Rudolph Isley, Founding Member of Isley Brothers, Passes Away at 84

Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the Isley Brothers, has away at the age of 84. He contributed to the performance of raw rhythm and blues standards like "Shout" and "Twist and Shout," as well as funky successes like "That Lady" and "It's Your Thing."

"There are no words to describe how I feel about my brother or how much I adore him. We shall miss him as a family. Ronald Isley, though, stated in a statement issued on Thursday by an Isley Brothers spokesperson, "I know he's in a better place." Additional information was not immediately accessible.

Born in Cincinnati, Rudolph Isley started singing in churches alongside his brothers Ronald and O'Kelly (a third brother, Vernon, passed away at the age of 13). He was still in his teens when the group made their breakthrough in the late 1950s with "Shout," a secularised gospel rave that became iconic during the toga party scene in the movie "Animal House." The Beatles loved the similarly energetic "Twist and Shout," so much so that they used it as the last song on their first album and as the opening number for their renowned 1965 show at Shea Stadium. The Isleys scored again in the early 1960s.

Other hits for the Isleys were the Grammy-winning "It's Your Thing" and "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," which Rod Stewart eventually covered. Their success increased in the 1970s when younger brothers Ernest and Marvin joined the group. They released hit songs like "That Lady" and "Fight the Power (Part 1)" as well as million-selling albums like "The Heat Is On" and "Go for Your Guns."

Three years after O'Kelly Isley's untimely death, in 1989, Rudolph Isley quit the group to become a Christian priest. In 1992, he was one of the Isley brothers inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.