundwork for 1960s rock acts, and became soul standards in the process. They also pioneered the ground for other artists and bands to form their own labels by forming T-Neck Records in the mid-1960s. They also helped pave the way for self-contained funk bands after Sly & the Family Stone with the release of their groundbreaking 1969 single, "It's Your Thing".
The original 1954 lineup comprised brothers O'Kelly, Jr., Rudolph, Ronald and Vernon Isley. They performed as a gospel quartet until Vernon's death from a car accident in 1955. After a brief split, the other three reformed as a trio. In 1973, they added younger brothers Ernie, Marvin, and brother-in-law ,Chris Jasper, reinventing the vocal group as a band with the moniker 3 + 3. The younger half left the group in 1984, making it a vocal trio again. In 1986, the oldest brother O'Kelly, Jr., suddenly died of a heart attack. After the remaining brothers produced one album as a duo, Rudolph retired to become a minister and Ronald carried on with a solo career until he, Ernie and Marvin reformed the Isley Brothers in 1991.
Marvin left in 1997 owing to his battle with diabetes, and Ronald and Ernie carried on into the new millennium. In the process, Ronald's new alter ego, the gangster and R. Kelly video villain 'Mr. Biggs', helped bring newfound success to the group.
