Isaac Hayes

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Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes performs at the International Amphitheater in Chicago as part of the annual PUSH `Black Expo`, October 1973
Background information
Birth name	Isaac Lee Hayes
Also known as	Black Moses
Born	August 20, 1942
Origin	Covington, Tennessee Memphis, Tennessee
Genre(s)	R&B, Funk, Soul, Disco
Occupation(s)	actor, singer, songwriter, arranger
Instrument(s)	Piano, Keyboards, Vocals, Saxophone
Years active	1962-present
Label(s)	Stax Atlantic Enterprise ABC Columbia Records Pointblank
Associated acts	The Bar-Kays
Website	http://www.isaachayes.com

For the American arctic explorer, see Isaac Israel Hayes

Isaac Lee Hayes (born August 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee) is an actor, and influential soul singer, Academy Award-winning songwriter, musician and arranger. He also voiced the character "Chef", a singing ladies' man and elementary school cook, on the animated sitcom South Park.

In 1972, Hayes won an Oscar for Best Original Song for the film Shaft. Hayes became the first African American to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category. After Hattie McDaniel, James Baskett and Sidney Poitier, he became only the fourth performer of African descent to ever receive an Academy Award. He was also nominated in the Best Original Score category (for Shaft) as well.

In 1992, Hayes was crowned an honorary king of Ghana's Ada district thanks to his humanitarian deeds.

On June 9, 2005, Hayes was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame alongside Bill Withers, Steve Cropper, Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, John Fogerty and his longtime writing partner David Porter.

[edit] Biography

Hayes was born and raised in Covington, Tennessee. His parents died when he was an infant, and he was raised by his grandparents. He began singing at the age of five at his church. Soon after, he taught himself how to play the piano, organ, and saxophone.

Hayes began his recording career in 1962, soon playing saxophone for The Mar-Keys. After writing a string of hit songs at Stax Records with songwriting partner David Porter, including "Soul Man" and "Hold On I'm Comin" for Sam and Dave, Hayes released his debut album Presenting Isaac Hayes. A moderate success, the album was recorded immediately following a wild party.

The top-selling Hot Buttered Soul (1969) was a breakthrough album, and established his image (gold jewelry, sunglasses, etc) which eventually became a template for much of the fashion of gangsta rap and similar trends in the 1980s and 90s. The album is seen as one of the most pivotal in R&B history, as prior R&B musicians specialized only in singles.

Hayes' musical style required long, slow burning, dramatic flair that could not be expressed in a 3 minute single. His works, especially Hot Buttered Soul, are seen as the missing link between the earlier R&B era and the album era. "Don't Let Go" was at the top of the charts in most of the United States. However, Hayes' biggest hit was 1971's soundtrack to Shaft. The title song won an Oscar (the first for a Black composer), and clearly presaged disco. Black Moses (1971) became almost as successful.

By 1975, Hayes left Stax Records and formed his own label called Hot Buttered Soul Records. A series of unsuccessful albums led to Hayes' bankruptcy in 1976. The late 1970s saw a major comeback for Hayes, following the release of A Man and a Woman (1977, with Dionne Warwick). In spite of moderate success as a singer, Hayes' records did not sell very well.

Hayes has also forged a career as an actor in TV shows and feature films. When Shaft was being filmed, Hayes had wanted the lead role. The part went to Richard Roundtree, but director Gordon Parks was impressed with Hot Buttered Soul, leading to Hayes scoring the film's music.

Hayes was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. The same year, a documentary highlighting Isaac's career and his impact on many of the Memphis artists in the 60's onwards was produced, "Only The Strong Survive".

[edit] Live action roles

In the 1970s and 1980s he had appeared in some TV shows, including The Rockford Files and The A-Team. He appeared as the title role in Truck Turner (1974), The Duke of New York in Escape from New York (1981), "Asneeze" in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, "Hammer" in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), and as "Jed" in Uncle Sam (1997).

In 2004, Hayes appeared in a recurring minor role as the Jaffa Tolok on the television series Stargate SG-1. The following year, he appeared in the critically acclaimed independent film Hustle & Flow.

