“Chris Jasper, renowned singer–songwriter and producer known for his pivotal role in shaping the sound of The Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley, and over three decades as a distinguished solo artist, passed away on February 23 at the age of 73 following a cancer diagnosis in December, 2024. …

Beyond his musical achievements, Chris was a dedicated and loving husband and father. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Margie Jasper, a New York-based attorney and author, and his three sons Michael, Nicholas, and Christopher. He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations.”
Sincerely,
His Loving Family

Jasper joined The Isley Brothers in 1973, transforming the group from a vocal trio into a self-contained six-member R&B/funk band. His expertise on keyboards and synthesizers, along with his natural songwriting talent, quickly became the backbone of the band’s lush, soulful sound. He played a vital role in crafting classics such as “For the Love of You,” “Fight the Power,” and “Between the Sheets,” songs that have resonated with fans for decades.

In 1984, Jasper joined forces with bandmates Ernie and Marvin to form Isley-Jasper-Isley. The trio scored a major hit with 1985’s “Caravan of Love,” further cementing their influence on the evolving R&B landscape. Not one to rest on his laurels, two years later he embarked on a solo career, launching Gold City Records and releasing 17 albums—including four gospel projects. His breakout hit “Superbad” even carried a message encouraging education and literacy, a cause close to his heart. Jasper also nurtured new talent by signing acts such as Out Front, Liz Hogue, and Brothaz by Choice.

In his later years, Jasper continued to honor his musical legacy. He released a greatest hits collection, The Essential Chris Jasper, with Sony Music in 2015 and followed it up with a soulful cover of Billy Preston’s “You Are So Beautiful” titled “Share With Me” in 2016. His 2019 covers album, For the Love of You, featured not only The Isley Brothers’ timeless hits but also renditions of Sam Cooke’s “Nothing Can Change This Love,” Marvin Gaye’s “God Is Love,” and Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately.”

A Juilliard-trained composer, Jasper’s influence has been sampled by artists like Jay‑Z, Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Will Smith, Queen Latifah, and Fantasia. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, and later inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022, his legacy endures. He is survived by his wife Margie—his partner for 42 years—and sons Michael, Nicholas, and Christopher. His family’s loving tribute reminds us that his music will continue to inspire generations.

The post 🕊Remembering The Isley Brothers Legend, Chris Jasper… Passes Away At 73🕊 appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The post Karma? Michael Bolton Disrespected Isleys, But Ron Tells How They Got Millions From Him As Payback appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

ILOSM fam,’ this is one of those stories that will probably make you go “Wait….what?!!” Why, you ask? Well because this reality TV star doesn’t quite seem like the legendary Ron Isley’s type…at least not based on her past ‘I’ll-whoop-a-chick-at-any-moment’ tendencies, but apparently she was.

THEY DATED FOR 2 YEARS?

The 40-something-year-old reality star has starred in three VH-1 reality TV shows, and she’s been known to get a lil’ rowdy in the past. Think you know who she is? Hmmm…scroll down to find out…

FROM RON ISLEY TO “FLAVA OF LOVE”

Remember Flava Flav’s dating show, “Flava of Love”? Well you probably remember one of the most memorable ladies on the show and that is Saaphyri Windsor. She was the one who beat up the other chick on their very first day in the Flava house for trying to take her bed. Crazy right? She was also the one who hilariously offered the same woman (who was clearly still distraught and crying) chap stick immediately after the fight, as if everything was all good between them.

Well she revealed in a past interview with Sister2Sister Magazine that she dated Ron Isley, 79, for two years at the SAME time he was dating his then-girlfriend (now his wife), Kandy Isley. Saaphyri said “Mr. Contagious” climbed “between the sheets” with her on the regular and them broke her heart. See the intimate details Saaphyri gave about this and what she said she did when Ron was in jail for tax evasion>>>

‘ALL OF A SUDDEN HE CAME TO MY HOUSE & SAID HE WAS GETTING MARRIED!’

