Editing Isaac Hayes (section)

==Career==
===1963–1974: Stax Records and ''Shaft''===
[[File:Issac Hayes 1971 press photo.jpg|thumb|Hayes in 1969]]
[[File:Stax Records, Memphis, TN, US (27).jpg|thumb|1972 Academy award for "[[Theme from Shaft|Theme from ''Shaft'']]"]]
Hayes began his recording career in the early 1960s, as a session musician for acts recorded by the Memphis-based [[Stax Records]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://staxrecords.com/spotlight/isaac-hayes/|title=Isaac Hayes|access-date=October 16, 2021|website=staxrecords.com}}</ref> He later wrote a string of hit songs with songwriting partner [[David Porter (musician)|David Porter]], including "You Don't Know Like I Know," "[[Soul Man (song)|Soul Man]],"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/arts/music/isaac-hayes-band-bar-kays.html|title=Meet the Musicians Who Gave Isaac Hayes His Groove (Published 2017)|first=Sean|last=Howe|date=November 15, 2017|access-date=February 23, 2021|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> "[[When Something Is Wrong with My Baby]]" and [[Hold On, I'm A Comin'|"Hold On, I'm Comin']]" for [[Sam & Dave]]. Hayes, Porter and Stax studio band [[Booker T. & the M.G.'s]] were also the producers for Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas and other Stax artists during the mid-1960s. One of the first Stax records Hayes played on was "Winter Snow" by Booker T. and The M.G.s (Stax 45–236), which indicates "Introducing Isaac Hayes on piano" on the label.

Hayes-Porter contributed to the Stax sound of this period, and Sam & Dave credited Hayes for helping develop both their sound and style. In 1968, Hayes released his debut album, ''[[Presenting Isaac Hayes]]'', a jazzy, largely improvised effort that was commercially unsuccessful.<ref name="contact">"[http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/isaachayesx18x10x05 Ultimate Isaac Hayes (Can You Dig It?), Audio] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606114233/http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/isaachayesx18x10x05 |date=June 6, 2011 }}". ''Contactmusic.com''. Retrieved March 15, 2008.</ref>

Stax then went through a major upheaval, losing its biggest star when [[Otis Redding]] died in a plane crash in December 1967, and then losing its back catalog to [[Atlantic Records]] in May 1968. As a result, Stax executive vice president [[Al Bell]] called for 27 new albums to be completed in mid-1969; Hayes's second album, ''Hot Buttered Soul'' was the most successful of these releases.<ref name="contact"/>

On ''Hot Buttered Soul'', Hayes reinterpreted "[[Walk On By (song)|Walk On By]]" (previously recorded by Dionne Warwick) into a 12-minute exploration. "[[By the Time I Get to Phoenix]]" starts with an eight-minute-long monologue<ref>{{cite web|url=http://perthetic.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/rip-isaac-hayes|title=RIP Isaac Hayes|publisher=Perthetic.wordpress.com|date=August 12, 2008|access-date=September 11, 2010}}</ref> before breaking into song, and the lone original number, the funky "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" runs nearly ten minutes, a significant break from the standard three-minute soul/pop songs. "Walk On By" would be the first of many times Hayes would take a [[Burt Bacharach]] standard, generally known as three-minute pop songs by Dionne Warwick or [[Dusty Springfield]], and transform it into a soulful, lengthy and almost [[gospel music|gospel]] number.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

In 1970, Hayes released two albums, ''[[The Isaac Hayes Movement]]'' and ''[[...To Be Continued (Isaac Hayes album)|...To Be Continued]]''. The former stuck to the four-song template of his previous album. [[Jerry Butler (singer)|Jerry Butler's]] "I Stand Accused" begins with a trademark spoken word monologue, and Bacharach's "[[I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself]]" is re-worked.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} The latter album included "[[The Look of Love (1967 song)#Notable cover versions|The Look of Love]]," another Bacharach song transformed into an 11-minute epic of lush orchestral rhythm (mid-way it breaks into a rhythm guitar jam for a couple of minutes before suddenly resuming the slow love song). An edited three-minute version was issued as a single.<ref name="discography"/> The album featured the instrumental "Ike's Mood," which segues into a version of "[[You've Lost That Loving Feeling]]." Hayes released a Christmas single, "The Mistletoe and Me" (with "Winter Snow" as a [[B-side]]).{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

