O'Kelly Isley, Jr.
O'Kelly "Kelly" Isley, Jr. (December 25, 1937 – March 31, 1986) was an American singer and one of the founding members of the family group, The Isley Brothers.
Biography
The eldest of the Isley Brothers, Kelly Isley started singing with his brothers at church. When he was 16, he and his three younger brothers (Rudy, Ronnie and Vernon) formed The Isley Brothers and toured the gospel circuit. Following the death of Vernon Isley from a road accident, the brothers decided to try their hand at doo-wop and moved to New York to find a recording deal. Between 1957 and 1959, the Isleys would record for labels such as Teenage and Mark X. In 1959, they signed with RCA Records after a scout spotted the trio's energetic live performance.
O'Kelly and his brothers co-wrote their first significant hit, "Shout". While the original version only peaked at the top 50 of the Hot 100, subsequent cover versions helped the song sell over a million copies. Later moving on to other labels including Scepter and Motown, the brothers would have hits with "Twist & Shout" in 1962 and "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)". In 1959, the Isley family had relocated to Englewood, New Jersey where Kelly stayed with his mother and younger siblings.
Podcasts:
O'Kelly Isley, Jr.
ALBUMS
- El Rayo-X Live! released: 1990
Born: 1937-12-25
Died: 1986-03-31
