Ernie Isley
The fiery guitarist who powered the Isley Brothers' funky soul revolution, weaving searing rock licks into the fabric of R&B.
Born 1952 (age 74)·American guitarist·Birthday: March 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
When a teenage Ernie Isley picked up a guitar in the basement of his family's New Jersey home, he was tapping into a seismic shift. The Isley Brothers, already soul veterans with hits like 'Shout,' were evolving, and Ernie, along with his brothers Marvin and Chris Jasper, became the engine of their new sound. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix, who briefly lived with the family, Ernie developed a style that was all swagger and molten tone. His iconic, distorted riff on 'That Lady' announced a new era for the group, fusing psychedelic rock fire with smooth soul and gritty funk. For over two decades, his playing was the signature element on classics like 'Fight the Power,' 'Between the Sheets,' and 'Harvest for the World,' providing the gritty, emotional edge that made the Isleys' music so durable. As a key member of both The Isley Brothers and the splinter group Isley-Jasper-Isley, Ernie Isley's guitar work didn't just accompany songs; it defined an entire sonic landscape for a generation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ernie was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ernie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Ernie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and played the iconic wah-wah guitar riff on The Isley Brothers' 1973 hit 'That Lady,' which became a defining sound of 1970s funk-soul.
- Was a central creative force in The Isley Brothers' funky, rock-influenced period from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s, playing on albums like '3 + 3' and 'The Heat Is On.'
- Co-founded the successful splinter group Isley-Jasper-Isley, which produced the 1985 hit 'Caravan of Love.'
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Isley Brothers in 1992.
Did You Know?
Jimi Hendrix lived with the Isley family for a short period and taught a young Ernie some guitar techniques.
He is left-handed but plays a right-handed guitar flipped upside down, similar to Hendrix.
He initially joined the Isley Brothers as a drummer before switching to guitar.
He and his brother Marvin served in the US Army and were stationed at Fort Knox during the Vietnam War era.
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