www.BREmagazine.

com SPEciAl REmEmBRAncE 2 0 0 8

S
oul icon-Isaac Hayes, who won Grammy and
Academy awards for the theme to the 1971 film
“Shaft,’’ racked up hundreds of hits on others, wrote
more than 50 soundtracks, appeared in countless
film and TV shows, most recently as the character
and voice of “Chef’’ in the comedy series `South
Park,’’ and was actually crowned a King in Ghana, Africa, died
at his home in Memphis, Tennessee on August 10. He was 65.
The first time I ever saw Ike, as people called him back in
the day, he was heading straight at me in the middle of the L.A.
Coliseum’s infield. I remember I was wearing reddish-pink bell-
bottoms and so was he, but while I had on a shirt, he did not.
He was wearing gold, or rather GOLD. Chains and chains of it.
His face hidden in huge sunglasses. It was, of course, Wattstax
’72, the concert that would become legend, film and all. A huge
part of the legend was the supersize presence of Ike. He was, in
actuality, just a shade under six feet tall, but that night and on
many other nights, he looked an easy seven or eight feel tall.
He was saying something to me, but I couldn’t tell what. I
was overwhelmed and struck dumb. Not only was he visually a
powerful presence, he was Shaft for god’s sake. Well, ok, Shaft
was played by Richard Roundtree, but rarely, if ever, has music
made a film so exactly what it was supposed to be as Ike’s soul-
inspired soundtrack. Ask anybody.
On this night, under the Los Angeles skies, with 100,000
joyous people watching, Hayes delivered his symphonettes as
semonettes with long, seductive instrumental intros propelling
the crowd, already on its feet, to screams. Somebody introduced
the backup singers, three women he’d named Hot, Buttered
and Soul, after his album of the same name, and the audience
swooned. The women were bald and startling and gorgeous!
Heaven help us, they’d shaved their heads to stand up there and
sing with Ike. Of course, with those album covers and his Black
Moses persona, he’d sent men everywhere out buying clippers to
try to duplicate his shaven head.
Most people know about his music-making career. The Sam
& Dave joints spring to mind: “Hold On, I’m Comin,” “Soul
Man,” “I Thank You.” Ike and the wonderful David Porter also
wrote “B-A-B-Y” for Carla Thomas and hits for the Emotions,
the Soul Children, Mable John and Lou Rawls.
His solo work includes a string of Top Twenty albums: Hot
Buttered Soul (1969), The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970), To Be Continued
(1970), Shaft (1971), Black Moses (1971), Live at the Sahara Tahoe (1973),
Joy (1973) and Chocolate Chip (1975).
He had 89 film and 56 TV credits, many of them for soundtracks but
a lot of them for acting. In some stage of completition is “Knight Fever,”
in which he acts and composes the soundtrack. In the 1972 Academy
Awards broadcast, he became the first Black man to win a music Oscar,
and the world went crazy.
There is an eerie photo on Haye’s website. It is Bernie Mac who has
also just died, Ike and Samuel L. Jackson, the stars of a film to be released
this November entitled, “Soul Men.”
My favorite TV role of Ike was in “The Rockford Files” because his
acting seemed so effortless and his character of Gandolf Fitch worked so
perfectly with James Garner’s flawed hero, Rockford.
Ike also had a powerful presence on radio. In 1996, while diving into
the advertising world with commercials for both Pepsi and Burger King
(writing and performing music for both), Isaac joined the Emmis urban
AC WRKS-FM (KISS 98.7) radio family, taking on the morning slot and
quickly becoming KISS’s top rated DJ as well as the second most popu-
lar morning jock in New York City. In addition, every Sunday night, he
hosted “The Isaac Hayes Top 20 R&B Countdown” from 8pm to 10pm.
Later, as part of his triumphant return to Memphis, he began spinning
his own style of classic love songs on “Hot Buttered Love Songs” WRBO
Soul Classics 103.5 in Memphis. His show aired from 7pm to midnight
Sunday through Thursday.
It is Hayes’ role as humanitarian that has been largely overlooked in the
mainstream media. But long before any Black celebrity with a higher pro-
file talked of an African school, Ike had already been moving mountains
over there.
In late 1991, he and Barry White traveled to the Ivory Coast in Africa
to shoot a video for “Dark & Lovely,” the single from White’s come-
back album Put Me In Your Mix. The following year, Hayes and Dionne
Warwick accepted an invitation by the Cultural Minister of Ghana to visit
the Cape Coast and Elmina slave castles. Walking through the dungeons
listening to the horrifying stories told by the guide, Hayes was over-
whelmed with emotion. He realized it was not enough to help finance the
renovation of the castles; there was bigger work to be done in Africa. He
asked how much it would cost to build a school. Returning to America,
Hayes took his energy on the road, speaking to African-American commu-
nity groups and Black expos around the country. He encouraged everyone
he met to visit Africa if they could, to interact with the people, or at the

