What Was Rudolph Isley's Net Worth?
Rudolph Isley was an American singer-songwriter who had a net worth of $10 million. Rudolph Isley was best known for being one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers. Rudolph was a member of the group from 1954 to 1989, then he became a Christian minister.
Rudolph released more than two dozen albums with The Isley Brothers, including "Shout!" (1959), "Twist & Shout" (1962), "This Old Heart of Mine" (1966), "It's Our Thing" (1969), and "Brother, Brother, Brother" (1972), and the #1 albums (on the "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart) "Live It Up" (1974), "The Heat Is On" (1975), "Harvest for the World" (1976), "Go for Your Guns"(1977), "Showdown" (1978), "Go All the Way" (1980), and "Between the Sheets" (1983). The Isley Brothers' most popular songs include "Shout," "Twist and Shout," "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," "I Guess I'll Always Love You," "Behind a Painted Smile," "It's Your Thing," "I Turned You On," "Freedom," "Love the One You're With," "Spill the Wine," "Lay Lady Lay," "That Lady," "Summer Breeze," and "Fight the Power." The song "Shout" sold more than a million copies and was ranked #119 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's 2003 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Rudolph also produced the 1970 Isley Brothers concert film "It's Your Thing" alongside his brothers Ronald and O'Kelly. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Rudolph died on October 11, 2023, at the age of 84 from an apparent heart attack.
R. Kelly's Mansion
In November 2013, Rudolph and Elaine bought an infamous mansion in the Chicago suburbs out of a bank foreclosure for $530,000. The 14,000 square foot mansion was built by R. Kelly after the disgraced singer bought the 4-acre property in 1997. Kelly built a basketball court, home theater, indoor pool and much more. Unfortunately, after running into a series of financial and legal problems Kelly lost the mansion to foreclosure. Elaine Isley listed the mansion for sale in January 2024 for $3.49 million. Here is a video tour:
Early Life
Rudolph Isley was born Rudolph Bernard Isley on April 1, 1939, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the son of Sallye Bell and O'Kelly Isley Sr., and he had five brothers, Ronald, O'Kelly, Vernon, Ernie, and Marvin. Rudolph started singing in church at an early age, and by the time he was a teenager, he had formed The Isley Brothers with Ronald, O'Kelly, and Vernon. Vernon died in 1957, three years after the group formed, and Rudolph, Ronald, and O'Kelly subsequently moved to New York to pursue a record deal.
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers signed with RCA Records in 1959 and released the single, "Shout," later that year. "Shout" reached #47 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, #2 on Australia's Kent Music Report, and #43 on Canada's "RPM" chart. The group's debut album was titled "Shout!," and they followed it with 1962's "Twist & Shout," which reached #61 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. The title track peaked at #17 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and #42 on the UK Singles Chart. Next, The Isley Brothers released the albums "Twisting and Shouting" (1963), "This Old Heart of Mine" (1966), "Soul on the Rocks" (1967), "It's Our Thing" (1969), and "The Brothers: Isley" (1969). "It's Our Thing" reached #2 on the "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and "This Old Heart of Mine" and "The Brothers: Isley" reached #15 and #20 on that chart, respectively. The 1966 single "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" was certified Gold and reached #12 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and #6 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The 1969 Gold single "It's Your Thing" topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and reached #2 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart."
In the '70s, The Isley Brothers released the albums "Givin' It Back" (1971), "Brother, Brother, Brother" (1972), "3 + 3" (1973), "Live It Up" (1974), "The Heat Is On" (1975), "Harvest for the World" (1976), "Go for Your Guns" (1977), "Showdown" (1978), and "Winner Takes All" (1979). Five of those albums reached #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and "The Heat Is On" reached #1 on the "Billboard" 200 chart as well. "The Heat Is On" and "Go for Your Guns" were certified 2× Platinum, and "3 + 3," "Live It Up," "Harvest for the World," and "Showdown" went Platinum. "Love the One You're With" (1971), "Lay-Away" (1972), "Pop That Thang" (1972), "That Lady" (1973), "What It Comes Down To" (1973), "Summer Breeze" (1974), "Live It Up" (1974), "Midnight Sky" (1974), "Fight the Power" (1975), "For the Love of You" (1975), "Who Loves You Better" (1976), "Harvest for the World" (1976), "The Pride" (1977), "Livin' in the Life" (1977), "Take Me to the Next Phase" (1978), and "I Wanna Be with You" (1979) were top 10 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
During Rudolph's last decade with the group, they released the albums "Go All the Way" (1980), "Grand Slam" (1981), "Inside You" (1981), "The Real Deal" (1982), "Between the Sheets" (1983), "Masterpiece" (1985), "Smooth Sailin'" (1987), and "Spend the Night" (1989). "Go All the Way" and "Between the Sheets" reached #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and were certified Platinum, and "Grand Slam" went Gold. They had top 10 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)" (1980), "Between the Sheets" (1983), "Choosey Lover" (1983), "Caravan of Love" (1985), "Smooth Sailin' Tonight" (1986), and "Spend the Night (Ce Soir)" (1989). O'Kelly died in 1986, and Rudolph left The Isley Brothers three years later to pursue a career as a minister.
L-R: Rudolph, Ronald, OKelly Isley (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Personal Life
Rudolph married Elaine Jasper in 1958, and they remained together until his death in October 2023. The couple had four children, Rudy Jr., Valerie, Elizabeth, and Elaine. In early 2023, Isley filed a lawsuit against his brother Ronald for "improperly attempting to secure a federal trademark registration on the 'The Isley Brothers.'"
Death
On October 11, 2023, Rudolph died at his home at the age of 84. His cause of death was suspected to be a heart attack. Ronald said of the sad news, "There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him. But I know he's in a better place." Isley was laid to rest at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.
Awards
The Isley Brothers were honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, and they won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "It's Your Thing" in 1970. The singles "Shout" and "Twist and Shout" were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and 2010, respectively. The Isley Brothers were inducted into Hollywood's Rockwalk in 2007 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. The group received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 BET Awards.
