Isley Brothers’ Chris Jasper Dead at 73

Chris Jasper — singer, songwriter and keyboardist in the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley — died on Sunday at the age of 73 following a cancer diagnosis in December.

Jasper’s family confirmed the news in a statement shared on his official Facebook page, which you can read below.

Born on Dec. 30, 1951, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jasper began studying classical music as a child and attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York for music composition. Jasper’s family lived in the same Cincinnati apartment complex as the Isley family, and his sister, Elaine, married Rudolph Isley.

Jasper formed the Jazzman Trio with Marvin and Ernie Isley, and in 1973 they officially joined the Isley Brothers, transforming the group from a vocal trio into a self-contained R&B and funk sextet. This expanded lineup enjoyed greater success beginning with 1973’s 3+3, which reached the Top 10 and went platinum. A string of Top 10 albums followed, including 1975’s chart-topping The Heat Is On. Jasper contributed to these albums as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, claiming a writing credit on the band’s Top 5 hit “Fight the Power” among others.

When the Isley Brothers disbanded in 1984, Jasper continued with Marvin and Ernie Isley under the moniker Isley-Jasper-Isley. The group released three albums between 1984 and 1987 and scored a No. 1 hit on the R&B chart with 1985’s “Caravan of Love.”

Jasper embarked on a solo career after Isley-Jasper-Isley disbanded in 1987. He formed his own independent label, Gold City Records, and released 14 solo albums. His 1988 solo debut, Superbad, spawned a No. 1 R&B hit in its title track. Jasper was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Isley Brothers in 1992, and he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022. Jasper’s music was sampled by a myriad of artists including Whitney Houston, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar and more.

Throughout his life and career, Jasper remained a staunch supporter and proprietor of soul music. “I believe soul music is music that will always be played. It’s just, who’s gonna play it?” he asked R&B Junkie. “Soul music has a certain thing to it that reaches inside you. That’s why it’s called soul music and that’s where it gets its name from, so it’s gonna always be there. I just wish more people were producing it. I’m gonna always produce it because that’s what I am. I’m a soul / R&B artist so it’s not gonna go anywhere as long as I’m here.”