ISaac HayeS:
Three-time Grammy® winner Isaac Hayes was a true renaissance So musically advanced and
man — singer, songwriter, producer, session musician, actor, activist timeless in his compositions, Isaac
and more. after laying the groundwork for the Memphis soul sound Hayes was loved and appreciated
through his work with Stax Records, his groundbreaking theme song by so many. He was an enduring
and score for the movie ‘Shaft’ cemented his status as a musical symbol of the struggle of the
icon. He was actively involved with our Memphis chapter, sharing african-american man and was
his creativity with established professionals and up-and-coming a shining example of soul at its
musicians alike. The world has lost a true creative genius and a best. God bless and blessed
passionate humanitarian, but his indelible legacy will remain ever Isaac Hayes.
present.—neil Portnow, President/ceo, The Recording academy —aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul

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Soul Icon Gone
Isaac Hayes was one of a kind.  His
deep voice resonated across the
stage as he performed great hits
such as “Theme from Shaft,” “By
The Time I Get to Phoenix” and
”Never Can Say Goodbye.”  We
are blessed to have been able to
work with and know Isaac for many
years. —The O’Jays: Eddie Levert, Sr., Walter
Williams, Sr. and Eric Nolan Grant
Forty-eight years! That’s
how long Isaac and I have
known each other. There
are some who like you and
you like in return, but this
man was my lifeblood and I
his. Because of our mutual
respect, creatively we
complemented this legacy.
—David Porter, producer/songwriter
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www.BREmagazine.com
(1943-2008)
By Ruth Adkins Robinson
When you think of Isaac Hayes, you think of the
embodiment of soul music. He was a man with a
unique expression to the art of music that pulled
from his creative soul. He will be greatly missed
but his light in music will live in my heart always.
In the words of Isaac Hayes, ‘Music could use a
little more substance like we had back in the day.’
These words will continue to be an inspiration to
me in my art form of making great music. 
—Teddy Bishop, producer
 www.BREmagazine.com Special Remembrance: ISaac Hayes 2 0 0 8

very least to support their economic development.