Saaphyri explained to S2S’s, Jaime, that Ron Isley dropped her like a bad habit right before his wedding, although she thought everything was going good with their relationship and had no clue he was getting married to Kandy. Check out the interview excerpts below.

Saaphyri: I was involved with a guy who was a celebrity, who was older than me – very wealthy. And he came to me in 2005 and told me that he was getting married to somebody else. … After we had been together for two years.”

Saaphyri continued:

…He got married in 2006. That really broke my heart. …Even though I was still like, ‘There is maybe somebody out there for me,’ it broke my heart to the point I didn’t know exactly how I was going to react in another relationship, or if I was even ready for another relationship. And this person.

S2S Mag: Well, who is it, so we can go beat him up? [joking]

Saaphyri: Ronald Isley …Mm-hmmm.

The former reality TV star also says Ron Isley was dating her up until the time he married his current wife, Kandy Isley:

Saaphyri: “He wasn’t married when I first got with him. He had just gotten a divorce from Angela [Winbush]. He was messing around with his [then-]new wife. He did have a girlfriend, but I didn’t think that was important. I didn’t really have a lot of respect for anyone that would come between a marriage but I figured a girlfriend isn’t as important.

But I think because I wasn’t able to express my feelings a lot, he would say stuff to me like, ‘Why I don’t never really express myself. It’s because I don’t want to be hurt. I don’t know if I put everything out on the table, if you’re going to do something like he eventually did. You know, it was Mother’s Day and we’re on the way to church and he comes to my house to tell me he’s getting married.”

There’s more…

S2S:Do you think you will ever fall in love again?

Saaphyri: “I want to.

S2S:Ronnie [Ron Isley] was pretty old for you, wasn’t he?

Saaphyri:”I like them old.”

Ever since Saaphyri aired out her and Ron Isley’s alleged dirty laundry some years ago, neither the “Contagious” crooner, nor his camp have denied it as for as we can tell, so it looks like Saaphyri just may be speaking some truth about them.

SAAPHYRI WAS JAILED AT SAME TIME ISLEY WAS

After “Flava of Love,” Saaphyri (pictured above left on “Flava of Love Girls: Charm School”) had a few financial struggles and ended up serving 22 months in prison for stealing her uncle’s identity in 2009 and 2010, which was the same time that Ron Isley was imprisoned for tax evasion. He was married by then, but here’s what Saaphyri said she did:

The post Reality Star Claimed She Had A Secret Relationship With Ron Isley And Caught Many Off Guard appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Can you believe that back in the day singer, Wilson Pickett, decided to play a game of ‘shoot em up bang bang’ against The Isley Brothers?!! It’s true, but the only problem is that Pickett was the only willing participant in this situation. You see, the Isley’s weren’t actually in on the game, as a matter of fact, it wasn’t a game at all. Our man, Pickett, was stone serious when he tried to land a few bullets in a couple of the Isley’s!

How did this even happen, you ask? Well, on one typical night in December 1975, Wilson Pickett was flat out drunk that; and after he and the Isley’s got into an argument, all HELL broke loose. I guess it’s never wise to mix pistols, alcohol, and quick tempers together in one setting.

What Had Happened Was…

Embed from Getty Images

Wilson Pickett and The Isley Brothers went on a hunting trip in Andes, New York, when the incident occurred. According to police reports, a drunken Pickett started causing a disturbance in The Andes Hotel. Rudolph Isley and O’Kelly Isley, along with two other men, tried to get Pickett to tone his temper down approximately a thousand notches, by taking him into a parking lot to reasonably talk to him. As they were trying to calm down “Wicked” Wilson Pickett, a fight broke out between all of them and the drama only escalated from there.

The Isley Brothers and the two unidentified men eventually went into a hotel room and locked the door, but Pickett sniffed them out…just as drunk and angry as he was moments earlier. So, he did what any quick-tempered drunk man with a pistol would do – he fired shots right through the door of The Isley Brothers’ hotel room, with a .38 caliber two-shot Derringer.

Needless to say, the police showed up and arrested Wilson Pickett, charging him with first-degree reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a dangerous weapon. He was released on $500 bail.

Not sure what Pickett’s relationship was like with the Isley’s after that incident. After all, what does one say to their fellow colleagues after trying to shoot them? ‘Hey man…look here, I apologize for trying to pump bullets into y’all, I didn’t mean any harm, I was drunk?’ Crazy, right? The Isley’s likely never let their guards down around Wilson Pickett again.

Pickett’s Reported Violent Incident With Former New Jersey Mayor

The Isley Brothers incident wasn’t “Wicked” Wilson’s only riled up moment. He once allegedly became angry at the then-mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, Mayor Donald Aronson, and decided to do what he presumably believed to be the most logical thing to do when one doesn’t like someone. Pickett reportedly did donuts in his Cadillac right there on the front lawn of the mayor’s house, while shouting threats at the mayor…WOW. That Wilson Pickett was something else, I tell ya.’

There’s no denying that Pickett and the Isley Brothers are incredible artists, despite the drama. And besides, we, soul music fans, would much rather vibe to their music, which grown folks can make LOVE to…not WAR. Can I get an Amen somebody?!!

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, old school news with a new point of view

[Source: Jet Magazine]

The post Hot-Headed Soul Singer Once Nearly Killed Isley Brothers During Odd, Heated Dispute? appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Can you believe that back in the day singer, Wilson Pickett, decided to play a game of ‘shoot em up bang bang’ against The Isley Brothers?!! It’s true, but the only problem is that Pickett was the only willing participant in this situation. You see, the Isley’s weren’t actually in on the game, as a matter of fact, it wasn’t a game at all. Our man, Pickett, was stone serious when he tried to land a few bullets in a couple of the Isley’s!

How did this even happen, you ask? Well, on one typical night in December 1975, Wilson Pickett was flat out drunk that; and after he and the Isley’s got into an argument, all HELL broke loose. I guess it’s never wise to mix pistols, alcohol, and quick tempers together in one setting.

What Had Happened Was…

Embed from Getty Images

Wilson Pickett and The Isley Brothers went on a hunting trip in Andes, New York, when the incident occurred. According to police reports, a drunken Pickett started causing a disturbance in The Andes Hotel. Rudolph Isley and O’Kelly Isley, along with two other men, tried to get Pickett to tone his temper down approximately a thousand notches, by taking him into a parking lot to reasonably talk to him. As they were trying to calm down “Wicked” Wilson Pickett, a fight broke out between all of them and the drama only escalated from there.

The Isley Brothers and the two unidentified men eventually went into a hotel room and locked the door, but Pickett sniffed them out…just as drunk and angry as he was moments earlier. So, he did what any quick-tempered drunk man with a pistol would do – he fired shots right through the door of The Isley Brothers’ hotel room, with a .38 caliber two-shot Derringer.

Needless to say, the police showed up and arrested Wilson Pickett, charging him with first-degree reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a dangerous weapon. He was released on $500 bail.

Not sure what Pickett’s relationship was like with the Isley’s after that incident. After all, what does one say to their fellow colleagues after trying to shoot them? ‘Hey man…look here, I apologize for trying to pump bullets into y’all, I didn’t mean any harm, I was drunk?’ Crazy, right? The Isley’s likely never let their guards down around Wilson Pickett again.

Pickett’s Reported Violent Incident With Former New Jersey Mayor

The Isley Brothers incident wasn’t “Wicked” Wilson’s only riled up moment. He once allegedly became angry at the then-mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, Mayor Donald Aronson, and decided to do what he presumably believed to be the most logical thing to do when one doesn’t like someone. Pickett reportedly did donuts in his Cadillac right there on the front lawn of the mayor’s house, while shouting threats at the mayor…WOW. That Wilson Pickett was something else, I tell ya.’