In early 1971, Hayes composed music for the [[Shaft (Isaac Hayes album)|soundtrack]] of the [[blaxploitation]] film ''[[Shaft (1971 film)|Shaft]]'' (he appeared in a cameo role as a bartender). The title theme, with its [[Wah-wah pedal|wah-wah guitar]] and multi-layered [[symphonic]] arrangement, would become a worldwide hit single, and spent two weeks at number one in the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in November. The remainder of the album was mostly instrumentals covering big beat jazz, bluesy funk, and hard Stax-styled soul. The other two vocal songs, the [[social commentary]] "Soulsville" and the 19-minute jam "Do Your Thing," would be edited down to hit singles.<ref name="discography">[http://staxrecords.free.fr/hayes.htm Isaac Hayes Discography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150804084753/http://staxrecords.free.fr/hayes.htm|date=August 4, 2015}}, staxrecords.free.fr; retrieved March 15, 2008.</ref> He won an "[[Academy Award for Best Original Song]]" for the [[Theme from Shaft|"Theme from ''Shaft'']]," and in addition was nominated for Best Original Dramatic Score. Later in the year, Hayes released a double album, ''Black Moses'', that expanded on his earlier sounds and featured [[The Jackson 5]]'s song "[[Never Can Say Goodbye]]." Another single, "I Can't Help It," was not featured on the album.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}
[[File:Isaac hayes 1973.jpg|thumb|1973 photo of Hayes taken by [[John H. White (photojournalist)|John H. White]]]]
In 1972, Hayes would record the theme tune for the television series ''[[The Men (TV series)|The Men]]'' and release a hit single (with "Type Thang" as a B-side).<ref name="discography" /> He released a couple of other non-album singles during the year, such as "[[(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right|If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)]]" and "Rolling Down a Mountainside." Atlantic would re-release Hayes's debut album this year with the new title ''In The Beginning''.<ref>[http://www.musicstack.com/album/isaac_hayes/in_the_beginning_-_atlantic MusicStack] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233407/http://www.musicstack.com/album/isaac_hayes/in_the_beginning_-_atlantic|date=March 3, 2016}} entries for ''In the Beginning'' show that the LP's contents are identical to those of ''[[Presenting Isaac Hayes]]''.</ref>

Hayes was back in 1973 with an acclaimed live double album, ''[[Live at the Sahara Tahoe]]'', and followed it up with the album ''[[Joy (Isaac Hayes album)|Joy]]''. He moved away from cover songs with this album. An edited version of the title track would be a hit single.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p83140|pure_url=yes}} Isaac Hayes ''Billboard'' chart history]. Allmusic.com; retrieved March 15, 2008.</ref>

In 1974, Hayes was featured in the blaxploitation films ''[[Three Tough Guys]]'' and ''[[Truck Turner]]'', and he recorded soundtracks for both. ''Tough Guys'' was almost devoid of vocals and ''Truck Turner'' yielded a single with the title theme. The soundtrack score of ''Truck Turner'' was eventually used by filmmaker [[Quentin Tarantino]] in the ''[[Kill Bill]]'' film series, and has been used for over 30 years as the opening score of Brazilian radio show ''Jornal de Esportes'' on the [[Jovem Pan]] station.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Unlike most African American musicians of the period, Hayes did not sport an [[Afro]] haircut; his bald head became one of his defining characteristics.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

===1974–1977: HBS, basketball team ownership, and bankruptcy===
By 1974, Stax Records was having serious financial problems, stemming from problems with overextension and limited record sales and distribution.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} Hayes himself was deep in debt to [[Union Planters|Union Planters Bank]], which administered loans for the Stax label and many of its other key employees. In September of that year, Hayes sued Stax for $5.3 million. As Stax was in deep debt and could not pay, the label made an arrangement with Hayes and Union Planters: Stax released Hayes from his recording and production contracts, and Union Planters would collect all of Hayes's income and apply it towards his debts.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Hayes formed his own label, Hot Buttered Soul, which released its product through [[ABC Records]].{{sfn|Bowman|1997|pp=332–334}} His new album, 1975's ''Chocolate Chip'', saw Hayes embrace the disco sound with the title track and lead single. "I Can't Turn Around" would prove a popular song as time went on. This would be Hayes's last album to chart in the top 40 for many years. Later in the year, the all-instrumental ''Disco Connection'' album fully embraced disco.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

On July 17, 1974, Hayes, along with [[Mike Storen]], [[Avron Fogelman]], and [[Kemmons Wilson]], took over ownership of the [[American Basketball Association (1967-1976)|American Basketball Association]] team the [[Memphis Tams]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/memphis-sounds.html|access-date=July 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603044610/http://www.remembertheaba.com/memphis-sounds.html |archive-date=June 3, 2021|url-status=live|title=Memphis Sounds|website=Remember the ABA}}</ref> The prior owner was [[Charles O. Finley]], the owner of the [[Oakland A's]] baseball team. Hayes's group renamed the team the [[Memphis Sounds]]. Despite a 66% increase in home attendance, hiring well regarded coach [[Joe Mullaney (basketball)|Joe Mullaney]] and, unlike in the prior three seasons, making the [[1975 ABA Playoffs]] (losing to the eventual champion [[Kentucky Colonels]] in the Eastern Division semi-finals), the team's financial problems continued. The group was given a deadline of June 1, 1975, to sell 4,000 season tickets, obtain new investors and arrange a more favorable lease for the team at the [[Mid-South Coliseum]]. However, the group did not come through and the ABA took over the team, selling it to a group in Maryland that renamed the team the [[Baltimore Hustlers]] and then the [[Baltimore Claws]] before the club finally folded during preseason play for the 1975–1976 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/Memphis-Sounds.html |title=Memphis Sounds |publisher=Remember the ABA |access-date=September 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019043125/http://www.remembertheaba.com/Memphis-Sounds.html |archive-date=October 19, 2015 }}</ref>

