Isaac Hayes
The talented singer, songwriter and composer, who won the Oscar in 1972 for best original song for the theme from Shaft, was found unresponsive at his house by family members, Shelby county sheriff's spokesman Steve Shular told AFP.
Hayes was discovered at about 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) collapsed on the floor of a bedroom in his home next to a treadmill that was still running, he said.
"We don't believe there was any foul play," Shular said. "Based on the statements by family members that Mr. Hayes had been treated of late for a number of medical issues, we believe that led to his death today. There are no plans for an autopsy."
Hayes suffered a stroke in early 2006.
Born August 20, 1942 in Covington, Tennessee, Hayes' humble beginnings with his sharecropper family were never far from his mind. At the height of fame, he bought an estate in East Memphis overlooking the same cotton fields where he grew up.
He began singing in church at age five and in high school caught the attention of a guidance counselor who persuaded him to enter a talent show.
"When I finished, the house was on its feet, man, and I was a hit ... So I started pursuing music big time," Hayes said on his official website.
He was renowned for his characteristic baritone voice and mastery of several instruments, including the saxophone and the piano.
After graduating high school in 1962 and winning seven college scholarships for vocal music, Hayes turned down higher education to launch his music with Stax Record, where he worked with some of Rhythm and Blues biggest names at the time, including Sam & Dave, Otis Redding and Booker T & the MG's.
Hayes became Stax Record's rising star starting in 1966, and over the next few years some 200 Hayes-David Porter compositions became standards.
His career took off in 1969 with the landmark "Hot Buttered Soul" album, which stayed on the pop chart for 81 weeks and forced the music industry, for the first time, to conceive of soul music as an album art form.
At the time of emerging Black Power and with the death of Martin Luther King as a conscience building experience, Hayes transformed his image into a revolutionary statement, dressing in black leather, draping his bare chest in rows of gold chains and shaving his head completely.
After his career-defining soundtrack for the 1971 movie Shaft, for which Hayes picked up an Oscar, three Grammy awards, a Golden Globe award, and an Edison award, Europe's highest music honor, Hayes began acting in scores of movies and television series.
His guest star appearances included TV shows The Rockford Files and Miami Vice. He also appeared in feature films such as Escape from New York and "Hustle & Flow."
Musically, he returned to the pop charts in 1986 with a new record deal with Columbia and a new album, "U-Turn".
In 1997 he began voicing the role of Chef in the animated Comedy Central cable ' series South Park, but quit in 2006, apparently because of a conflict with Scientology, a religion he followed since the mid 1990s.
During a 1991 trip with Barry White to Africa, Hayes became fascinated with his African roots, and began his philanthropic devotion to spreading the message that education is the key to freedom.
He started the Isaac Hayes Foundation in 1993 and after being crowned king of a small community in Ghana, he returned in 2000 to open an education center that provides literacy, computer technology and health courses.
In 2002, Hayes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and moved back home to Memphis, Tennessee, where he pursed business interests that flowered into two restaurants and a best-selling cookbook.
He wrote a self-help book, "The Way to Happiness," and summarized his life experience in an interview: "At the end of the day, we are responsible for our own lives.
"If anything happens to us, don't blame somebody else. Backtrack and look at what you did to contribute to that. You also contribute to your successes. Once you learn that, you're on your way."
Hayes was married four times and fathered 12 children, according to Us magazine. He is survived by his current wife Adjowa, whom he married in 2005 and with whom he had one child.
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Renegades
"Chocolate balls" , R.I.P isaac "chief" Hayes
4 years agoby @renegadesFlag
Shadow Of The Day
R.I.P Isaac Hayes.
4 years agoby @asifFlag
DasBoot
R.I.P.
4 years agoby @dasbootFlag
XJWS79
This sucks, Mr. Hayes you shall be missed. R.I.P
4 years agoby @xjws79Flag
CARNAGE
everyone is dying.
4 years agoby @critic500Flag
CelluloidDreams
Do not grieve at the passing of mortality,for life's but a thing of terrible gravity. And the planets gravitate around you, and the stars shall dance about you, and the angels in heaven adore you, and the saints all stand and applaud you. So faraway,so faraway and yet so close.
Nick Cave, "Far Away, So Close"
-Anonymous
4 years agoby @2movieguysFlag
CelluloidDreams
Good-Bye Isaac Hayes I will always remember you as The Duke from "Escape from New York"!!!
RIP!
4 years agoby @2movieguysFlag
seymourstrange
RIP
4 years agoby @seymourstrangeFlag
revolution909
is this some kind of sign? two deaths in two days? may Isaac and Bernie rest iin peace.
4 years agoby @comida910Flag
Ebonsoul
RIP Isaac
4 years agoby @ebonsoulFlag
ed_wood
RIP...he will be missed.
4 years agoby @ed-woodFlag
JR
who,s next? anothony hopkins.
4 years agoby @supbitchFlag
wizdome
The Duke! Wow he didn't look 65! RIP Mr Hayes.
4 years agoby @wizdomeFlag
Space101
RIP...his funky soul will be missed...
4 years agoby @space101Flag
Phatlightning
This sucks. R.I.P.
4 years agoby @sxers2k1Flag
PUNISHER
R.I.P. Mr. Hayes.
4 years agoby @cerealkillerFlag
The Anarchist
Crap... Well, this ruins the plans I had for a reunion in a 2nd South Park movie... May he rest in peace.
4 years agoby @dr-manhattanFlag
T.Clark
"Lick my chocolate, salty, balls!" Goodbye, mr. hayes
4 years agoby @insertusernamehereFlag
-comrade-
Gone to join Xenu...
4 years agoby @taberjohnson18Flag
Stiles
They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother SHUT YOUR MOUTH.
R.I.P Isaac. So glad I got to see you play before you went to the big gig in the sky.
4 years agoby @stilesFlag
Alan_Smithy
Unfortunatly Old Father time catches up with us all, even the greats. R.I.P Issac.
4 years agoby @alan-smithyFlag
The Dark Knight
roy was the best then Charles Heston
4 years agoby @thedarkknight23Flag
ShadowfoxSC
damn come on no way first Leadger then Roy ( From Jaws) then Mac now Hayes come on this is too much may they All R.I.P.
4 years agoby @shadowscFlag
The Dark Knight
wtf is going on get all the stars on watch theres a killer on the loose his name is death don't let him touch them
4 years agoby @thedarkknight23Flag
NAME GOES HERE
i've gotta say that i'm not to familiar with Isaac Hayes' work (though i have seen the 1972 'Shaft') but two "passing away" stories in a row - man is that depressing. Dark days for hollywood.
RIP
4 years agoby @pinget-69Flag
GITO
R.I.P.
4 years agoby @gito84Flag
Rama's SCREEN
Good bye, Chef!
4 years agoby @ramasscreen-comFlag
ZEFERNANDO
I'm shocked. I am a real big fan of him, and one of the best gigs I saw in my whole life was in 1996, in my hometown, Porto Alegre, South Brazil, during a music festival that included Stevie Wonder and George Clinton & P-Funk among others. Very charismatic, very sympathetic, a complete dominium of the stage, playing great classics ("Theme from 'Shaft'", "Walk On By") with great vitality and humor. I just can't believe that. I'm terribly sad.
4 years agoby @zefernandoFlag
PriceChoppa
im scared whats gunna happen tomorro morning.....
4 years agoby @pricechoppaFlag
John2347
Isaac Hayes was best musician in the world may he R.I.P.
4 years agoby @john2347Flag