There’s no denying that Pickett and the Isley Brothers are incredible artists, despite the drama. And besides, we, soul music fans, would much rather vibe to their music, which grown folks can make LOVE to…not WAR. Can I get an Amen somebody?!!

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, old school news with a new point of view

[Source: Jet Magazine]

The post Hot-Tempered Soul Singer Once Nearly Killed Isley Brothers During Odd, Heated Dispute? appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

ILOSM fam,’ this is one of those stories that will probably make you go “Wait….what?!!” Why, you ask? Well because this reality TV star doesn’t quite seem like the legendary Ron Isley’s type…at least not based on her past ‘I’ll-whoop-a-chick-at-any-moment’ tendencies, but apparently she was.

THEY DATED FOR 2 YEARS?

The reality star is 42 years old, has starred in three VH-1 reality TV shows, and she’s been known to get a lil’ rowdy in the past. Think you know who she is? Hmmm…scroll down to find out…

FROM RON ISLEY TO “FLAVA OF LOVE”

Remember Flava Flav’s dating show, “Flava of Love”? Well you probably remember one of the most memorable ladies on the show and that is Saaphyri Windsor. She was the one who beat up the other chick on their very first day in the Flava house for trying to take her bed. Crazy right? She was also the one who hilariously offered the same woman (who was clearly still distraught and crying) chap stick immediately after the fight, as if everything was all good between them.

Well she revealed in a past interview with Sister2Sister Magazine that she dated Ron Isley, 79, for two years at the SAME time he was dating his then-girlfriend (now his wife), Kandy Isley. Saaphyri said “Mr. Contagious” climbed “between the sheets” with her on the regular and them broke her heart. See the intimate details Saaphyri gave about this and what she said she did when Ron was in jail for tax evasion>>>

‘ALL OF A SUDDEN HE CAME TO MY HOUSE & SAID HE WAS GETTING MARRIED!’

Saaphyri explained to S2S’s, Jaime, that Ron Isley dropped her like a bad habit right before his wedding, although she thought everything was going good with their relationship and had no clue he was getting married to Kandy. Check out the interview excerpts below.

Saaphyri: I was involved with a guy who was a celebrity, who was older than me – very wealthy. And he came to me in 2005 and told me that he was getting married to somebody else. … After we had been together for two years.”

Saaphyri continued:

…He got married in 2006. That really broke my heart. …Even though I was still like, ‘There is maybe somebody out there for me,’ it broke my heart to the point I didn’t know exactly how I was going to react in another relationship, or if I was even ready for another relationship. And this person.

S2S Mag: Well, who is it, so we can go beat him up? [joking]

Saaphyri: Ronald Isley …Mm-hmmm.

The former reality TV star also says Ron Isley was dating her up until the time he married his current wife, Kandy Isley:

Saaphyri: “He wasn’t married when I first got with him. He had just gotten a divorce from Angela [Winbush]. He was messing around with his [then-]new wife. He did have a girlfriend, but I didn’t think that was important. I didn’t really have a lot of respect for anyone that would come between a marriage but I figured a girlfriend isn’t as important.

But I think because I wasn’t able to express my feelings a lot, he would say stuff to me like, ‘Why I don’t never really express myself. It’s because I don’t want to be hurt. I don’t know if I put everything out on the table, if you’re going to do something like he eventually did. You know, it was Mother’s Day and we’re on the way to church and he comes to my house to tell me he’s getting married.”

There’s more…

S2S:Do you think you will ever fall in love again?

Saaphyri: “I want to.

S2S:Ronnie [Ron Isley] was pretty old for you, wasn’t he?

Saaphyri:”I like them old.”

Ever since Saaphyri aired out her and Ron Isley’s alleged dirty laundry some years ago, neither the “Contagious” crooner, nor his camp have denied it as for as we can tell, so it looks like Saaphyri just may be speaking some truth about them.

