Brothers Ron and Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers, along with Gladys Knight, will grace the stage at The Dell Music Center on Thursday. — Submitted
by Rita Charleston, Philadelphia Tribune Correspondent
There are only a few bands in history that have influenced so many others and can claim their own hits that span the decades from the 1950s through the 2000s. And their name? Why The Isley Brothers, of course.
Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, the brothers sang in the church choir where their mother played piano. They also formed a quartet that was coached by their father. They were starting to enjoy some small success when their brother Vernon, just 13, was killed in a bicycle accident, causing the group to disband. But thanks to the encouragement of their parents, the three remaining brothers — Ronald, Rudolph and O’Kelly Jr. — regrouped and headed to New York to test the waters.
It didn’t take them long to become a household name with the 1959 release of their megahit “Shout!,” followed three short years later by “Twist and Shout.” They were well on their way.
Today, brothers Ron and Ernie — the only two surviving Isley brothers — continue to make music to the joy of an international audience. Ron and Ernie Isley will share the bill with Gladys Knight on Thursday at The Dell Music Center.
Commenting on his own beginnings with the band, Ernie Isley remembers he started playing the drums with his brothers when he was 14 years old. Speaking during a telephone interview, he recalls some of the many highlights that came his way during those early years. One was living with Jimi Hendrix, another was becoming the idol of young female fans, and last, but certainly not least, was a chance meeting with Paul McCartney.
Brothers Ron and Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers
“I remember Jimi auditioning for my brothers, and after about three minutes they hired him,” Isley says. “But with no place to stay, he was offered a room and board at my family home, which he accepted. He stayed with us for almost two years.
“I remember he was always respectful and helpful,” he continues. “He’d watch cartoons on Saturday morning with me. And he was always playing his guitar and practicing. I thought he was pretty good already, but he was always playing that guitar.”
And once, during an intermission, 14-year-old Isley was surrounded by a group of girls who were enchanted by this young man who was a “professional musician.” And they let him know it in no uncertain terms. Isley was flattered and says he very much enjoyed the attention.
And then there was that chance meeting with Paul McCartney. The Beatles had recorded “Shout!” and “Twist and Shout” even before they came to America.
“Paul told me that without that music and without the Isley Brothers there might never have been the Beatles.”
Along the way, The Isley Brothers have amassed many awards including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, an NAACP Image Award, a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance, and many, many more.
Since the Isleys have been on the soul, R&B, funk and pop scene all these years, does Ernie Isley believe there is a secret to the group’s longevity?
“I think the answer is that we’ve always loved all kinds of music and we changed with the musical terrain and climate,” he shared. “And as I said before, we also influenced many other bands like The Beatles and many others. I believe our influence has managed to cross generations too.”
Now on a world tour, Isley says he enjoys touring and he’s looking forward to the many appearances that are lined up, including a stop in Australia where they’ll be appearing with The Beach Boys.
And lastly, Isley says his greatest happiness comes from “just being able to continue doing what I do and watching the joy it brings to people’s faces. Not a lot of people can say that.”
For more information on The Isley Brothers and their upcoming performance, visit thedellmusiccenter.com.
This article originally appeared in the Philadelphia Tribune
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