In 1957, the brothers went to New York City to record a string of failed doo wop singles while performing a spirited reading of the song "Lonely Teardrops" in Washington, D.C., two years later, they interjected the line "You know you make me want to shout," which inspired frenzied audience feedback. The group was comprised of Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly, and Vernon Isley after Vernon's 1955 death in a bicycling accident, tenor Ronald was tapped as the remaining trio's lead vocalist. In 1954, the Isley Brothers were officially formed and the quartet toured the gospel circuit.
The first generation of Isley siblings was born and raised in Lincoln Heights, Ohio, where they were encouraged to begin a singing career by their father, himself a professional vocalist, and their mother, a church pianist who provided musical accompaniment at their early performances. The Isleys (as they are commonly called) were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.įirst formed in the early '50s, the Isleys have enjoyed one of the longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music - over the course of nearly a half century of performing, the group's distinguished history spanned not only two generations of Isley siblings but also massive cultural shifts which heralded their music's transformation from gritty R&B to Motown soul to blistering funk. They are the only act to have at least one Hot 100 hit in each of six consecutive decades: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The founding members were O'Kelly Isley, Jr. Groove with youisley brothersoh, ive been thinking of youand youve been thinking of me.oh, ill give all that i haveif youll give all that i need.and oh, oh, oh, lets be fair.and i think its time we cleared the air.ive been watching you, youve been watching me.you know ive been wantin to groove with you.girl, speak your oove with you.you been thinking all of this oove with you.aw baby what i wouldnt do.groove with you.just spending my days with you.oh, love is all in your eyes,love fire is burning for me.you stay all in my mind.oh woman, its easy to see.oh, lets be fairyou know its time we cleared the airyouve been watching me, ive been watching you.you know, you know,groove with you.oh i want a groove, i want a groovegroove with you.ive been thinking, youve been thinking, thinking of me.groove with you.oh what i wouldnt do to groove with you.groove with you.youve been watching, i been wathcing watching yougroove with youand every chance i get, from the first time we meeti want a groove with you.The Isley Brothers is a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper.