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Ronald Isley

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"Mr. Biggs" redirects here. For the restaurant chain, seeMr Bigg's.

Ronald Isley
Isley in 1996
Isley in 1996
Background information
Also known asMr. Biggs
Born(1941-05-21)May 21, 1941(age 83)[1][2]
Cincinnati,Ohio, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1954–present
Labels
Member ofThe Isley Brothers
Spouse(s)
Margret Tinsley
​
​
(m.1960;div.1987)​
​
​
(m.1993;div.2002)​
​
(m.2005)​
WebsiteOfficial Webpage

Ronald Isley(/ˈaɪzli/EYEZ-lee;born May 21, 1941)[3]is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music groupThe Isley Brothers.

Early life

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Born in 1941 to Sallye Bernice (née Bell) and O'Kelly Isley Sr, Isley was the third of six brothers (O'Kelly Isley Jr.,Rudolph Isley,Vernon Isley,Ernie Isley,Marvin Isley).[4]Ronald, like many of his siblings, began his career in the church. Isley began singing at the age of two, winning a $25war bond(approx. $429 in 2022) for singing at aspiritualcontest at the Union Baptist Church. By the age of seven, Isley was singing on-stage at venues such as theRegal Theaterin Chicago, alongsideDinah Washingtonand a few other notables.[who?] The youngest of the original four Isley Brothers was Vernon (b: 18 June 1943 - d: 24 Sept 1954); who at the age of 11 was struck and killed by a car while riding his bicycle.[5]

Career

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By his early teens, Isley was singing regularly with his brothers in church tours and also first appeared on TV onTed Mack'sAmateur Hour.In 1957, 16-year-old Isley and his two elder brothers O'Kelly and Rudy then 19 and 18 moved to New York to pursue a music career. While in New York, Isley and his brothers began recording doo-wop for local labels before landing a major deal withRCA Recordsin 1959, where the trio wrote and released their debut single "Shout".By the summer of 1959, the Isley family had moved from Cincinnati to a home inEnglewood, New Jersey.[6]

Isley has been the Isley Brothers' most longstanding member as well as the main lead vocalist, occasionally sharing with his older brothers. In 1969, Isley reformedT-Neck Recordswith his brothers in a need to produce themselves without the control of record labels, forming the label shortly after ending a brief tenure withMotown.[7]In 1973, the group's style and sound changed following the release of the3 + 3album where brothersErnie IsleyandMarvin Isleyand in-lawChris Jasperjoined the founding brothers' full-time. The younger brothers had been providing instrumental help for the brothers since the late 1960s. By the mid-1970s, Isley was living inTeaneck, New Jersey.[6]

After Kelly Isley's death in 1986 and Rudy Isley's departure to the ministry in 1989, Ronald has carried on with the Isley Brothers name either as a solo artist or with accompanying help from younger brothers, particularly Ernie. In 1990, Isley scored a top-ten duet withRod Stewartwith a cover of his brothers' hit "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)",and in 2003 Ronald recorded a solo album,Here I Am: Bacharach Meets Isley,withBurt Bacharach.In addition, Ron Isley became a sought-afterhook singerforR. Kelly,Warren G,2PacandUGK.[citation needed]Isley released his first solo albumMr. Ion November 30, 2010. The album includes the first single "No More". It debuted at number 50 on theBillboard200, selling 22,243 copies. It was his first solo album to crack that chart.[8]

In 2010, Isley received a "Legend Award" at theSoul Train Music Awards.[9]In 2013, Ronald released his second solo albumThis Song Is For Yousign labelseOne.[10]Ronald received a nominees Independent R&B/Soul Artist Performance, at theSoul Train Music Awards.[11]In 2014, Ronald made a cameo appearance in the music video for the Kendrick Lamar song "i".[12]

Including his work on songs recorded by the Isley Brothers and R. Kelly, Isley's singles appeared on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts in six straight decades, from the 1950s ("Shout") through the 2000s ("Contagious"). His 2015 appearance on Lamar's "How Much a Dollar Cost" peaked just under the Hot 100 at 109, and his 2021 Isley Brothers track "Friends and Family" failed to hit the main Billboard chart (although it was a Top 50 hit on the R&B and Hip-Hop chart), but do serve to extend his appearances on Billboard charts to eight separate decades.

Ronald Isley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of the Isley Brothers.

