In 1973 the Isley Brothers, already a famous vocal group, became a six-piece band when two younger brothers and their brother-in-law joined. The brother-in-law was Chris Jasper, a Juilliard-trained keyboardist, and his synthesisers and songwriting helped give the group the sound of its biggest decade. Jasper died on February 23, 2025, after being diagnosed with cancer in December 2024, his family said. He was 73.
Juilliard to the Isleys
Jasper was born in Ohio in December 1951 and began studying classical piano at the age of seven. He went on to earn a degree in music composition from the Juilliard School in New York. His sister Elaine was married to Rudolph Isley, and in 1973 he joined Ernie and Marvin Isley in the expanded band, the line-up named after its first album together, 3 + 3.
The hits
With the Isleys, Jasper helped create songs including “Fight the Power”, “For the Love of You” and “Between the Sheets”, the 1983 ballad that became one of the most sampled records in hip-hop. In 1984 he formed the trio Isley-Jasper-Isley with Ernie and Marvin, and their 1985 single “Caravan of Love” was a number one R&B hit in the United States. A cover by the Housemartins topped the British chart a year later.
Later career
Jasper began a solo career in 1987 and founded his own label, Gold City Records, on which he released 17 albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Isley Brothers in 1992 and shared a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award with the group in 2014. He was survived by his wife of 42 years, Margie, and their three sons.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said Jasper played a key role in defining the sound of soul and funk in the 1970s and 1980s, a sound still heard every time a producer samples “Between the Sheets”.