The Isley Brothers have been blessing the world with their sound for decades.
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As AfroTech previously mentioned, the R&B family group’s roots can be traced to Cincinnati, OH. Like many of the prolific R&B artists who have paved the way, they started singing in church before transitioning to secular music. The group then jumpstarted their musical career during the 1950s. Their first charting single, “Shout,” was released in 1959 and sold over 1 million copies, according to The Wall Street Journal.
During a sit-down interview on “The Breakfast Club” podcast, Ronald Isley reflected on the group’s first gig, stating they earned $500.
In addition, he divulged exactly where their money was spent.
“I remember our first gig we made $500 between the brothers. Just the three brothers. We went to a thrift shop… Man I went in there, we all bought different suits,” Ronald explained.
He added: “That was a dream feeling.”
The group also reflected on their legacy, which is prevalent across various genres, but especially in Hip-Hop. The group has been sampled by Aaliyah (“At Your Best (You Are Love”), The Notorious B.I.G. (“Big Poppa”), and Ice Cube (“It Was A Good Day”), among others.
Ronald also explained that they have been sampled over 1,000 “The Breakfast Club.”
During an interview with Deborah Duncan on “Great Day Houston” Ernest also shared that sentiment: “Our catalog continues to be sampled, continues to be relevant in music whether it is us or it’s Ice Cube or Biggie Smalls or Aaliyah.”
