We Help You Hire, Book and Produce a Isley Brothers Performance
Hire Isley Brothers For Your Event
Celebrity Direct Inc. will help you select, book and hire Isley Brothers to perform at your corporate event, non-profit event or private performance.
We are always uniquely positioned as your advocate throughout the hiring process and we won’t let you overpay.
Contact us for availability, price and other production details at:
212-521-4115 Tell Us About Your Event
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Isley Brothers Songs
- “Fight The Power”
- “Hello It’s Me
- “Busted”
- “Summer Breeze
- “It’s Your Thing”
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Isley Brothers Bio
Three brothers, O’Kelly (25 December 1937, d. 31 March 1986), Rudolph (b. 1 April 1939) and Ronald Isley (b. 21 May 1941), began singing gospel in their home-town of Cincinnati, USA, in the early 50s, accompanied by their brother Vernon, who died in a car crash around 1957. Moving to New York the following year, the trio issued one-off singles before being signed by the RCA Records production team, Hugo And Luigi. The Isleys had already developed a tight vocal unit, with Rudolph and O’Kelly supporting Ronald’s strident tenor leads in a call-and-response style taken directly from the church. The self-composed ‘Shout’ – with a chorus based on an ad-libbed refrain that had won an enthusiastic response in concert – epitomized this approach, building to a frantic crescendo as the brothers screamed out to each other across the simple chord changes. ‘Shout’ sold heavily in the black market, and has since become an R&B standard, but RCA’s attempts to concoct a suitable follow-up were unsuccessful.
The group switched labels to Wand Records in 1962, where they enjoyed a major hit with an equally dynamic cover version of the Top Notes’ ‘Twist And Shout’, an arrangement that was subsequently copied by the Beatles. In the fashion of the times, the Isleys were forced to spend the next two years recording increasingly contrived rewrites of this hit, both on Wand and at United Artists Records. A brief spell with Atlantic Records in 1964 produced a classic R&B record, ‘Who’s That Lady?’, but with little success. Tired of the lack of control over their recordings, the Isleys formed their own company, T-Neck Records, in 1964 – an unprecedented step for black performers. The first release on the label, ‘Testify’, showcased their young lead guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, and allowed him free rein to display his virtuosity and range of sonic effects. However, the record’s experimental sound went unnoticed at the time, and the Isleys were forced to abandon both T-Neck and Hendrix, and sign a contract with Motown Records.
In the late 70s, the increasing polarization of the rock and disco markets ensured that while the Isleys continued to impress black record buyers, their work went largely unheard in the white mainstream. ‘The Pride’, ‘Take Me To The Next Phase’, ‘I Wanna Be With You’ and ‘Don’t Say Goodnight’ all topped the specialist black music charts without registering in the US Top 30, and the group responded in kind, concentrating on dance-flavoured material to the exclusion of their ballads. ‘It’s A Disco Night’, a UK hit in 1980, demonstrated their command of the idiom, but a growing sense of self-parody infected the Isleys’ music in the early 80s.
The Isley Brothers represented the apogee of gospel-inspired soul on their early hits, they pioneered the ownership of record labels by black artists, and invented a new funk genre with their blend of dance rhythms and rock instrumentation in the early 70s. Their series of US hits from the 50s to the 90s is one of the major legacies of black American music.
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Contact Isley Brothers Manager or Agent | You May Ask?
How can I hire Isley Brothers for a corporate event, non-profit or charity event or private performance? How much does Isley Brothers cost for a performance, a song, an appearance at an event, party or convention ending gala? What kind of budget would I need for an Isley Brothers performance at our event? How can I find out if the Isley Brothers are available for our event date? How do I contact the Isley Brothers manager? How do I contact the Isley Brothers agent?
We can answer all your questions.
Contact our National Booking Office at 212 521-4115 or send us your questions via email to hire Isley Brothers.
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Why Celebrity Direct Inc.
Direct Source for Celebrity Performers We are the industry leader in celebrity talent buying and production for corporate events. We work on your behalf to hire the best possible celebrity for your budget and we are uniquely positioned as your advocate in the booking process so you never overpay.
Corporate & Non-Profit Events and Private Performances We are dedicated to private performances, not publicly ticketed events, and we are the experts in this highly specialized entertainment market.
Complete Turn-Key Production Nationwide Event planners work with us in several ways, either choosing from a menu of our services or asking us to produce a show delivered completely turn-key at your event nationwide.
