Isaac Hayes dead at age 65

Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless "Theme From Shaft" won Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. He was 65.

A family member found Hayes unresponsive near a treadmill and he was pronounced dead about an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, according to the sheriff's office. The cause of death was not immediately known and foul play has not been suspected.

In the early 1970s, Hayes laid the groundwork for disco, for what became known as urban-contemporary music and for romantic crooners like Barry White. And he was rapping before there was rap.

His career hit another high in 1997 when he became the voice of Chef, the sensible school cook and devoted ladies man on the animated TV show "South Park."

Came the "Theme From Shaft," a No. 1 hit in 1971 from the film "Shaft" starring Richard Roundtree.

"That was like the shot heard round the world," Hayes said in the 1999 interview.

At the Oscar ceremony in 1972, Hayes performed the song wearing an eye-popping amount of gold and received a standing ovation. TV Guide later chose it as No. 18 in its list of television's 25 most memorable moments. He won an Academy Award for the song and was nominated for another one for the score. The song and score also won him two Grammys.

"The rappers have gone in and created a lot of hit music based upon my influence," he said. "And they'll tell you if you ask."

Hayes was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

RIP

RIP Isaac Hayes

damn first bernie mac, now issac hayes, u got to be f-n kiddin me.....
RIP ISSAC HAYES/BERNIE MAC

damn man crazy man dudes dropping like flyes

man this is fucked up. RIP Isaac Hayes

imma play this song all day to remember him

thats so sad... maybe we missed his best record, he might would have become the johnny cash of soul (dropping some of his best work at an older age)... but his catalouge is so crazy, some of his songs were sampled for the best hiphop records ever.

stax = soul, hayes IS soul music

wtf

I had wrote a RIP message and it aint here no more

well RIP Isaac Hayes

rip

RiP Isaac Hayes

nothing playing today except Mr. Hayes .