Isley Brothers' Chris Jasper dies aged 73

Chris Jasper, former Isley Brothers member, has died at age 73.

Jasper's family shared the news of his death in a social media post, stating he passed away on Sunday, February 23, following a cancer diagnosis in December 2024.

A member of the Isley Brothers from 1973 to 1983, Jasper played a key role in transforming the band's sound from traditional rock/soul to an innovative mixture of funk and R&B, which earned the band great critical and commercial success.

He contributed most notably as a producer and as a keyboardist, playing the Moog, ARP synthesisers, and piano, among other instruments. He was a primary writer, arranger, and producer of hits such as 'For The Love of You,' 'Between the Sheets,' and 'Fight the Power.'

As part of the Isley Brothers, Jasper was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Independently, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022, and received the US National R&B Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, among other accolades.

The musician's former bandmates took to social media to pay tribute to him:

"Chris Jasper wasn’t just a musician—he was a musical genius, a lyricist, an extended member of the Isley family, a pioneer, and a key part of the sound that shaped generations," read the post. "Our hearts are heavy, but we are grateful for the time, the music, and the memories we shared. His legacy will live on forever. Rest easy, brother."

Jasper was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 1951, as the youngest of seven siblings. He began receiving classical training in piano at seven years old, and, after graduating high school in Cincinatti, moved to New York to study music composition at the prestigious Juilliard School.

The acclaimed musician left the Isley Brothers in 1983 alongside Ernie and Marvin Isley, who had joined the band at the same time as him, and the three of them formed Isley-Jasper-Isley in 1984. After the trio disbanded in 1987, Jasper pursued a successful solo career as a musician and producer, releasing 17 albums.