Staff Report
The Isley Brothers, whose career has spanned pop, R&B, soul and funk throughout more than 50 years of entertaining audiences worldwide, will bring their latest tour to the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16.
The Grammy Award-winning group, which began as a sibling gospel quartet in 1954, evolved throughout the years to compile seven No. 1 R&B hits, four Top 10 pop hits, 13 albums certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum, and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
From Cincinnati, the group first consisted of brothers O’Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald and Vernon Isley, and they performed gospel music until Vernon’s death in a bicycle accident shortly after the group’s formation.
The remaining Isley Brothers moved to New York City in the late 1950s and experienced modest chart success. In 1959, they became known for their fourth single, “Shout,” which eventually sold more than 1 million copies.
The group recorded with a variety of labels, but they hit it big when they formed their own label, T-Neck Records, and won a Grammy Award for the single “It’s Your Thing” in 1969.
In 1973, the group added younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and Rudolph’s brother-in-law Chris Jasper. For the next decade, The Isley Brothers recorded top-selling albums such as “3 + 3,” “The Heat Is On,” “Harvest for the World,” “Go For Your Guns,” and “Showdown.” This era included hit singles such as “That Lady,” a cover of Seals and Crofts’ “Summer Breeze,” “Fight the Power” and “The Pride.”
The Isley Brothers’ current lineup features Ronald Isley, who has been the lead vocalist since the group’s inception, and lead guitarist Ernie Isley.
Tickets for the show are $65, $75 & $85, available at the casino or at www.chumashcasino.com.
