Isaac Hayes
(born August 20, 1942, Covington,
Tennessee
, U.S.?died August 10, 2008, East Memphis, Tennessee) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor who was a pioneering figure in
soul music
. His recordings influenced the development of such musical
genres
as
disco
,
rap
, and
urban contemporary
. The
charismatic
performer? known for his shaved head, dark sunglasses, and smooth baritone voice?was perhaps best remembered for his compelling sound track for the 1971 film
Shaft
; the title
song
, “
Theme from Shaft
,” became a number one hit and earned Hayes an
Academy Award
for best original song. Hayes reached his greatest popularity in the late 1960s and ’70s, placing (1969?76) 10 consecutive albums on the American pop and
rhythm and blues
charts.
Hayes was a self-taught pianist and saxophonist. He began his professional career performing at
Memphis
nightclubs and was eventually hired as a session musician for Memphis-based
Stax Records
; he went on to become one of the label’s most successful songwriters. Although Hayes’s
debut
solo album,
Presenting Isaac Hayes
(1967), did not fare well commercially, his next release,
Hot Buttered Soul
(1969), sold more than one million copies and established him as a star. Among his other notable albums were
Black Moses
(1971),
Joy
(1973),
Live at the Sahara Tahoe
(1973), and
Chocolate Chip
(1975).
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Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia
Hayes later devoted much of his attention to
acting
, appearing in such movies as
Escape from New York
(1981),
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka
(1988), and
It Could Happen to You
(1994) and in various TV series, notably the animated hit
South Park
, for which he provided (1997?2006) the voice of the character Chef. In 1995 Hayes released two studio albums,
Raw and Refined
and
Branded
, to generally positive reviews. He was inducted in 2002 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.