Legendary Def Jam/Def Soul artist Ronald Isley returned to the world two weeks ago, and now picks up where he left off as senior member and lead singer of first generation Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers the Isley Brothers – with news of “The Celebration Tour” starting next weekend, and recording sessions underway for his first solo album release in seven years.
“The Celebration Tour” opens with a New Jersey-New York homecoming at Board Walk Hall in Atlantic City and the Uptown Paradise Theater in the Bronx on May 8th and 9th, respectively. The tour’s first leg wraps up at the Bonelli Park Jazz Festival in San Dimas, California on July 18th. Along the way, Ron will perform in the Caribbean on Tom Joyner’s Sea Cruise, May 17-18th. The aptly-titled “Celebration Tour” marks the first headlining trip under the Isley banner since March-April 2007. (Please see complete itinerary below.)
Meanwhile, Ron has already begun recording a new album – his first new solo project since the 2003 tribute album, Here I Am: Ron Isley Sings Burt Bacharach. Further details on the new album will be announced in the weeks and months ahead.
Ron’s new album will be the first to bear the Isley imprint since Baby Makin’ Music, released May 2006 on Def Jam/Def Soul Recordings. The album, which hit #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #5 on the pop side, spun off the R&B hit, “Just Came Here to Chill.” At the 21st annual Soul Train Music Awards in March 2007, the records were nominated respectively for Best R&B/Soul Album by a Group, Band or Duo, and Best R&B Soul Single by a Group, Band or Duo.
The Isley Brothers first arrived at Island Records in 1996, with the #2 R&B album, Mission To Please. The album struck RIAA platinum on the strength of the #1 R&B/ #4 pop hit single, “Down Low” with R. Kelly. In addition to R. Kelly, contributing producers and co- writers included Babyface and Keith Sweat, among the many artists whose lives and music were inspired by the Isley Brothers. It was followed by the RIAA platinum #1 R&B/#3 pop Eternal (Dreamworks, 2001), which introduced Ron’s alter ego, Mr. Biggs, and featured the pop/R&B crossover hit, “Contagious,” also written and produced by R. Kelly. The RIAA gold #1 Pop/ #1 R&B Body Kiss (Dreamworks, 2003) was a collaboration with younger brother Ernie, and yielded the Top 15 R&B hit, “What Would You Do?”
The Isley Brothers have the distinction of placing hit singles on the pop and R&B charts in every decade of the rock era – the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s.
RONALD ISLEY “CELEBRATION TOUR 2010”
Date City Venue
May 8 Atlantic City, NJ Board Walk Hall
9 Bronx, NY Uptown Paradise Theater
17-18 The Caribbean Tom Joyner Sea Cruise
19 St. Maarten
30 Oakland, CA KBLX Soul Concert
June 5 St. Louis, MO Fox Theater
11-12 Merryville, IN Star Plaza
18 Dallas TX Fair Park Band Shell
19 Houston, TX Arena Theater
July 18 San Dimas, CA Bonelli Park Jazz Festival
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