[edit] Scientology activism

Hayes is also an outspoken Scientologist, frequently identified by Scientology as a success story. He has called Scientology the "gateway to eternity" and "the path to happiness and total spiritual freedom."

Hayes has contributed endorsement blurbs for many Scientology books. The frontispiece page for Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought (1997 paperback edition) quotes Hayes as saying:

"If you really want to know about the mind, the spirit and life itself, read Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought. It will put you on the right path!"

Hayes also appears in the Scientology film Orientation, giving a testimonial on how Scientology has helped him.

In February 2006, Hayes appeared in a Scientology music video called "United".

[edit] South Park's Chef

Isaac Hayes's character Chef from South Park.

By the late 1990s, he was best known as the voice of Chef on the Comedy Central series South Park. A song from the series performed by Chef, "Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)", received some international radio airplay in 1999. It reached Number One on the UK singles chart and also on the Irish singles chart. The track subsequently appeared on the album Chef Aid: The South Park Album in 1998.

[edit] Hayes's departure and criticism

In the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet", a satire and exposé of Scientology which aired on November 16, 2005, Hayes did not appear in his role as Chef. While appearing on the Opie and Anthony radio show about a month after the episode aired, Hayes was asked, "What did you think about when Matt and Trey did that episode on Scientology?" He replied, "One thing about Matt and Trey, they lampoon everybody, and if you take that shit serious, I'll sell you the Brooklyn bridge for two dollars. That's what they do."

In an interview for The A.V. Club on January 4, 2006, Hayes was again asked about the episode. Hayes said that he told the creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, "Guys, you have it all wrong. We're not like that. I know that's your thing, but get your information correct, because somebody might believe that shit, you know?" He then told them to take a couple of Scientology courses to understand what they do.^[1] In the interview, Hayes defended South Park's style of controversial humor, noting that he was not pleased with the show's treatment of Scientology, but conceding that he "understand[s] what [Matt and Trey] are doing."^[2]

On March 13, 2006, a statement was issued in Hayes' name, indicating that he was asking to be released from his contract with Comedy Central, citing recent episodes which satirized religious beliefs as being intolerant. "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins," he was quoted in a press statement. Hayes, however, did not directly mention Scientology. A response from Stone said that Hayes' complaints stemmed from the show's criticism of Scientology and that he "has no problem –– and he's cashed plenty of checks –– with our show making fun of Christians."^[3]. Stone adds, "[We] never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin." Stone and Parker agreed to release Hayes from his contract per his request.

On March 20, 2006, Roger Friedman of Fox News reported having been told that the statement was made in Hayes's name, but not by Hayes himself, as he suffered a stroke in January. He wrote: "Isaac Hayes did not quit South Park. My sources say that someone quit it for him. ... Friends in Memphis tell me that Hayes did not issue any statements on his own about South Park. They are mystified." ^[4].

A March 23, 2006 BBC News story quoted Stone as saying, "In 10 years and over 150 episodes of South Park, Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons or Jews. He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show."^[5]

The apparent discrepancies between Hayes' public statements and the press release issued in his name has led to suspicion that Hayes was somehow coerced into quitting following his stroke. Hayes spokeswoman Amy Harnell denied in March that he had a stroke^[6], but Hayes later admitted it on October 26, 2006.^[7]

[edit] "The Return of Chef" episode

Main article: The Return of Chef

The South Park season 10 premiere (aired March 22, 2006) featured The Return of Chef. The episode addressed Hayes' departure using sound clips from Chef's past appearances, intentionally sounding like a bad splicing job. It depicts Chef as brainwashed by the Super Adventure Club, and, as a result, becoming a budding child molester. There are many striking resemblances between the Church of Scientology and the Super Adventure Club which pulls Chef away from South Park using brainwashing. It is a thinly veiled telling of the Hayes/South Park break up story from the point of view of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who use the church/club metaphor to attack Scientology even more openly and harshly than in the episode that supposedly caused Hayes' departure.

