The Isley Brothers‘ Chris Jasper has died at the age of 73.
The songwriter, producer and keyboardist passed away last Sunday (February 23) following a cancer diagnosis in December 2024, a statement from his family confirmed yesterday (February 25).
“He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations,” the message read.
The post noted Jasper’s “pivotal role in shaping the sound of The Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley”, and his career “as a distinguished solo artist” – which spanned over three decades.
In 1992, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of his bandmates in The Isley Brothers.
Jasper earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2014. He was given the National R&B Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. In 2020, Jasper received the Soultracks Lifetime Achievement Award before being inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2022.
Music Legend Chris Jasper Passes Away at 73Chris Jasper, renowned singer–songwriter and producer known for his pivotal…
Posted by Chris Jasper on Monday, February 24, 2025
The late musician is survived by his wife, New York attorney and author Margie Jasper, and his three sons: Michael, Nicholas and Christopher.
Jasper was born on December 30, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a classically trained musician and composer. He began studying classical piano when he was seven years old, and later studied music composition at the Juilliard School Of Music in New York City.
The icon earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in music composition with esteemed jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor. Jasper’s classical training laid the foundation for his music that blended his classical training with R&B, funk and soul.
In 1973, Jasper – alongside Ernie and Marvin Isley – transformed The Isley Brothers from a vocal trio into a self-contained six-member R&B/funk group. His songwriting talent and expertise on keyboards and synthesizers became the cornerstone of their signature sound.
He was instrumental in writing, arranging and producing numerous hit tracks such as ‘For The Love Of You’ (1975), ‘Between The Sheets’ (1983) and ‘Fight The Power’ (1975).
Jasper went on to form Isley-Jasper-Isley with Ernie and Marvin in 1984. They earned international success with hit singles like ‘Caravan Of Love’ (1985).
His lengthy solo career saw him release the hit ‘Superbad’, and various R&B and gospel albums. In 2023, he shared his final solo album ‘It Started With a Kiss’. He wrote, recorded and produced all the music on his solo LPs.
Additionally, he produced for artists on his Gold City label including Liz Hogue, Out Front and Brothaz By Choice.
According to his family’s statement, Jasper’s “innovative work has influenced generations of musicians”. They also noted his material being sampled many times by major acts such as Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani.
In 2023, The Isley Brothers co-founder Rudolph Isley died aged 84. Earlier that same year, the group were involved in a legal battle against Ronald Isley over the rights to The Isley Brothers’ band name.