SAAPHYRI WAS JAILED AT SAME TIME ISLEY WAS

After “Flava of Love,” Saaphyri (pictured above left on “Flava of Love Girls: Charm School”) had a few financial struggles and ended up serving 22 months in prison for stealing her uncle’s identity in 2009 and 2010, which was the same time that Ron Isley was imprisoned for tax evasion. He was married by then, but here’s what Saaphyri said she did:

The post Reality Star Claimed She Had A Secret Relationship With Ron Isley And Caught Fans Off Guard appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Can you believe that back in the day singer, Wilson Pickett, decided to play a game of ‘shoot em up bang bang’ against The Isley Brothers?!! It’s true, but the only problem is that Pickett was the only willing participant in this situation. You see, the Isley’s weren’t actually in on the game, as a matter of fact, it wasn’t a game at all. Our man, Pickett, was stone serious when he tried to land a few bullets in a couple of the Isley’s!

How did this even happen, you ask? Well, on one typical night in December 1975, Wilson Pickett was flat out drunk that; and after he and the Isley’s got into an argument, all HELL broke loose. I guess it’s never wise to mix pistols, alcohol, and quick tempers together in one setting.

What Had Happened Was…

Embed from Getty Images

Wilson Pickett and The Isley Brothers went on a hunting trip in Andes, New York, when the incident occurred. According to police reports, a drunken Pickett started causing a disturbance in The Andes Hotel. Rudolph Isley and O’Kelly Isley, along with two other men, tried to get Pickett to tone his temper down approximately a thousand notches, by taking him into a parking lot to reasonably talk to him. As they were trying to calm down “Wicked” Wilson Pickett, a fight broke out between all of them and the drama only escalated from there.

The Isley Brothers and the two unidentified men eventually went into a hotel room and locked the door, but Pickett sniffed them out…just as drunk and angry as he was moments earlier. So, he did what any quick-tempered drunk man with a pistol would do – he fired shots right through the door of The Isley Brothers’ hotel room, with a .38 caliber two-shot Derringer.

Needless to say, the police showed up and arrested Wilson Pickett, charging him with first-degree reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a dangerous weapon. He was released on $500 bail.

Not sure what Pickett’s relationship was like with the Isley’s after that incident. After all, what does one say to their fellow colleagues after trying to shoot them? ‘Hey man…look here, I apologize for trying to pump bullets into y’all, I didn’t mean any harm, I was drunk?’ Crazy, right? The Isley’s likely never let their guards down around Wilson Pickett again.

Pickett’s Reported Violent Incident With Former New Jersey Mayor

The Isley Brothers incident wasn’t “Wicked” Wilson’s only riled up moment. He once allegedly became angry at the then-mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, Mayor Donald Aronson, and decided to do what he presumably believed to be the most logical thing to do when one doesn’t like someone. Pickett reportedly did donuts in his Cadillac right there on the front lawn of the mayor’s house, while shouting threats at the mayor…WOW. That Wilson Pickett was something else, I tell ya.’

There’s no denying that Pickett and the Isley Brothers are incredible artists, despite the drama. And besides, we, soul music fans, would much rather vibe to their music, which grown folks can make LOVE to…not WAR. Can I get an Amen somebody?!!

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, old school news with a new point of view

[Source: Jet Magazine]

The post Hot-Tempered Soul Singer Once Almost Killed Isley Brothers During Odd, Heated Dispute? appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The Isley Brothers had a legal problem with singer, Michael Bolton, that was strung along for 9 years in the courts. The year they finally received their victory over Bolton, was in 2000, after the Supreme Court said something like ‘Stop it Bolton and pay them what you stole from them.’

It started in 1991, after The Isley Brothers realized that Bolton, his co-writer, and his label, Sony Music, had reportedly done a jack move on their 1968 jam, “Love Is A Wonderful Thing.” Bolton also named his 1991 hit the same name, “Love Is A Wonderful Thing,” and featured it on his album, Time, Love, & Tenderness, ultimately selling 10 million copies. The Isleys initially tried to talk it out with Bolton, but according to Ronald Isley, Bolton decided to get really cocky and disrespect them. That’s when Ronald says he lost all respect for Michael Bolton.

