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Marvin Isley, bass player for the legendary funk band the Isley Brothers, died of undisclosed causes in Chicago on Sunday (June 6) at age 56.
Marvin joined the Isley Brothers in 1973 after the original lineup -- comprised of older brothers O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald -- scored hits with songs like "Twist and Shout," "It's Your Thing" and "Shout." The band's first album with Marvin, 1973's '3+3,' met with platinum success. Marvin is credited with bringing a funkier, younger vibe to the group on several songs that have been heavily sampled by hip-hop artists such as Ice Cube and Jim Jones.
The Isley Brothers continued to chart throughout the '70s with hit songs like "Who's That Lady," "Fight the Power" and "Between the Sheets," many of which were co-written by Marvin and the two younger members, brother Ernie and brother-in-law Chris Jasper. Marvin, Ernie and Jasper split off in 1984 to form Isley-Jasper-Isley, but returned to play with their older brothers in 1991. The group has been on hiatus since 1997.
Along with his siblings, Marvin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
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