Ronald Isley
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Biography
Singer and songwriter Ronald Isley â born May 21, 1941, in Cincinnati, Ohio â is best known as a founding member and lead singer of soul and R&B legends the Isley Brothers. The third of six brothers, he began singing in church at the age of two. Five years later, he was performing alongside artists like Dinah Washington at respected venues such as the Regal Theater in Chicago. In his teens, Ronald Isley was performing with his brothers in church, making an appearance on the popular television show Ted Mackâs Amateur Hour. In 1957, he and his brothers OâKelly and Rudy moved to New York in hopes of pursuing a music career. Initially recording a series of doo-wop singles for local labels, the trio signed with RCA Records in 1959. The Isley Brothersâ first single was the now-legendary âShoutâ (1959), which led to more hits such as âTwist & Shoutâ (1962), âNobody But Meâ (1963), âWhoâs That Lady?â (1964), âThis Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)â (1966), âI Guess Iâll Always Love Youâ (1966), âItâs Your Thingâ (1969), âThat Lady (Part 1)â (1973), âFight the Power (Part 1)â (1975), âHarvest for the Worldâ (1976), and many more. Throughout most of the bandâs career, Ronald Isley remained the groupâs main vocalist and only consistent member. The groupâs sound changed over the years with the addition of younger brothers into the fold. Brother OâKelly died in 1986 and Rudy left in 1989 to pursue a career in the ministry. Younger brother Ernie stepped in and took a more dominant role in the group. In 1990, Ronald Isley collaborated with Rod Stewart on a new version of âThis Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)â, which was a Top 10 hit for Stewart. As a solo artist, Ronald Isley released Here I Am, a collaboration with Burt Bacharach, in 2003. His next solo album, Mr. I, was released in 2010, followed three years later by This Song Is for You. During his long career, Ronald Isley has also collaborated with many artists, providing hook vocals for tracks by R. Kelly, Warren G, 2Pac, and UGK. In 2004, Ronald Isley was convicted of tax evasion and was incarcerated for several years, which sidelined his career. He was released in April 2010 and picked up his music career where he left off.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Back In The Game by Ronald Isley
- How Much A Dollar Cost featuring Ronald Isley
- Contagious by Ronald Isley
- Freedom in Your Mind by Ronald Isley
- You Had Me At Hello
- Pretty Woman by Ronald Isley
- Heaven Hooked Us Up by Ronald Isley
- Just Came Here To Chill by Ronald Isley
- You Help Me Write This Song by Ronald Isley
- Speechless by Ronald Isley
- Down Low (Nobody Has To Know) by Ronald Isley
- Show Me by Ronald Isley
- Lay You Down Intro
- Another Night
- Bed Time
- Big Business by Ronald Isley
- The Boss
- Reunion
- Lay You Down
- My Favorite Thing
- Dinner and a Movie
- Make Love To Your Soul
- Friends & Family featuring The Isley Brothers
- Showdown by Ronald Isley