Personal life

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Isley and Winbush in 1996

Isley married Margret Tinsley in 1960, and in 1969 their daughter Trenisha Isley was born. In 1993, he married singerAngela Winbushin Los Angeles, California.[13]They share a daughter named Tawanna Isley who was born during their marriage. The couple divorced in early 2002.[citation needed]

Isley suffered a mild stroke in London in 2004, which halted an Isley Brothers tour. In September 2005, he married background singer Kandy Johnson of the duoJS/Johnson Sisters.[14]Their son, Ronald Isley, Jr., was born in December 2006.[15][16]In 2007, it was reported Isley had kidney problems.[17]Isley resided inSt. Louis,but now resides inLos Angeles,with his current wife and son.[18]

Tax evasion

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In 2006, Isley was convicted oftax evasioncharges. He was to owe theInternal Revenue Serviceover $3.1 million in back taxes[19]and sentenced to three years and one month in prison.[20]Isley's sentence was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[21][22]Isley was imprisoned at theFederal Correctional InstitutionatTerre Haute, Indiana,and was scheduled for release on April 13, 2010. He was moved to a half-way house (Dismas House) in St. Louis, following an early departure that October.[23]After his sentence was completed, Isley was released from a federal half-way house on April 13, 2010. Isley is listed as one of California's most delinquent taxpayers, with a $303,411.43 debt from a lien filed on October 22, 2002.[24]

Discography

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See also:The Isley Brothers discography
Main article:Ronald Isley discography

Academic title

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References

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  1. ^Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011).The Encyclopedia of Popular Music.Omnibus Press.ISBN9780857125958– via Google Books.
  2. ^Warner, Jay (December 15, 2017).American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today.Hal Leonard Corporation.ISBN9780634099786– via Google Books.
  3. ^"Ronald Isley | Biography & History".AllMusic.RetrievedAugust 10,2020.
  4. ^Muller, Dr Robert (November 6, 2009)."Dr Robert Muller – 1960s Psychedelic Hippie Culture and Music: The Isley Brothers – Success at Its Best".
  5. ^death certificate, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 1954, Reg. No. 3101, Registrar's No. 5292; informant was Sallye Isley
  6. ^abWilner, Paul."Isley Brothers: A Family Affair",The New York Times,March 13, 1977. Accessed September 18, 2011. "WHEN Sallye Isley moved her brood of children from Cincinnati to Englewood in the summer of 1959, she was participating in a show-business phenomenon.... While their older brothers toured America, the younger Isley boys enrolled successively in Englewood Junior High and Dwight Morrow High School.... Right now, the brothers reside near enough to each other to keep in close touch. Ronald lives in Teaneck, Kelly Jr. in Alpine, Rudolph in Haworth and Ernie in Englewood."
  7. ^Chick, Steve (January 7, 2014)."10 of the best: the Isley Brothers".The Guardian.RetrievedJanuary 7,2014.
  8. ^Roberts, Soraya (November 29, 2010)."Ronald Isley honored at Soul Train Awards 2010, set to release first solo album 'Mr I'".New York Daily News.RetrievedNovember 3,2020.
  9. ^Johnson, Kevin (October 21, 2010)."Ron Isley receiving Soul Train Legend Award".stltoday.com.RetrievedNovember 2,2017.
  10. ^"Ronald Isley, 'My Favorite Thing': Exclusive Song Premiere".Billboard.Prometheus Global Media.July 12, 2013.
  11. ^"Soul Train Awards Archives".BET.com.Archived fromthe originalon November 12, 2013.
  12. ^Ayers, Mike (November 4, 2014)."Kendrick Lamar Grooves with Ron Isley in His New Video 'i'".Wall Street Journal.RetrievedNovember 3,2020.
  13. ^Company, Johnson Publishing (July 19, 1993)."Jet".Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  14. ^"Jet: Soul legend Ronald Isley weds singer Kandy Johnson".December 16, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon December 16, 2005.
  15. ^"FindArticles.com – CBSi".findarticles.com.
  16. ^"Home – MediaTakeOut.com".MediaTakeOut.com.Archived fromthe originalon July 10, 2012.
  17. ^"Singer Ronald Isley gets 3 years in prison - TODAY.com".Today.com. September 12, 2006.RetrievedMarch 28,2013.
  18. ^Malone, Chris (April 5, 2021)."Who Is Ron Isley's Wife and What Is Their Age Difference?".Showbiz Cheat Sheet.RetrievedOctober 3,2023.
  19. ^"Isley Brother Gets 3 Years, Will Pay $3M for Tax Evasion".Accounting Today.September 6, 2006.RetrievedOctober 3,2023.
  20. ^"Singer Ronald Isley gets 3 years in prison".NBCNews.com. September 5, 2006.RetrievedSeptember 6,2013.
  21. ^SeeUnited States v. Isley,2008 Tax Notes Today (Tax Analysts) 29-13, No. 06-50509 (9th Cir. 2008).
  22. ^Court Upholds Isley's Tax Evasion Sentence ", February 12, 2008,Billboard.com.
  23. ^Prisoner number 31215-112.
  24. ^"Delinquent Taxpayers".RetrievedJune 22,2010.
  25. ^The Isley brothers honored at commencement,official site of the Berklee College of Music.
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