The legendary singer, musician and arranger Isaac Hayes died today in Memphis, TN. The sheriff's department said relatives found Hayes unconscious near a treadmill in his home. The AP notes his work for Stax Records, as a songwriter and arranger and his solo success with Hot-Buttered Soul. But it was in 1971 when his theme song and movie score for Shaft that brought him huge acclaim--including an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Hayes said of "The Theme from Shaft," "That was like the shot heard around the world."
In 1997, Hayes voiced The Chef on South Park, leaving in 2006 when he disagreed with the creators' lampooning of Scientology. In June, Hayes kicked off the Celebrate Brooklyn Concert series in Prospect Park this summer--he told the Brooklyn Paper about his plans for the rest of the summer, "I’ll come back to Memphis and go in the studio. I’ll probably go on the road again — to Atlanta and Los Angeles. Just getting ready for the new album!" Below is a video of Hayes performing "The Theme from Shaft" in Prospect Park.
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Some list, chilling proof. 3 names and an unknown. Some conspiracy.
eyekantspel
I especially enjoyed Isaac Hayes' crossover into South Park as Chef, and hated that he left the show because of scientology. I know South Park already did an episode lampooning Chef for leaving but, now that he's gone for good, I hope the show does another episode paying tribute for his contribution in an appropriately funny fashion.
Maybe you should chill and watch a little southpark.
RIP CHEF!!!!
babyhitler
you notice alot of these scientologist die in mysterious circumstance? coincidence or not?
everyAframe
Goodbye sir and thanks for the kick-ass groove. And for showing my generation how to own the stage when you took it at Wattstax way back in the day in '72.
RIP
NannyState
I miss him already.
VanessaNYC
This sucks. RIP.
AnnaZed
Wow, you appear to have scooped the NYT on this. They got nothin.
Snoopy
He got shafted, going down that early. RIP. Your soul lives on.
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The legendary singer, musician and arranger Isaac Hayes died today in Memphis, TN. The sheriff's department said relatives found Hayes unconscious near a treadmill in his home. The 
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