(CNN) � Rudolph Isley, one of the founding members of the R&B group , has died, his family announced.
He was 84.
“There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him. But I know he’s in a better place,� Ronald Isley, Rudolph’s brother and Isley Brother band co-founder, told CNN in a statement on Thursday.
A representative for The Isley Brothers told CNN that Rudolph died Wednesday. A cause of death was not immediately known.
The Isley Brothers band was formed in the mid-1950s when Rudolph, Ronald, O’Kelly and Vernon Isley started a gospel quartet as teenagers. Vernon tragically died at age 13 before the brothers went on to release their first major hit, “Shout!� in 1959.
Though the band’s membership evolved through the years, The Isley Brothers had enduring success with songs like “Love The One You’re With,� “Testify� and “Between the Sheets.�
Rudolph had not performed with the band since 1986. He left the music industry in 1989 to a life in Christian ministry, but reunited with the group in 1992 when The Isley Brothers were into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
While the Cincinnati-native was still with The Isley Brothers, they earned one Grammy in 1970 for their popular hit song “It’s Your Thing� off their 1969 album “It’s Our Thing.�
More recently, Rudolph and Ronald had been engaged in since March regarding a trademark dispute over ownership of the band’s name, according to Billboard.
The-CNN-Wire
� & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