In court, Bolton denied he’d ever heard The Isley’s song, but the jury believed that he was telling a big, fat lie after hearing Bolton’s swiss cheese testimony (his story was had so many holes in it).

How Much The Isley’s Won After Court Hearing

According to Billboard:

‘[The] court ruled that Bolton, co-writer Andrew Goldmark, and Sony Music Publishing had to give the Isley Brothers $5.2 million in profits from the sales of Bolton’s version [of “Love Is A Wonderful Thing]. The battle ended Jan. 22, 2000 when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Bolton’s appeal of the May ruling.

The original trial jury determined there were five instances in which the Bolton/Goldmark song plagiarized the Isleys’ tune…and that the Isleys [were] to be paid $4.2 million from Sony Music, $932,924 from Bolton, $220,785 from Goldmark, and the balance from Bolton and Goldmark’s music publishing company.’

Ron Isley Explains Why He Was Pissed & How Bolton Insulted Them

Ronald Isley did an interview with Billboard and explained how badly Bolton tried to play them and insult their intelligence:

Ronald Isley: “When I first heard his [Michael Bolton’s] version of the song on the radio, I was really pleased. Then I went out to pick up the record and looked for my credit. I was upset because the credits weren’t on there. So we got in touch with his people and then he went into the ‘Oh, I didn’t know you all had a song like this.’ That type of thing. But the musicologist and everyone else who got involved after hearing our song said this was the best case out of any case they’d ever had. This is your song, hands down, [they said]. It just bothered me that he [Bolton] wouldn’t go ahead and admit that.”

Isley On Failed Attempt To Reach Agreement With Bolton

Isley: “We tried to reach some sort of agreement. But I said, ‘Man, it doesn’t have to be like this.’ But they didn’t want to reach anything. He had gone to court with someone else and won a similar case with against someone else. So maybe he felt like he knew how to win these kinds of cases. And I think he thought I wouldn’t go through with it.”

Ron Isley & Then Wife Angela Winbush Had Proof Against Bolton?

“Angela [singer Angela Winbush, Isley’s then wife] and I were listening to his work tapes. And on the tape, we heard him say, ‘Where did I hear this song before? Is this Marvin Gaye?’ And this is on his work tape. So we subpoenaed those work tapes and they were played in court. We had to turn that part of the tape up to hear his dialog and all of that. But that’s something that slipped by them because I guess they would have hidden that.

“I Lost A Lot Of Respect For Him”

But he could have settled the case for way less money, rightful money, and he didn’t want to do it. And then he got into this kind of contest thing with us: I’m going to show you. And that’s what it turned out to be. I lost a lot of respect that I had for him as an artist. But we just went all the way with it.”

“He [Bolton] Made Himself Look Stupid”

“Angela was performing on the Lou Rawls’ annual UNCF telethon. And so was Bolton. She was going to introduce me to him and he said, ‘Hey, you don’t have to introduce me to him. I know all of his stuff from a kid on up.’ And I didn’t forget that he said that. But in court he forgot Lou Rawls’ name. He forgot the show: ‘Well, I’ve played so many shows.’ Here’s a guy who’s a connoisseur of black music and all of a sudden on the stand he told people he didn’t know who the Isley Brothers were. He was told, well, they’re the same group that sang Twist and Shout.  ‘Well, I thought that was the Beatles,’ [he said]. Well, what about For The Love Of You? ‘I thought that was Whitney Houston.’ What about Summer Breeze? ‘I thought that I heard Ernie play on that but I thought it was somebody else.’ It was one lie after another. He made himself look real stupid.”

