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Ronald Isley2

By Sonja Mack | Published July 21, 2010 | Full size is 500 × 321 pixels

Ronald Isley’s mainstream musical career began at age 16 when he and two of his brothers formed a doo-wop group and moved to New York City from Ohio in the 1950s. Over the next 50 years, his unmistakable tenor would grace some of the most enduring, anthemic funk, soul, and R&B songs ever recorded, including "It's Your Thing," "Who’s That Lady?" "In Between the Sheets," "Footsteps in the Dark," and "Spend the Night." His musical collaborations with R&B singer R. Kelly in the past 10 years or so even earned him a new moniker—Mr. Biggs.

Ronald Isley’s mainstream musical career began at age 16 when he and two of his…