“[Ron Isley] is a GENTLEMAN! I mean, you’re talking about romance, he puts the ‘R’ in romance… from fine dining to treating a woman like a man should, with respect. As we developed a relationship, we had a lot of things in common and Ronald… even though he’s older, he’s young at heart.”
Kandy is mom to the couple’s only son, Ron Isley Jr who will be 14 this year.
In April 2010, Ron was finally released and, from that point on, he has been living a very good life with his family avoiding legal problems and enjoying the time with his son, who is 12 years old nowadays.
With 1983’s, “Between the Sheets”, a response to Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”, the band’s mastery of the form is on full display. In a 2013 interview with Ebony Magazine, Ron Isley said, “At the time, Marvin Gaye had ‘Sexual Healing’ out, and it was such a hit. I was talking to him on the phone one day and I was like, ‘Hey man, wait until you hear ‘Between the Sheets’. I said, ‘Wegoing to knock ‘Sexual Healing’ off.’ We just laughed. We were very competitive in those days. Somebody like Teddy Pendergrass would do ‘Close the Door’ or ‘Turn Off the Lights’, and we’d do something like ‘Don’t Say Goodnight.’”
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Music historian Nelson George might have summed it up best when he wrote “When people talk about Sam, Marvin, Otis and Al as the greatest male soul me, folks forget Ron Isley because he was in a group. His vocal range, distinctiveness and sensuality are amazing. Dude is a peer of Sam Cooke and still sounds good!”
The Battle
As we look back over the 4-hour, 25-round iconic battle, here are some of the most memorable rounds:
Round 3:
Isley Brothers – Hello It’s Me
Earth, Wind & Fire – Keep Your Head to the Sky
Round 4:
Isley Brothers – At Your Best (You Are Love)
Earth, Wind & Fire – Reasons
