His vocals have helped the Isleys become the longest-running charted group in music history. One of the founding members of the Isley Brothers, he and Ernie remain the only brothers (as of 2006) who remain in the group. The collaboration reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, one place higher than the original, and also hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Isley also collaborated with Rod Stewart in 1990 on Stewart's cover of the 1966 Isley Brothers hit "This Old Heart of Mine". Winbush continued producing records with Isley for 1989's Spend the Night, 1991's The Tracks of Life (with a revamped version of the Isley Brothers), 1996's Mission to Please (from which Isley and Winbush scored a hit duet, "Floatin' On Your Love", whose remix featured Lil' Kim) and 2001's Eternal, before Isley and Winbush divorced in 2001. Isley and Winbush shared a duet on Winbush's Sharp album (the top 40 R&B ballad "Hello, Beloved"), and in 1993, they were married. After years singing in gritty gospel-infused vocals, Ronald introduced R&B audiences to his piercing falsetto and softer tenor in ballads that critics have hailed as some of the greatest love songs of all time, including "For the Love of You", "Harvest For the World", "Sensuality", "At Your Best", "Footsteps in the Dark", "I Need Your Body", "Choosey Lover", "Between the Sheets", and "Don't Say Goodnight." He still sang in his gritty tenor in hits like "That Lady", "Live It Up", "Fight the Power" and "Take Me to the Next Phase".Īfter the death of his oldest brother, O'Kelly, in 1986, Isley began working with soul singer-songwriter-producer Angela Winbush on the next Isley Brothers record, Smooth Sailin'.
In fact, Ronald is considered one of the original belters and vocalists of the rock era. Ronald could sing rock & roll as well as funk and soul. After signing with RCA Records, the group released "Shout", a song that has since become a legendary rock and roll staple.Īfter the 1962 hit, "Twist and Shout", and a brief successful stint at Motown, the brothers formed the T-Neck record label (named after their New Jersey hometown) in 1968 and released the hugely successful funk anthem, "It's Your Thing", which won the group their only Grammy. After several failed attempts, the brothers hit pay dirt after cultivating a song that had been created after the brothers' inspired performance of Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops" at a 1959 Washington, D.C. In 1957, the Isleys moved out of Cincinnati and headed to New York City, where they began recording doo-wop material for several record labels. Ronald carried on as the leader of the Isleys after Vernon's 1955 death in a bicycle accident at age 13. (also a singer in his own right at the time), and their mother Sallye (the group's first pianist). Beginning as a gospel quartet, they began singing alongside their father, O'Kelly, Sr.
In 1954, when Ronald was only 13, he and his brothers, Rudolph, O'Kelly and Vernon Isley, formed the original lineup of what would become the Isley Brothers. By the age of seven, Ronald was singing onstage at venues such as the Regal Theater in Chicago, alongside Dinah Washington and a few other notables. He began singing at the age of three, winning a $25 war bond for singing at a spiritual contest at the Union Baptist Church. By the age of seven, Ronald was singing onstage at venues such as the Regal Theater in Chicago, alongside Dinah Washington and a few other notables.īorn the third of six brothers, Ronald, like many of his siblings, began his career in the church. Born the third of six brothers, Ronald, like many of his siblings, began his career in the church. Ronald Isley (born in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States) is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.