(L to R) O’Kelly, Rudy, Ron & Vernon
The Isley Brothers (Cincinnati, Ohio)
The Early years
Personnel :
Vernon Isley (Lead)
Rudolph Isley
O'Kelly Isley Jr.
Ronald Isley
Biography :
The
Isley Brothers originally came from Cincinnati, Ohio, and were raised
at the city's Lincoln Heights suburb, eventually settling at the
satellite town of Blue Ash when they were teenagers. Their father,
O'Kelly Isley, Sr., a former United States Navy sailor and vaudeville
performer from Durham, North Carolina, and Georgia-reared mother Sallye,
guided the elder four Isley boys in their singing while at church.
Patterning themselves after groups such as Billy Ward and his Dominoes
and the Dixie Hummingbirds, the brothers began performing together in
1954. Eventually they landed a spot on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour where
they won the competition, winning a watch. With Vernon on lead vocals,
the quartet soon began touring all over the eastern US regions
performing in a variety of churches. When Vernon was thirteen, he was
killed after a car struck him as he was riding his bike in his
neighborhood. Devastated, the remaining trio disbanded.
Eventually convinced to regroup, the brothers decided to record
popular music and left Cincinnati for New York in 1957 with their
parents' blessings. With Ronnie assuming the lead vocal position in the
group, the group got into contact with Richard Barrett, who soon had the
group in contact with a variety of New York record producers. They
eventually had their first records produced by George Goldner, who
recorded the group's first songs, including "Angels Cried" and "The Cow
Jumped Over the Moon" for the Teenage, Cindy and Mark X imprints
Songs :
Angels Cried The Cow Jumped Over The Moo