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 rights to The Isley Brothers band name.
