Jasper, Chris (30th December 1951-Present)

He is a singer-songwriter, musician and producer born in Cincinnati, Ohio who began learning classical music when he was 7 years old. He graduated from high school before moving on to the Juilliard School in New York, followed by earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in composition at Long Island University. He took further studies at Concord School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctorate.

Back in Cincinnati his family were neighbours of the Isley family and his older sister, Elaine, married Rudolph Isley who was a member of The Isley Brothers trio. When the Isley family moved to Teaneck, New Jersey he also went there to live with his sister and studied at high school there. He and Marvin and Ernie Isley decided to put together their own band and called themselves The Jazzman Trio. They performed locally and sometimes played on tour and early recordings of The Isley Brothers. Chris wrote/co-wrote many songs that The Isley Brothers recorded, with his “Love Put Me On a Corner” being the first in 1972.

The Isley Brothers, who were running their own Teaneck Records by that point, decided to bring Ernie, Marvin and Chris in and changed from a trio into a band. They released, as a six member group, twelve albums between 1973 and 1983, including 3+3, Harvest for the World, Showdown and Between the Sheets, with Chris doing much of the production and songwriting.

In 1984 the six-member band split up due to financial and tax problems so, Chris with the two younger Isley members, Marvin and Ernie, co-formed Isley-Jasper-Isley. Chris became the lead vocalist as well as arranging and producing and songwriting for the trio. They released three albums and saw success with their co-written song “Caravan of Love” from the album of the same name. Which was covered by The Housemartins in the UK and reached the No. 1 spot in the UK singles chart.

Ernie Isley resigned from the trio in 1987 to pursue a solo career and release his own album. Marvin subsequently returned to The Isley Brothers, of which Ronald was the only original member remaining. Later Ernie also returned to perform and tour with his brothers.

Chris took it as time to concentrate on his solo career and on his own label Gold City Records he released two albums. At this time the single “Superbad” was issued and reached No.1 on the R&B chart. Including four gospel albums, he has since released 16 solo albums between 1987 and 2020 that include Superbad, Deep Inside, Amazing Love, Invincible, The One, Share With Me and For the Love Of You.

He has worked with many artists and had his songs covered and sampled by many more. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Isley Brothers in 1992 and in 2014 was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award with The Isley Brothers. In 2015 he was presented with the German Record Critics Lifetime Achievement Award, the National R&B Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, the Soultracks Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021.

Sources:

Jasper, Chris (30th December 1951-Present)

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