Soul pioneer Isaac Hayes was found dead at his Memphis home this morning. Hayes’ decades-spanning career began with a gig writing, arranging, and producing music at Stax Records, where he collaborated with David Porter on tracks for Sam & Dave and Carla Thomas, among others. His own recording career began in 1967, then really took off with 1969’s landmark
Hot Buttered Soul; later, his work on the
Shaft soundtrack would go on to garner worldwide acclaim and high sales, with both the album and its title track reaching No. 1 on the US charts and Hayes winning an Oscar for Best Original Song. Hayes later went on to act–he was perhaps most well-known among the generation born long after
Shaft had left theaters for his role as the saucy Chef on
South Park–and his
official Web site notes that he recently playing himself in the upcoming film
Soul Men, which will star Bernie Mac, who also passed away this weekend after complications from pneumonia. Hayes was 65. [
AP]
Soul pioneer Isaac Hayes was found dead at his Memphis home this morning. Hayes’ decades-spanning career began with a gig writing, arranging, and producing music at Stax Records, where he collaborated with David Porter on tracks for Sam & Dave and Carla Thomas, among others. His own recording career began in 1967, then really took off with 1969’s landmark Hot Buttered Soul; later, his work on the Shaft soundtrack would go on to garner worldwide acclaim and high sales, with both the album and its title track reaching No. 1 on the US charts and Hayes winning an Oscar for Best Original Song. Hayes later went on to act–he was perhaps most well-known among the generation born long after Shaft had left theaters for his role as the saucy Chef on South Park–and his official Web site notes that he recently playing himself in the upcoming film Soul Men, which will star Bernie Mac, who also passed away this weekend after complications from pneumonia. Hayes was 65. [AP]
