Ernest Isley (born March 7, 1952) is an American musician, best known as a member of the
musical ensemble The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...
,
and also the splinter group
Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley-Jasper-Isley was a splinter group
A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had ...
.
Biography
Ernie was born in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, where his older brothers formed
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...
, first as a gospel group, then as a secular singing group. In 1960, his family moved to
Englewood/
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) f ...
. He attended
Dwight Morrow High School
Dwight Morrow High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Englewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Englewood Public School District. The school also serves students from Engle ...
. He resides in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. Ernie started playing drums at 12. His first live gig as a member of his brothers' band was as a drummer in 1966 at the age of 14. Ernie was influenced by
José Feliciano
José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " F ...
's version of "
Light My Fire
"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on ...
" and in 1968 got his first guitar. He is a self-taught musician. In 1968 he did his first professional recording, playing bass on the Isley Brothers' breakthrough funk smash "
It's Your Thing
"It's Your Thing" is a funk single by The Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late 1968.
The lyrics of the chorus, ...
", released in 1969. He played electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums on the group's early 1970s albums ''
Get Into Something'', ''
Givin' It Back'', and ''
Brother, Brother, Brother'', before fully joining the group in 1973, becoming a multi-instrumentalist playing acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums and percussion.
Ernie is a prolific songwriter, penning, among others, "
Fight the Power (Part 1 & 2)
"Fight the Power" (sometimes titled as "Fight the Power (Part 1 and Part 2)") is a song recorded by the Isley Brothers, who released the song as the first single off their landmark album, '' The Heat Is On''. The song is notable for the usage ...
",
Harvest for the World
''Harvest for the World'' is the fourteenth studio album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint on May 29, 1976.
The album was remastered and expanded for inclusion in the 2015 released CD box set ''The RCA Victor & T-Neck Albu ...
", "Voyage to Atlantis", "
(At Your Best) You Are Love
"(At Your Best) You Are Love" is a song by the Isley Brothers, originally a radio hit in 1976. It was originally dedicated to their mother.
Personnel
*Ronald Isley: lead vocals, background vocals
* O'Kelly Isley, Jr.: background vocals
*Rudolp ...
", "
Footsteps In the Dark", "Brown Eyed Girl" and co-writing "
That Lady
''That Lady'' is a 1955 British-Spanish historical romantic drama film directed by Terence Young and produced by Sy Bartlett and Ray Kinnoch. It stars Olivia de Havilland, Gilbert Roland, and Paul Scofield.
The film is based on a 1946 hist ...
", "
Between the Sheets" and "
Take Me To The Next Phase". His guitar riffs are recognizable on "
Summer Breeze", "That Lady", "Voyage To Atlantis" and "
Choosey Lover
"Choosey Lover" is a 1983 soul song by The Isley Brothers (Originally titled "Juicy Lover"). Released on their T-Neck imprint, the song was their second consecutive top ten R&B hit after their seminal " Between the Sheets" hit No. 3 on that chart ...
". In 1984, Ernie, Marvin and Chris formed the group Isley-Jasper-Isley, releasing three albums. In 1990, Ernie released his first solo album, ''
High Wire
Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...
''. In the same year he recorded a cover version of
The Cars
The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboard ...
' "Let's Go" for the compilation album ''
Rubáiyát''. In 1991, he rejoined Ronald and Marvin on tour and in the studio. In 1996 they released their platinum CD ''
Mission to Please
''Mission to Please'' is the 27th studio album by The Isley Brothers, released on May 14, 1996, on Island Records. It was a return to commercial glory for the group in the years following their platinum-certified album '' Between the Sheets'' (1 ...
'', and in 2001 "
Eternal
Eternal(s) or The Eternal may refer to:
* Eternity, an infinite amount of time, or a timeless state
* Immortality or eternal life
* God, the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith in monotheism
Comics, film and television
* ...
", the lyrics to the title track is co-written by Ernie.
The Isley Brothers were inducted into the
Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
in 1992.
In 2014 the Isley Brothers received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2010 and 2011 he participated on the ''Experience Hendrix Tour''. He is a musician on the
Janet Jackson album ''
Discipline'', on the tracks "Never Letchu Go" and "The 1". He performed on the majority of the 2012
Joss Stone CD ''
The Soul Sessions Vol. 2''. Ernie and Ronald continue to work together on tour and in the studio. Ernie and Ronald teamed up with
Carlos Santana, releasing the 13 track ''The Power of Peace'' in 2017.
In 2020, Ernie was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as a member of the Isley Brothers, and is currently touring domestically and internationally with Ronald on ''The Isley Brothers 60th Anniversary Tour''.
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop produces special-order guitars for customers through a Custom ...
has built for him three custom Zeal
Stratocasters, using his personal design. Ernie is active as a musical mentor in schools and community music programs. He has been a returning guest lecturer at
Berklee School of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
in Boston. He is married and has one daughter, Alexandra Isley (
Alex Isley
Alexandra Isley is an American singer-songwriter and producer. She released her debut EP ''The Love/Art Memoirs'' in 2012. Isley has worked with artists including Scarface, Terrace Martin, Masego, 9th Wonder, Tank and the Bangas, and Lucky Daye ...
) who is also an R&B artist. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of music by the
Berklee College of Music on May 7, 2016.
References
External links
Ernie Isley Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2014)The Isley Brothers' Ernie Isley (2020)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isley, Ernie
1952 births
Living people
African-American guitarists
African-American rock musicians
American rock drummers
Soul drummers
American funk drummers
American male drummers
American funk guitarists
American rock guitarists
American soul guitarists
American male guitarists
Lead guitarists
American Pentecostals
Members of the Church of God in Christ
The Isley Brothers members
Musicians from Cincinnati
Dwight Morrow High School alumni
People from Englewood, New Jersey
Musicians from St. Louis
Songwriters from Ohio
Guitarists from Missouri
Guitarists from Ohio
20th-century American drummers
20th-century American guitarists
African-American songwriters