Marvin Isley of the Isley Brothers dies at 56

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Marvin Isley, the bass player who helped give R&B powerhouse the Isley Brothers their distinctive sound, has died at a Chicago hospital. He was 56.

Isley died Sunday at a hospice at Weiss Memorial Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Catherine Gianaro. She could not confirm a cause of death.

Isley, born Aug. 18, 1953, in Cincinnati, stopped performing in 1996 after suffering complications from diabetes.

He joined his brothers’ band in 1973. By that time, the Isley Brothers had established themselves with hits like 1959’s ‘Shout.’ He splintered off to form Isley-Jasper-Isley in the 1980s and returned to the Isley Brothers in the 1990s. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

We’ll have more later at latimes.com/obituaries.

--Associated Press