Isaac Hayes

Biography

Isaac Hayes was born on August 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee, into extreme poverty as a sharecropping child. A self-taught pianist, saxophonist, and organist who sang in church choirs, he dropped out of school as a teen to perform in Memphis R&B groups and nightclubs, working odd jobs like in a slaughterhouse before recording his first album in 1962. By 1964, he joined Stax Records as a session musician and house band member, rising to prominence as a songwriter and producer partnering with David Porter on hits for Sam & Dave, such as 'Soul Man' and 'Hold On! I’m Comin’'.[1][2][3][4][5]

Fun Facts

• Hot Buttered Soul (1969) featured only four tracks, with one—an 18-minute version of 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix'—taking up an entire album side, revolutionizing soul with extended, orchestrated cuts.[1][2][4][6]
• He was the first African-American composer to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song for 'Theme from Shaft' in 1972.[1][2][5]
• Voiced the character Chef on South Park starting in 1997, gaining a new generation of fans.[2][8]
• Nicknamed 'Black Moses' during his peak popularity in the 1970s.[4]

Associated Acts

• South Park (1997–2006)
• Isaac Hayes Movement
• The Louisiana Gator Boys
• Delaney & Bonnie
• The Mar‐Keys
• Hayes & Porter
• Isaac Hayes Band - original
• The Stax Staff
• The Baracudas
• The Teen Town Singers

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• None prominently documented - Self-taught musician with no specific mentors or teachers noted in sources (N/A) [Early career]

Key Collaborators

• David Porter - Songwriting and production partner at Stax Records ('Soul Man', 'Hold On! I’m Comin’' for Sam & Dave) [1960s]
• Sam & Dave - Wrote and produced hits for the duo ('Soul Man', 'Hold On! I’m Comin’', 'You Don’t Know Like I Know') [1965-1968]

Artists Influenced

• Curtis Mayfield - Paved way for black composers in film soundtracks (Superfly soundtrack) [1970s]
• Norman Whitfield - Inspired to write for screen following Shaft success (Film scores) [1970s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Theme From Shaft - Remastered 2009 (Shaft (Deluxe Edition))
2. Hung Up On My Baby (Tough Guys)
3. Walk On By (Hot Buttered Soul)
4. Walk On By (Stax Records Presents)
5. Theme From Shaft (Stax Records Presents)
6. I Can't Go to Sleep (feat. Ghostface Killah, RZA & Issac Hayes) (The W)
7. Walk On By - Remastered 1991 Album Version
8. Dark And Lovely (You Over There)
9. Run Fay Run
10. You Never Cross My Mind (Royal Rappin's)

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #disco, #film-score, #film-soundtrack