Driftin’ on a Memory: Celebrating Seventy Years of the Isley Brothers

In Driftin’ on a Memory: Celebrating Seventy Years of The Isley Brothers, Trenton Bailey tells the story of this groundbreaking musical act. The Isley Brothers began recording as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. They have covered a wide range of genres, including gospel, doo-wop, rock ’n’ roll, R&B, the Motown sound, funk, and disco, and their music has been sampled by numerous hip-hop artists. The Isley Brothers achieved their first hit, ＂Shout,＂ in 1959 and have reached the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart with new music in six different decades, from the 1950s to the 2000s.

The brothers experienced their golden age from 1973 to 1983 with the addition of three younger brothers. With three instrumentalists, including composer and arranger Chris Jasper, The Isleys became a self-contained band and released a string of platinum albums. Over the years, The Isley Brothers have adapted the group, adding and losing members over time, but have always included a brother. Today, Ernie and Ronald Isley are still performing, keeping The Isley Brothers a household name and remaining a serious force in pop culture. The remarkable longevity of The Isley Brothers has solidified their status as one of America’s most influential musical groups.

Trenton Bailey is a historian, professor, and author of Do You Remember? Celebrating Fifty Years of Earth, Wind & Fire, published by University Press of Mississippi.