Complications from diabetes caused Marvin Isley to retire from playing with the group five years later. The cause of death was not made public but it was probably diabetes related.
Isley was too young to join the family musical dynasty when the Isley Brothers first hit the big-time in the 1950s and 1960s with hits like “Shout, “Twist and Shout” and “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You).”
Marvin Isley joined the Isleys for 1973′s “3 + 3″ and quickly helped establish the band’s new sound. Throughout the decade, the group had a number of crossover successes — chief among them “Who’s That Lady” and “Fight the Power” — and in later years found their work steadily sampled by everyone from the Notorious B.I.G. to Lily Allen.
The Isley Brothers got their start in Cincinnati in the 1950s. The original family trio included Rudolf, Ronald and O'Kelly Isley. Brothers Marvin, Ernie and cousin Chris Jasper, joined the group in 1969.
The brothers scored their first hit in 1959 with "Shout." Three years later, their version of "Twist and Shout" became a Top 20 hit. It was later lovingly and memorably imitated by The Beatles.