The Isley’s Refused To Quit After 9 Year Legal Battle Against Bolton

Isley: “I knew we were right. I knew he was fighting a battle he could not win. The melody was the same. Everybody said it but him. Everybody knows that ‘Three Blind Mice’ is ‘Three Blind Mice,’ but he wanted to call it something else. After we won the money judgment, they had to put up X amount of dollars and then the interest started ticking. So after winning the judgment, we knew the money was there. … Angela and I were at every hearing.

After Isley’s Won Case, Bolton Still Tried Them…

Even after we won the case for $5 million, Bolton and his attorneys wanted to appeal? You know what they wanted to settle for? $150,000. That’s what his attorneys told him. Like it’s some sort of joke. Then he [Bolton] went from there to sending letters to my brother [Rudolph] who’s in the ministry now, saying, I’ll perform in your church. Can I give you X amount of dollars? And I have the letters if you ever want to see the ridiculous stuff they tried. They went to Washington to lobby with different senators and stuff like that.”

But The Isley’s Were Victorious…Again

Billboard: What was your reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision refused to hear Bolton’s appeal of the May 2000 court decision?

Isley: “When I heard the verdict, I said, it’s finally over with. Everybody that surrounded us, our team, felt that way. This will be a piece of history and now maybe somebody else won’t have to go through this. We can’t take an R. Kelly song and call it an Isley Brothers song. We can’t take a Holland-Dozier-Holland song and call it an Isley Brothers song. That’s not right. The majority of his [Bolton’s] work has been with Black people’s music, and it’s paid off good for him. But you can’t get to the point where you say, ‘OK, I’m going to start saying, Oh, whose song is that? Marvin Gaye’s? Well, he’s not living so we’ll take that.’ No, it wasn’t Marvin Gaye’s song, it was mine. He picked the wrong person.”

That was foul for Bolton to disrespect The Isley’s they way he did, but in the end, justice prevailed.

The post Karma: Michael Bolton Disrespected Isleys, But Ron Tells How They Got Millions From Him As Payback appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The Isley Brothers had a legal problem with singer, Michael Bolton that was strung along for 9 years in the courts. The year they finally received their victory over Bolton was in 2000, after the Supreme Court said something like ‘Stop it Bolton and pay them what you stole from them.’

It started in 1991, after The Isley Brothers realized that Bolton, his co-writer, and his label, Sony Music, had done a jack move on their 1968 jam, “Love Is A Wonderful Thing,” which Bolton also named his 1991 hit and featured it on his album, “Time, Love, & Tenderness,” ultimately selling 10 million copies. The Isleys tried to talk it out first with Bolton, but according to Ronald Isley, Bolton decided to get real cocky and disrespect them, and that’s when Ronald says he lost all respect for the Bolton.

Embed from Getty Images

In court, Bolton denied he’d ever heard The Isley’s song, but the jury believed that he was telling a big, fat lie after hearing Bolton’s swiss cheese testimony (his story was had so many holes in it).

According to Billboard:
‘[The] court ruled that Bolton, co-writer Andrew Goldmark, and Sony Music Publishing had to give the Isley Brothers $5.2 million in profits from the sales of Bolton’s version [of “Love Is A Wonderful Thing]. The battle ended Jan. 22, 2000 when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Bolton’s appeal of the May ruling.

The original trial jury determined there were five instances in which the Bolton/Goldmark song plagiarized the Isleys’ tune…and that the Isleys [were] to be paid $4.2 million from Sony Music, $932,924 from Bolton, $220,785 from Goldmark, and the balance from Bolton and Goldmark’s music publishing company.’

Ronald Isley did an interview with Billboard and explained how badly Bolton tried to play them and insult their intelligence:

Ronald Isley: ‘When I first heard his version of the song on the radio, I was really pleased. Then I went out to pick up the record and looked for my credit. I was upset because the credits weren’t on there. So we got in touch with his people and then he went into the “Oh, I didn’t know you all had a song like this.” That type of thing. But the musicologist and everyone else who got involved after hearing our song said this was the best case out of any case they’d ever had. This is your song, hands down, [they said]. It just bothered me that he [Bolton] wouldn’t go ahead and admit that.’

