Isaac Hayes Remembered | By Rob Drucker
posted by Matt on August 11th, 2008 in Music, Television
Yesterday, the world lost a musical treasure in ISAAC HAYES, who passed away in his Tennessee home at the age of 65. During his life, Hayes enjoyed a successful career as songwriter, producer, musician, actor, and voice-over artist.
Hayes got his start as a songwriter for Stax in 1962 with friend David Porter, and penned tunes for Carla Thomas, The Astors, and many hits for the R&B duo Sam & Dave. Later in the decade he launched his own solo career with albums such as 1967’s Introducing Isaac Hayes and 1969’s Hot Buttered Soul.
Hayes’ first four albums featured a mix of his own funk workouts along with interpretations of classic songs by Burt Bacharach and Jerry Butler. Covers of “I Stand Accused,” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” featured 5-8 minute long raps about love and its ups and downs which segued into 10 minute covers of the original songs.
His music remained challenging throughout much of his career, with 1971’s Black Moses featuring shorter arrangements and more raps (still at least eight years before the genre existed). Shaft from that same year was an almost-entirely instrumental soundtrack to the film of the same name and still hit number one on the charts and the song won Hayes his first Grammy. Early forays into disco and smooth soul brought Hayes’ career into the ’80s.
Though his prolificness dropped off towards the end of his career, Hayes remained in the public eye. He was in movies like I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Blues Brothers 2000 and Hustle & Flow, and he also voiced the elementary school chef in South Park until 2006 as the lovable and overly sexual “Chef.”
Hayes’ impact on R&B, funk, soul, disco and pop music is immeasurable. Dig on the tunes.
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[...] Soul legend Issac Hayes passed away this weekend at the age of 65. The Synicate Blog has a great post about him. Read it here. [...]
RIP Isaac, you will be missed.