Marvin Isley

Birth Name:

Marvin Isley

Birth Date:

August 18, 1953

Birth Place:

Cincinnati, Ohio

Death Date:

June 6, 2010

Place of Death:

Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

Age:

Cause of Death:

Complications of diabetes

Cemetery Name:

George Washington Memorial Park

Claim to Fame:

Music

Associates:

O'Kelly Isley

Marvin Isley was an American musician best known as the deep, funky bass player for the Isley Brothers. The Isley Brothers were initially a vocal trio made up of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley. They broke in 1959 with their first composition “Shout,” also a big UK hit for Lulu. The first single for their own T-Neck label, 1964’s “Testify,” also stands out for being one of Jimi Hendrix’s first recordings, as Hendrix recorded and toured with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame vocal group. By 1971, Marvin began performing bass guitar on The Isley Brothers' album, Givin' It Back. Within two years, he became an official member of the group. Following the Grammy-winning “It’s Your Thing” (1969), the Isley Brothers, in varying configurations and incorporating different styles, wrote and recorded such hits as “Pop That Thang,” “That Lady,” “For the Love of You” and “Caravan of Love,” with Ice Cube sampling their song “Footsteps in the Dark” for his hit “It Was a Good Day” and Notorious B.I.G. likewise sampling “Between the Sheets” for his hit “Big Poppa.” In addition to playing bass, Marvin also provided percussion and also wrote or co-wrote some of the group's hits including "Fight the Power", "The Pride" and "Between the Sheets". Isley stopped performing in 1996 after suffering complications from diabetes that included a stroke, high blood pressure, the loss of both legs and use of his left hand.

Fun Facts

The Isley Brothers were inducted in 1992 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2014.

The Isley Brothers wrote the song “Twist and Shout” which became a hit for the Beatles.

In 1994 A jury ruled that Michael Bolton’s 1991 hit “Love Is a Wonderful Thing” plagiarizes The Isley Brothers 1966 song of the same name and awards $5.4 million in damages to The Isley Brothers, the largest ever in a music plagiarism case.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

George Washington Memorial Park

234 Paramus Road

Paramus, New Jersey, 07652

USA

North America

Map:

Map of George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey

Grave Location:

Section K, All Faiths on the Hill Mausoleum, SW Quad, Building 3, Section B, Row A, Tier 7

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery gates, make your way to the far left road and drive to the back of the cemetery. Just before the road veers right to return to the entrance, make a left and park on the right. Walk towards the mausoleum section on the left and walk towards the center. Looking across the courtyard you will see the grave of singer Luther Vandross on the outside column. Look 2 niches above Luther to see the final resting place of musician Marvin Isley.