Marvin Isley, Bassist of The Isley Brothers, Dies at 56

Marvin Isley, the bassist and youngest member of the hit-making soul and funk band Isley Brothers, has died. He was 56.
Isley died at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Chicago's Weiss Memorial Hospital from complications of diabetes, Weiss spokeswoman Catherine Gianaro said.
Isley retired in 1997 because of his battle with diabetes, which resulted in a double amputation of his legs.

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A Cincinnati native, Isley was not an original member of The Isley Brothers, which first consisted of his older brothers, O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald. The trio was known as a vocal group, which scored such hits as 1959's "Shout," 1962's "Twist and Shout" and 1969's "It's Your Thing."Isley joined in 1973, along with brother Ernie and brother-in-law Chris Jasper, infusing the group with a funkier sound that led to a string of hits. 3+3, the group's debut album as a sextet, became The Isley Brothers' first album to receive a gold certification and contained the classics "That Lady,  Pt. 1 & 2" and "What It Comes Down To."

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The Isley Brothers found continued success throughout the decade with "Fight the Power," "For the Love of You" and "Between the Sheets."In 1984, Marvin Isley, Ernie Isley and Jasper split off to form Isley-Jasper-Isley, earning a No. 1 R&B hit with "Caravan of Love." Marvin Isley returned to The Isley Brothers in 1991.In 2000, the Isleys won $7 million from a plagiarism award against Michael Bolton over the group's 1966 song "Love Is A Wonderful Thing." The Supreme Court upheld a federal appeals court ruling that Bolton's 1991 hit of the same name infringed on the copyright of The Isley Brothers' tune.The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.