The Fatal Accident That Disbanded Them
With Vernon as the lead vocals, the quartet started touring across the eastern US, performing mainly in churches. In 1955, when Vernon was 13, he was killed by a car that hit him as he was riding his bike in his neighborhood in Cincinnati. The brothers were devastated, and the trio disbanded… at least for a little while.
Photo of Isley Brothers Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The remaining trio, however, decided to regroup in 1957, with Ronnie taking over as lead vocals. The brothers zeroed in on popular music and headed for New York (with their parents’ blessings). In New York, the brothers got in touch with Richard Barrett, who then got them in contact with record producers in the city.