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Funniest Isaac Hayes obit

August 11th, 2008 by Scott Marks

The legendary Anders Wright hipped me to this hilarious farewell to soul singer/Scientologist Issac Hayes.

“The best Isaac Hayes obit has to be from Warren Ellis’ Twitter feed: ‘Isaac Hayes: Xenu Awaits.’”

Hopefully the Black Moses is now working that big clay table in the sky.

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Dig A Hole: Isaac Hayes

August 10th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Who’s the black, 65-year-old soul singer that was found unconscious next to a still-running treadmill in his home? Hayes? We can dig it!

Forget about digging a hole, you’ll need a shaft to accommodate The Black Moses. Composer, arranger, singer, actor, Scientologist and cartoon voice artist Isaac Hayes was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee shortly after 2 p.m. today. Ironically, Hayes recently completed work on Malcolm D. Lee’s soon to be released Soul Men co-starring opposite Bernie Mac who just yesterday succumbed to pneumonia. Will Sean Hayes be next?

Isaac Lee Hayes, second child of Isaac Sr. and Eula Hayes, was raised by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Wade Sr. Coming from an impoverished family, Hayes grew up picking cotton in Covington, Tennessee. A high school dropout, Mr. Hayes eventually earned his diploma at the age of 21. In 1964, the self-taught musician was hired by Stax Records to play in the studio’s backup band. He spent his early years playing alongside such “Memphis Sound” pioneers as Otis Redding, Johnnie Taylor, The Bar-Kays and a pre-M.G.’s Booker T. Jones.

He struck up a songwriting partnership with David Porter in the 60s and together they wrote Sam and Dave’s chart toppers Hold On, I’m Coming and Soul Man. This success led to a recording contract, and in 1969 he shot to fame with the release of his platinum album Hot Buttered Soul. Two years later, the theme from Shaft would go on to earn him an Academy Award. Believe it or don’t, Hayes was originally considered for the lead role in Shaft that eventually went to Richard Roundtree.

Hayes was the first African American composer to win an Oscar for Best Original Song. The song and the movie score also won Grammy awards for best original score and movie theme. Hayes won a third Grammy for pop instrumental performance with the title track to his 1972 Black Moses album.

After getting the shaft in the acting department, Hayes had to wait two years for a starring vehicle worthy of his performing skills. Jonathan Kaplan’s “black, bold and bloody mean” Truck Turner gave Hayes a perfect opportunity to play a badass in a film that is miles ahead of M.G.M.’s typically stodgy crossover attempt at blaxploitation.

In 1976, Hayes filed for bankruptcy.

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