Vernon Reid, guitarist of the iconic band Living Colour, has voiced strong praise for Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers, referring to him as a “near direct tonal descendant of Jimi Hendrix.” In a recent interview with Guitar World, Reid expressed his frustration over the lack of media recognition Isley received despite his immense talent and contribution to rock guitar.
Reid has been an advocate for criminally underrated guitarists for some time. Last fall, he noticed that Robin Trower, a guitar legend from Procol Harum, had a surprisingly small social media following compared to his status. This realization led Reid to launch a campaign to raise awareness for guitarists who have not received their due recognition. After boosting Trower and Robert Cray’s online profiles, Reid continued this initiative for other deserving musicians.
When asked in his Guitar World interview to name his favorite guitarist from the ’70s, Reid didn’t hesitate to bring up Ernie Isley. Along with Elliot Easton from the Cars and Mike Stern of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Isley was included in Reid’s ongoing campaign from last fall. Reid explained:
“I’m compelled to say his name – amongst a host of incredible guitar luminaries who’ve influenced me greatly – because of his complete absence from any rock guitar-oriented media or rock music-oriented media of that time.”
Reid emphasized how Isley has been largely overlooked despite his significant role in shaping the guitar’s sound in the ’70s, especially given his connections to Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix had played with the Isley Brothers in the 1960s, a fact Reid believes should have garnered Isley more attention as a direct heir to Hendrix’s musical legacy.
“Astonishingly, Isley’s continued non-acknowledgment as a near direct tonal descendant of Jimi Hendrix continues to this day,” Reid said. “It continues, despite the undisputed fact of Ernie’s direct contact with Hendrix, due to Jimi’s tenure with the Isley Brothers in the Sixties.”
Reid also highlighted Isley’s exceptional guitar work on several hit songs from the 1970s, including “That Lady,” “Summer Breeze,” and “Live It Up,” noting that his Hendrix-inspired style was clearly evident in these tracks. Despite his contributions, Reid lamented that Isley rarely received mention alongside his peers during a time when the guitar was ascending in prominence across all genres of music.
“[Isley received] almost never any listing with his contemporaneous colleagues in a decade of incendiary importance in the guitar’s ascendancy in every genre of music, and in the popular imagination,” Reid said.
Reid has previously expressed similar frustrations with the music media’s treatment of other guitarists. Last year, he was particularly outspoken when Rolling Stone excluded Allan Holdsworth from its list of the top 250 guitarists, despite placing Reid at number 42. Reid took to social media to voice his disapproval, calling the omission “PURE IGNORANCE.”
“No Allan Holdsworth is PURE IGNORANCE. I don’t [know if] he’s EVER been on the Rolling Stone list. Ever. It’s ABSURD,” Reid posted, also noting in a separate message that Holdsworth’s influence on progressive rock, metal, and guitarists like Eddie Van Halen should have secured him a spot on the list.
Reid’s dedication to advocating for underappreciated guitarists continues to spark conversations within the music world, shedding light on musicians who have significantly shaped the sound and style of modern rock guitar but remain underrepresented in mainstream recognition.
