MARVIN ISLEY whose thumpin’ bass line propelled the R&B soul group THE ISLEY BROTHERS dead at 56 in Chicago.
Cause of death has not been disclosed although Isley suffered from diabetes severe enough to force him to leave the band in 1997.
Because of the severity of his diabetes both of his legs were later amputated.
The youngest Isley, Marvin, who grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, wasn’t old enough to join the first incarnation of the Isley Brothers, who first charted during the 1960s with "This Old Heart Of Mine" and "It’s Your Thing"
By the ’70s, Isley merged a homegrown trio with the remaining Isleys Brothers to drop tracks on the famed "3+3" LP, a Top Ten fave in 1973.
In 1992, he was inducted, along with the other Isley Brothers, to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
Marvin’s hard core bass lines can be heard on the 1970s hit "Fight the Power" and their breakway smash "Who’s That Lady?".
First posted: 3PM EDT
