Marvin Isley, bass player who helped give Isley Brothers their distinctive sound, dies at 56
By APMonday, June 7, 2010
Marvin, youngest of Isley Brothers, dies at 56
CHICAGO — Marvin Isley, the bass player who helped give R&B powerhouse the Isley Brothers their distinctive sound, has died at a Chicago hospital. He was 56.
Weiss Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Catherine Gianaro says Isley died Sunday morning at a hospice at the facility. She could not confirm a cause of death.
Isley stopped performing in 1996 because of complications from diabetes. By that time, he’d suffered a stroke, had a kidney transplant, lost both his legs, and the use of his left hand.
The Isley Brothers have spanned more than five decades, producing popular hits such as “Shout,” ”Fight the Power” and the Grammy-winning 1969 smash, “It’s Your Thing.”
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