Billboard: Did you try to reach an agreement with Bolton?

Isley: “We tried to reach some sort of agreement. But I said, “Man, it doesn’t have to be like this. But they didn’t want to reach anything. He had gone to court with someone else and won a similar case with against someone else. So maybe he felt like he knew how to win these kinds of cases. And I think he thought I wouldn’t go through with it.”

Embed from Getty Images

“Angela [singer Winbush, Isley’s then wife] and I were listening to his work tapes. And on the tape, we heard him say, ‘Where did I hear this song before? Is this Marvin Gaye?’ And this is on his work tape. So we subpoenaed those work tapes and they were played in court. We had to turn that part of the tape up to hear his dialog and all of that. But that’s something that slipped by them because I guess they would have hidden that.

But he could have settled the case for way less money, rightful money, and he didn’t want to do it. And then he got into this kind of contest thing with us: I’m going to show you. And that’s what it turned out to be. I lost a lot of respect that I had for him as an artist. But we just went all the way with it.”

“Angela was performing on the Lou Rawls’ annual UNCF telethon. And so was Bolton. She was going to introduce me to him and he said, ‘Hey, you don’t have to introduce me to him. I know all of his stuff from a kid on up.’ And I didn’t forget that he said that. But in court he forgot Lou Rawls’ name. He forgot the show: ‘Well, I’ve played so many shows.’ Here’s a guy who’s a connoisseur of black music and all of a sudden on the stand he told people he didn’t know who the Isley Brothers were. He was told, well, they’re the same group that sang Twist and Shout.  ‘Well, I thought that was the Beatles,’ [he said]. Well, what about For The Love Of You? ‘I thought that was Whitney Houston.’ What about Summer Breeze? ‘I thought that I heard Ernie play on that but I thought it was somebody else.’ It was one lie after another. He made himself look real stupid.”

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Billboard: In these ensuing nine years, did you ever think about giving up?

Isley: “No, I knew we were right. I knew he was fighting a battle he could not win. The melody was the same. Everybody said it but him. Everybody knows that ‘Three Blind Mice’ is ‘Three Blind Mice,’ but he wanted to call it something else. After we won the money judgment, they had to put up X amount of dollars and then the interest started ticking. So after winning the judgment, we knew the money was there.

Angela and I were at every hearing. Just us. It really didn’t involve the younger brothers. My older brother (O’Kelly) passed earlier. Rudolph was involved, but he didn’t attend any of the hearings.

Even after we won the case for $5 million, Bolton and his attorneys wanted to appeal? You know what they wanted to settle for? $150,000. That’s what his attorneys told him. Like it’s some sort of joke. Then he [Bolton] went from there to sending letters to my brother [Rudolph] who’s in the ministry now, saying, I’ll perform in your church. Can I give you X amount of dollars? And I have the letters if you ever want to see the ridiculous stuff they tried. They went to Washington to lobby with different senators and stuff like that.”

Billboard: What was your reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision refused to hear Bolton’s appeal of the May 2000 court decision?

Isley: “When I heard the verdict, I said, it’s finally over with. Everybody that surrounded us, our team, felt that way. This will be a piece of history and now maybe somebody else won’t have to go through this. We can’t take an R. Kelly song and call it an Isley Brothers song. We can’t take a Holland-Dozier-Holland song and call it an Isley Brothers song. That’s not right. The majority of his [Bolton’s] work has been with black people’s music, and it’s paid off good for him. But you can’t get to the point where you say, ‘OK, I’m going to start saying, Oh, whose song is that? Marvin Gaye’s? Well, he’s not living so we’ll take that.’ No, it wasn’t Marvin Gaye’s song, it was mine. He picked the wrong person.”

That was foul for Bolton to disrespect The Isley’s they way he did, but in the end, justice prevailed.

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