The episode ends with Chef choosing to stay with the club rather than returning to South Park, and then dying a painful and graphically violent death. At his funeral, Kyle urges the town of South Park to "remember Chef as the jolly old guy who always broke into song," and that they not let "the events of the last few days take away the memories of how much Chef made us smile." He also tells them that they should not blame Chef for his defection, but rather "be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains." The final scene depicts Chef being resurrected in the image of Darth Vader by the Super Adventure Club.

[edit] Discography

• Presenting Isaac Hayes (1967)
• Hot Buttered Soul (1969)
• Enterprise (1970)
• ...to Be Continued (1970)
• The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970)
• Black Moses (1971)
• Shaft (1971)
• In the Beginning (1972)
• Joy (1973)
• Live at the Sahara Tahoe (1973)
• Tough Guys (1974)
• Truck Turner (1974)
• Chocolate Chip (1975)
• Disco Connection (1976)
• Groove-A-Thon (1976)
• Juicy Fruit (1976)
• A Man and a Woman (1977)
• New Horizon (1977)
• For the Sake of Love (1978)
• Hotbed (1978)
• Don't Let Go (1979)
• And Once Again (1980)
• Royal Rappin's (1980)
• Lifetime Thing (1981)
• U-Turn (1986)
• Love Attack (1988)
• Wonderful (1994)
• Branded (1995)
• Raw and Refined (1995)
• Instrumentals (2003)
• At Wattstax (2003) (recorded live at Wattstax Aug. 20, 1972)
• Hot Buttered Soul (2003) reissued on SACD by audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

[edit] Filmography

Wikinews has news related to:

Isaac Hayes quits South Park over Scientology episode

• Soul in Cinema: Filming Shaft on Location (1971) (short subject)
• Save the Children (1973) (documentary)
• The Black Moses of Soul (1973) (documentary)
• Wattstax (1973) (documentary)
• Truck Turner (1974)
• Three Tough Guys (1974)
• It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975)
• Escape from New York (1981)
• Counterforce (1987)
• Dead Aim (1987)
• I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
• Fire, Ice & Dynamite (1990)
• Guilty as Charged (1991)
• Prime Target (1991)
• Final Judgement (1992)
• Deadly Exposure (1993)
• CB4 (1993)
• Posse (1993)
• Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
• Oblivion (1994)
• It Could Happen to You (1994)
• Magic Island (1995) (voice only)
• Oblivion 2: Backlash (1996)
• Orientation: A Scientology Information Film (1996) (short subject)
• Flipper (1996)
• Illtown (1996)
• Uncle Sam (1997)
• Six Ways To Sunday (1997)
• Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
• Ninth Street (1999)
• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) (voice)
• Dead Dog (2000)
• Reindeer Games (2000)
• Shaft (2000) (Cameo)
• Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) (voice)
• Chelsea Walls (2001) (Cameo)
• Only the Strong Survive (2002) (documentary)
• Soulsville (2003) (documentary)
• Dodge City: A Spaghetto Western (2004)
• Dream Warrior (2004)
• Hustle & Flow (2005)
• United (2005) (short subject)
• Return to Sleepaway Camp (2006)

[edit] References

1. ^ A.V. Club interview of Isaac Hayes, January 4, 2006.
2. ^ A.V. Club interview of Isaac Hayes, January 4, 2006.
3. ^ "Isaac Hayes quits 'South Park' citing religious intolerance", CBC, March 23, 2006.
4. ^ Roger Friedman. "Chef's Quitting Controversy", Fox News, March 20, 2006.
5. ^ "South Park gets revenge on Chef", BBC News, March 23, 2006.
6. ^ Hayes Slams 'Stroke' Rumors, Hollywood.com, March 27, 2006.
7. ^ Hayes has put stroke, 'South Park' behind him, MySanAntonio.com, October 26, 2006.

[edit] External links

• IsaacHayes.com
• Allmusic Entry
• Isaac Hayes at the Internet Movie Database
• MP3 audio interview with Stax Records expert Rob Bowman on the radio program The Sound of Young America, including information on Hayes' performance at Wattstax
• InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: Isaac Hayes (TV interview)