After winning an amateur music competition, the group had begun touring across the east coast when Vernon, their lead vocalist, was killed by a car while riding his bike. The Isley Brothers formed in Cincinnati in 1954 as a quartet, featuring brothers O’Kelly Jr., Ronnie, Rudolph, and Vernon. L to R: O’Kelly Isley Jr., Ronnie Isley, and Rudolph Isley. Everything I’ve learned about The Isley Brothers has really come in the last few years, despite the fact that “Shout” cemented my love of music before I was even school age. I even knew other songs of theirs “This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)” and “It’s Your Thing” got regular play then as well, though I wouldn’t have known it was the same artist. Ronald repeats “a little bit softer now, a little bit softer now…” as everything quiets down, until suddenly it doesn’t anymore, and I feel that same rush from the beginning all over again.Īside from thinking “Shout” was possibly the greatest song in the history of music as a kid, I didn’t really come to appreciate who The Isley Brothers were until far more recently. I loved every second of the song, though naturally I was drawn to the bridge. Every time it came on the radio, which was very often, it felt like a special time. I was barely past toddling, and I knew all the words to a song that was already more than 30 years old. “Weeeeellllll….” Ronald Isley croons at the beginning of “Shout”, and I’m instantly excited. I liked everything I heard at that time, though there were a few songs that always got younger me excited, and one of them was by The Isley Brothers. As was usually the case, we’re listening to Chicago’s Oldies station, which at the time played mostly music from the 1950s and 60s. It’s about 1991 or so and I’m about three or four years old, sitting in the back seat of the car while my dad drives.