Nene Kubi III, king of Ghana, was so impressed with Hayes commitment to Africa, Concord Music Group
he said, “We need to honor this man.” The coronation rituals that usually took up to two
weeks were condensed to two days in late December 1992. The spectacle was attended by
Loses a Friend
Public Enemy who did concerts with Hayes at Cape Coast Castle and in Accra, Ghana’s
capital city. Hayes was given a royal name--Nene Katey Ocansey I--and made King For
Development over the region and given land on which to build a palace. But the palace
would wait. “You need education over here,” he told them, “you need literacy.” Instead
of a palace, he built an 8,000 square foot educational facility through his Isaac Hayes
Foundation. In 1993, he was named the international spokesman for Applied Scholastics’
World Literacy Crusade, which currently has more than 20 literacy programs in five
countries with more than 1,800 people participating.
The Isaac Hayes Foundation was established to enable people around the world to
become whole by promoting literacy, music education, nutritional education and innova-
tive programs that raise self-esteem among the underprivileged and teach young people The Stax Records and Concord Music
how to study. Group family lost a great friend when soul
music giant Isaac Hayes died suddenly at the
“I spoke to my father just recently about working on his album, age of 65.
and he was as excited as though this were his first project.   To the world he was Black Moses, Ike The
Ripper and, later, Chef from TV’s South Park.
I want people to remember my father for the creative, soulful, To the rest of us who had the extraordinary
inspirational force that he was to music and African American opportunity to work with him in recent years,
people. He was legendary and shared his genius with the world. he was just Isaac. He was humble, unpreten-
I’m sad, I’m angry, I’m happy all at once right now. I have so tious and refreshingly down-to-earth.
many memories of being my father’s son. Little things that make In 2007, Hayes participated in the Stax
Records 50th Anniversary celebration shows
all the difference. I’m so happy he touched and inspired so many in Memphis, Austin and Los Angeles. Despite
people in a positive way. I am more proud of my father than health problems that slowed him down in
anyone could know.” recent years, he continued to tour the world.
—Isaac “Ike Dirty” Hayes, III, son and producer in his own right who’s worked with such artists He had proudly returned to Stax Records,
as Redman, Keith Murray, Chamillionare, KeKe Palmer, Too Short, Blaque, Ruff Ryders, Black both as an artist and as an advisor in plan-
Coffey and Raz B and most recently with Lil’ Scrappy on “Money in the Bank” and the Ying
Yang Twin’s single “Drop” 
ning the reactivation of the imprint in 2007 by
Concord Music Group. Isaac was also in the
The list of honors Hayes received is lengthy, and, one in particular noteworthy one was process of recording a new album for Stax.
his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 18, 2002 at the 17th annual “Isaac Hayes exemplified all that is Stax.
induction dinner. Alicia Keys was his presenter. We are all very fortunate to have worked with
Long before Ike became the voice of “Chef” on South Park, he was a food lover. His a visionary who changed music in indelible
fondest and most enduring memories are those associated with his, Covington Tennessee and profound ways.  His talent was matched
boyhood and helping his grandmother to prepare traditional Southern soul food. Before only by his kindness of spirit.  On behalf of
becoming an Academy Award-winning composer, Hayes was a short-order cook. And the entire Concord/Stax family we express
somewhere in a career spanning more than four decades, he was a single father who our deep sympathies to his family, friends and
cooked for five children and shared recipes with friends, professional chefs and family. fans all over the world.”—Glen Barros, Concord
The commercial successes in music, film, television, and radio came and went and came Music Group president/CEO
again-but always there was the food. “The enduring influence of Stax Records
Cooking with Heart and Soul, his book published by Putnam in 2000 was described as could only have been made possible through
“one part hot buttered soul, one part chocolate salty balls, and a big helping of comfort.” Isaac’s brilliant song-writing which laid the
It’s a mix of traditional home cooking and healthy eating, with a touch of the gour- groundwork for the future generations of rap,
met and lots of stories from a life lived to the fullest. This is a rare collection of recipes hip-hop and soul.  Isaac played a pivotal role
and reminiscences that reveals Isaac’s passionate and eclectic interests from soul food in the recent re-launch of Stax, once again
and soul music to superstars and super-nutrients. It is as inspiring and satisfying as his infusing the label with his creativity, inspiring
Mama’s Fried Cream Corn recipe. a whole new breed of Stax artists.  Our con-
“At the end of the day,” he told one journalist, “we are responsible for our own lives. If dolences go out to all the people whose lives
anything happens to us, don’t blame somebody else. Backtrack and look at what you did Isaac touched throughout his unparalleled
to contribute to that. You also contribute to your successes. Once you learn that, you’re career and lifetime.”--Gene Rumsey, Concord
on your way.” Heavy stuff, but there was lots about Ike that was heavy. He was certainly Music Group general manager
the only King on earth with an Oscar, Grammy awards, #1 gold records, his voice on an “Isaac had a profound and multifaceted
animated TV series, a radio show, two restaurants, a best-selling cookbook and top-secret impact on the Stax label, contributing to its
barbecue sauces. legacy as a writer, producer, arranger, studio
Isaac Hayes was one bad MammaJamma. Hush Yo’ Mouth!! musician, A&R executive and, of course, one
of its most successful artists.  Having col-
laborated closely with Isaac during the past
Isaac Hayes’ contributions to music, his Isaac Hayes was a true few years, I came to know the man behind the
community, the world and his family are pioneer. His originality music and his deep love for humanity.  He was
legendary. By leading through example, he was as an American icon will an extraordinary individual who used his tal-
an inspiration to many young black men in the be sorely missed. He ents to inspire and unite people from all walks
music industry, like myself. The life he lived, was bold, he was unique, of life.  I feel tremendously privileged to have
both professionally and personally, will remain he was brave....he was had the opportunity to work along side this
a positive example for black men, black fathers genius. -Antonio “L.A.” Reid, giant of a man.”--John Burk, executive VP and
and black entertainers. We lost a great one! Chairman, Island Def Jam chief creative officer, Concord Music Group
—Bryan-Michael Cox, songwriter/artist Record Group
 
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