Sunday, August 10, 2008

Isaac Hayes - Succumbs At 65

They say death always comes in threes (number one was Bernie Mac) and now my beloved Isaac Hayes. Soul singer and arranger Isaac Hayes, who won Grammy awards and an Oscar for the theme from the 1971 action film "Shaft," has died, sheriff's officials in Memphis, Tennessee, reported Sunday. Relatives found Hayes, 65, unconscious in his home next to a still-running treadmill, said Steve Schular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Department. Paramedics attempted to revive him and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m.


Hayes born in Covington, Tennessee and raised by his grandparents, grew up very poor and ofter referred to his days of picking cotton in his song monologues. He was a longtime songwriter and arranger for Stax Records in Memphis, playing in the studio's backup band and crafting tunes for artists such as Otis Redding, The Emotions and Sam and Dave to name a few in the 1960s with his collaborator David Porter.

Besides his musical career, Hayes had a long running television and movie career dating back to the early 1970's. He appeared in films and television, such as, "Truck Turner", "The Rockford Files", "I Gonna Git You Sucka", "Hammer, Slammer, and Slade", but is probably best known as the animated character "Chef" on the long running cartoon "South Park".

Isaac and I go back so far that I feel like we are old friends although we have never met. I actually had the extreme please of seeing him live back in 2003 at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Amphitheater along with the band WAR. I throughly enjoyed the show, in which he performed all of his classic, including of course the "Theme From Shaft".

He is survived by his wife, 12 children, 14 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Enjoy this live clip from 1973 of Hayes performing his Oscar winning "Theme From Shaft".

9 comments:

X. Dell said...

Sad. I couldn't believe Bernie Mac Saturday, and Isaac Hayes yesterday (eleven hours ago). They say that bad things happen in threes, so I'm almost wondering who it will be today.

Apparently I can't find a source for a cause of death because no one has given any. I'd guess heart attack, but we'll have to wait and see.

pjazzypar said...

They actually assumed it was a heart attack, since he was on his treadmill. Who knows the autopsy my reveal something else was wrong.

Malcolm said...

When looking up Isaac Hayes on Wikipedia, I was reminded of the stroke he suffered back in 2006. They say that may have played a factor in his death. I can't recall something like this ever happening (two stars from the same upcoming movie dying before the film opens). Too strange.

Candy Minx said...

I am sorry you have lost a kind of persona "mentor" I have these too in my life like long off gurus or teachers yet we never "meet" them in real life. Hayes was really something and I just wrote a comment on malcolm's blog that I loved seeing his car in memphis Staxx Records museum. (you must think all I do is go to museums, not so, but did go to Staxx three years ago)

Enjoying the video, thanks!

pjazzypar said...

Damn Malcolm, I didn't think of the fact that both Isaac and Bernie were in the movie "Soul Men", how phenomenal is that. That will make an excellent future trivia question. I betcha Samuel Jackson is duckin today and staying the hell away from treadmills. I can't wait for the film. It should be funny as hell!

Candy, Thanks for stopping by and paying respect. I would love to go to the Stax Museum. That will be a priority when I get to Memphis. I love all museums but especially ones about music. I am so envious of you traveling around the country hitting up all the good spots. I know I will just live my life vicariously through you :-)

Candy Minx said...

No no, Pjazzypar, this has been a lucky couple of years for me hitting those music museums. I went on a couple of road trips with my boyfriend and our mutual friends for the last couple of years. We all kind of let each other know what we felt like doing you know? The Cleveland visit was a fluke because we were so worn out from the bus. I think we all go through various phases in our lives and sometimes we can travel a lot and sometimes not. As much as I'm into music it was my friends who knew to go to Stax. (we wanted to go to Graceland this year but couldn't work it in...maybe you and I should do a trip sometime!)

pjazzypar said...

Hey Candy, I would love to hit Beale Street with you. Let's work out the logistics and make it happen :-)

Anonymous said...

I loved Isaac also.
Isaac,Barry&Luther my main men.

Anonymous said...

Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac - a double whammy of loss this past week. Both shocked me so badly - and Morgan Freeman's accident, thank God he didn't leave us too!

Looking for your TT - wondering what you'll come up with this week???? I did martini recipes - I've got so many martini recipes I could do that for the next 3 months or more, lol.

Leave it to Malcolm to add the interesting fact that both were in the same upcoming movie!