Chris Jasper, a former member of the Legendary group the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley, passed away on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 73, three months after his birthday, according to a statement on social media.
Jasper was primarily responsible for writing, arranging, and producing The Isley Brothers’ music during this time, including beautiful love songs like “For the Love of You” and “Between the Sheets” and up-tempo funk like “Fight the Power.” No cause of death was mentioned.
Born Christopher Howard Jasper (December 30, 1951-February 23, 2025), was a singer, composer, and producer. Jasper was a former member of The Isley Brothers and Rudolph Isley wad the brother-in-law to Chris Jasper. He was responsible for writing and producing the majority of the Isley Brothers music (1973–1983) and Isley-Jasper-Isley music (1984–1987).
He was also a successful solo musician and record producer, recording over 17 of his own solo albums, including 4 urban contemporary gospel albums, all written, produced, and performed, both vocally and instrumentally, by Jasper.
He also produced artists for his New York City-based record label, Gold City Records. Jasper’s keyboard and Moog synthesizer work was a primary ingredient of the Isley Brothers’ sound of the 1970s and 1980s (the “gold and platinum” years) when The Isley Brothers were a self-contained band.
Group members O’Kelly Isley Jr. (December 25, 1937 – March 31, 1986), Rudolph Isley (April 1, 1939 – October 11, 2023), Ronald Isley (May 21, 1941), younger brother, Vernon Isley (1942 – June 6, 1955), included later on Ernie Isley (March 7, 1952), and Marvin Isley (August 18, 1953 – June 6, 2010), and Rudolph’s brother-in-law Chris Jasper (December 30, 1951– February 23, 2025). Ernie and Ronald are the last two souls surviving the Isley Brothers.
Jasper was a classically trained musician and composer. The youngest of seven siblings, Jasper started studying classical music at the age of 7 at the suggestion of his mother, Elizabeth. After graduating from high school in Cincinnati, he moved to New York to study music composition at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.
He continued his studies at C.W. Post, Long Island University, New York, where he studied with jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in music composition. He subsequently graduated from Concord University School of Law.
In 2020, Jasper released “For the Love of You,” a “covers” album that includes some of the biggest hits Jasper wrote for the Isley Brothers during the time he was the primary songwriter for the group (1973-1983), such as “For the Love of You,” “Go for What You Know,” and “I Once Had Your Love”.
Other hits as well as his self-styled covers of some other popular songs, including “Have I Told You Lately” (Van Morrison); Nothing Can Change This Love” (Sam Cooke); “God Is Love” (Marvin Gaye); You Are So Beautiful” (Billy Preston); and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Diane Warren).
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