Isaac Hayes
“A symphonic soul visionary whose lush sound and shaved-head cool reshaped Black music.”
In 1971 Isaac Hayes composed and recorded the 'Theme from Shaft,' whose wah-wah guitar and pounding groove became the sound of an era. The next year it made him the first African American to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category, cementing his status as a pioneer of soul and the architect of the cinematic 'Black Moses' persona.
The Stax Years
Hayes began at Memphis label Stax as a session player and, with partner David Porter, wrote a string of soul classics for acts like Sam & Dave. His behind-the-scenes craft laid the groundwork for his own solo breakthrough.
Hot Buttered Soul
His 1969 album 'Hot Buttered Soul' broke the rules of pop radio with extended, orchestral arrangements and spoken intros. It transformed the soul album format and made Hayes a star in his own right.
Shaft and Beyond
The 1971 'Theme from Shaft' won an Oscar and helped define the blaxploitation soundtrack. In later years Hayes found a new generation of fans voicing Chef on 'South Park' before his death in 2008.
Career Timeline
- 1942Born in Covington, Tennessee
- 1964Joins Stax Records as songwriter-producer
- 1960sCo-writes hits for Sam & Dave with David Porter
- 1969Landmark album 'Hot Buttered Soul' released
- 1971'Theme from Shaft' and 'Black Moses' released
- 1972Wins Oscar and two Grammys for 'Shaft'
- 1992Crowned an honorary king in Ghana
- 1997Begins voicing Chef on 'South Park'
- 2002Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2008Dies in Memphis at age 65
Biggest Hits
- He was the third Black person, after Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier, to win a competitive Academy Award.
- He voiced the lovable lunchroom cook Chef on 'South Park' from 1997 until 2006.
The Moment You Remember
The wah-wah guitar ticks like a clock, the hi-hat shimmers, and then a voice asks who the man is that would risk his neck for his brother. The opening of the Theme from Shaft announced a new kind of soul, sleek and cinematic, and it earned Isaac Hayes an Oscar.
Portrait: John Mathew Smith (www.celebrity-photos.com) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons