Ronald Isley (𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 May 21, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.
What is Ronald Isley’s Net Worth?
Ronald Isley is an American singer-songwriter and record producer who has a net worth of $2 million. Ronald Isley is best known as the lead singer of the family musical group the Isley Brothers. After rising to fame as a vocal trio with its 1959 single “Shout,” the group had such further hit songs as “Twist and Shout,” “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You),” and the Grammy Award-winning “It’s Your Thing.” The Isley Brothers have continued recording and performing ever since, with various lineup changes over the decades.
Early Life
Ronald Isley was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 on May 21, 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio as the third of six sons of Sallye and O’Kelly Sr. His brothers were O’Kelly Jr., Rudolph, Vernon, Ernie, and Marvin. Like his siblings, he began his singing career in the church. By the time he was seven years old, Isley was singing at major venues, including the Regal Theater in Chicago.
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The Isley Brothers
In 1957, Ronald and his brothers O’Kelly and Rudy moved to New York City to pursue their careers in the music industry. In New York, they recorded some doo-wop songs for local labels before they landed a major contract with RCA Records as the vocal trio the Isley Brothers. The trio rose to fame in 1959 with their fourth overall single, “Shout,” which sold over a million copies. In the 1960s, the Isley Brothers had further hits with such songs as “Twist and Shout,” “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You),” and “It’s Your Thing.” The lattermost song, which the trio released on their own label T-Neck Records in early 1969, went on to win a Grammy Award.
In 1973, the Isley Brothers turned from a trio into a six-piece band after adding younger Isley brothers Ernie and Marvin as well as Rudy’s brother-in-law Chris Jasper. The group went on to release a string of hit albums over the ensuing decade, including “3 + 3,” “The Heat is On,” “Showdown,” and “Between the Sheets.” In 1975, “The Heat is On” became the Isley Brothers’ first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. After the release of “Between the Sheets” in 1983, the six-member Isley Brothers broke up, making the group a trio once again. The trio released one more album together, 1985’s “Masterpiece,” before O’Kelly died in 1986. Subsequently, Ronald and Ernie released two albums as a duo: 1987’s “Smooth Sailin'” and 1989’s “Spend the Night.”
In 1992, Ronald reunited with Ernie and Marvin to release the album “Tracks of Life.” The Isley Brothers’ next album was 1996’s “Mission to Please,” which returned them to their former commercial glory. After that album, Marvin left the group. Now a duo again, the Isley Brothers went on to have an even greater commercial hit with their 2001 album “Eternal,” which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and launched the hit single “Contagious,” featuring R. Kelly. The duo continued their success with 2003’s “Body Kiss,” which became the second Isley Brothers album to reach number one on the Billboard 200, and the first to do so since 1975. The group’s subsequent albums have included “Baby Makin’ Music” (2006), “Power of Peace” (2017), and “Make Me Say it Again, Girl” (2022).
L-R: Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley, OKelly Isley, Jr (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Solo Career
In 2003, Ronald Isley collaborated with Burt Bacharach on the album “Here I Am: Bacharach Meets Isley.” Later, in 2010, he released his first solo album, “Mr. I.” Isley put out his second solo album, “This Song is For You,” in 2013. As a featured artist, Isley has appeared on songs by R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Warren G, Kelly Price, Patti LaBelle, and Kendrick Lamar, among others.
Tax Evasion and Imprisonment
In 2006, Isley was convicted for tax evasion and sentenced to a little over three years in prison. Imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana, he was later moved to a half-way house in St. Louis to complete his sentence. Isley was released in the spring of 2010 as one of the most delinquent taxpayers in the state of California.
Personal Life
Isley married his first wife, Margret Tinsley, in 1960. They had a daughter named Trenisha, and eventually divorced in 1987. Isley went on to marry singer-songwriter and musician Angela Winbush in 1993; they divorced in 2002. He wed his third wife, singer Kandy Johnson, in 2005. Together, they have a son named Ronald Jr. and reside in Los Angeles.
