website tracking
Search The Big Picture

« New French Trailer for 'Transporter 3' is All Action, All Subtitles | Main | Four New 'Star Trek' Character Posters »
Sunday
10Aug2008

Isaac Hayes: 1942 - 2008

DateSunday, August 10, 2008 at 2:51PM
I can't dig it.

The great Isaac Hayes, who in his later years became more well-known as Chef from South Park, but for a lot of people will always be one of the most prolific and successful R & B writers and performers of his era, has passed away at 65.

Hayes won two Grammys and an Oscar for his "Theme from Shaft," the unmistakable funk classic that asked the musical question, "Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks."

"Shaft."

Hayes' wife found him laying motionless by his still-running treadmill in his Memphis home earlier today. He was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis at 2:08 local time.

The multi-talented Hayes was elected to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 for his contributions to soul and funk, and for helping lay the groundwork for the disco movement of the 1970s. His songs as a composer included Sam & Dave's "Soul Man," "I Thank You," "Hold On I'm Comin'" and "When Something is Wrong with My Baby." He hit number one on the singles charts in the U.S. in 1971 with "Theme from Shaft" and in the U.K. 28 years later performing "Chocolate Salty Balls" from the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.

Though the movie's not exceptional, you can watch Hayes in a leading role in Truck Turner, which I highly recommend for its blazin' hot soundtrack and score.

Here's the opening credit sequence from Shaft, featuring one of the coolest theme songs of all time.

AuthorColin Boyd | | in , | Print ArticlePrint Article | | Comment2 Comments |

Reader Comments (2)

There was some chatter of him having a cameo in the remake* of Escape From New York. No idea how far *that* went.

*File under "unnecessary", of course.

Sunday, August 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSensaes

hey colin you know that he's just finished working on a movie with bernie mac called soul man?

Sunday, August 10, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterC-Ro

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>