Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The Late Isaac Hayes


Isaac Hayes was an American soul and funk singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, composer, and actor. Hayes was one of the main creative forces behind southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served as both an in-house songwriter and producer with partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. In the late 1960s, Hayes became a recording artist, and recorded successful soul albums such as Hot Buttered Soul (1969) and Black Moses (1971) as the Stax label's premier artist.

Alongside his work in popular music, Hayes was a film score composer for motion pictures. His best known work, for the 1971 blaxploitation film Shaft, earned Hayes an Academy Award for Best Original Song which was the first Academy Award received by an African-American in a non-acting category, and two Grammy Awards. He received a third Grammy for the album Black Moses.

Hayes was an innovative musician and as my pops tells me he put on a mean concert. Peep his outfits.

Yes ladies and gentlemen that is a chain vest and yes that it young Jesse Jackson in a duck-shaker (dashiki)

Some of you may have only been exposed to Isaac Hayes was his portrayal of Chef in South Park. The love making mentor/cafeteria chef of the South Park boys. A quick YouTube search will show the hilariousness (Probably not a word) that was Chef.

Another legend has gone on to the other side.

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008

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