In 1976, the ''Groove-A-Thon'' album featured the single "Rock Me Easy Baby" and the title track. Later the same year, the album cover of ''Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak)'' featured Hayes in a pool with naked women, and spawned the title track single and the classic "The Storm Is Over". However, while all these albums were regarded as solid efforts, Hayes was no longer selling large numbers. He and his wife were forced into bankruptcy in 1976, as they owed over $6 million. By the end of the bankruptcy proceedings in 1977, Hayes had lost his home, much of his personal property, and the rights to all future royalties earned from the music he had written, performed, and produced.{{sfn|Bowman|1997|p=334}}

===1977–1995: Polydor, hiatus, and film work===
In 1977, Hayes was back with a new deal with Polydor Records, a live album of duets with [[Dionne Warwick]] did moderately well, and his comeback studio album ''New Horizon'' sold better and enjoyed a hit single "Out The Ghetto," and also featured the popular "It's Heaven To Me." 1978's ''For the Sake of Love'' saw Hayes record a sequel to "Theme from ''Shaft''" ("Shaft II"), but was best known for the single "Zeke The Freak," a song that would have a shelf life of decades and be a major part of the [[House music|House]] movement in the UK. The same year, [[Fantasy Records]], which had bought out Stax Records, released an album of Hayes's non-album singles and archived recordings as a "new" album, ''Hotbed'', in 1978. In 1979, Hayes returned to the Top 40 with ''Don't Let Go'' and its disco-styled title track that became a hit single (U.S. #18), and also featured the classic "A Few More Kisses To Go." Later in the year he added vocals and worked on [[Millie Jackson]]'s album ''Royal Rappin's'', and a song he co-wrote, "[[Deja Vu (Dionne Warwick song)|Deja Vu]]," became a hit for Dionne Warwick and won her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal. Neither 1980s ''And Once Again'' or 1981's ''Lifetime Thing'' produced notable songs or big sales, and Hayes chose to take a break from music to pursue acting.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

In the 1970s, Hayes was featured in the films ''Shaft'' (1971) and ''[[Truck Turner]]'' (1974); he also had a recurring role in the TV series ''[[The Rockford Files]]'' as an old cellmate of Rockford's, Gandolph Fitch (who always referred to Rockford as "Rockfish" much to his annoyance), including one episode alongside duet-partner Dionne Warwick. In the 1980s and 1990s, he appeared in numerous films, notably ''[[Escape from New York]]'' (1981), ''[[I'm Gonna Git You Sucka]]'' (1988), ''Prime Target'' (1991), and ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'' (1993), as well as in episodes of ''[[The A-Team]]'' and ''[[Miami Vice]]''. He also attempted a musical comeback, embracing the style of drum machines and synth for 1986s ''U-Turn'' and 1988s ''Love Attack'', though neither proved successful. In 1991, he was featured in a duet with fellow soul singer [[Barry White]] on White's ballad "Dark and Lovely (You Over There)."{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

===1995–2006: Return to prominence and ''South Park''===
In 1995, Hayes appeared as a Las Vegas minister impersonating himself in the comedy series ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]''. He launched a comeback on the [[Virgin Records|Virgin]] label in May 1995 with ''[[Branded (Isaac Hayes album)|Branded]]'', an album of new material that earned impressive sales figures as well as positive reviews from critics who proclaimed it a return to form.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/319/bands_classic_interview_soul_icon_isaac |title=Isaac Hayes interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' May 1995 |publisher=Bluesandsoul.com |date=August 10, 2008 |access-date=September 11, 2010 |archive-date=August 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804182848/http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/319/bands_classic_interview_soul_icon_isaac |url-status=dead }}</ref> A companion album released around the same time, ''[[Raw & Refined]]'', featured a collection of previously unreleased instrumentals, both old and new. For the 1996 film ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head Do America]]'', he wrote a version of the ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' theme in the style of the ''Shaft'' theme.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Hayes joined the founding cast of [[Comedy Central]]'s animated TV series ''[[South Park]].'' He provided the voice for the character of "[[Chef (South Park)|Chef]]", the amorous elementary-school lunchroom cook, from the show's debut on August 13, 1997 (one week shy of his 55th birthday), through the end of its ninth season in 2006. The role of Chef combined his work both as an actor and as a singer, thanks to the character's penchant for making conversational points in the form of crudely suggestive soul songs. A song from the series performed by Chef, "[[Chocolate Salty Balls|Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)]]," received international radio airplay in 1999. It reached number one on the [[UK singles chart]] and also on the [[Irish singles chart]]. The track also appeared on the album ''[[Chef Aid: The South Park Album]]'' in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000G2JM |title=Chef Aid: The South Park Album (Television Compilation) [Extreme Version&#93;: Darren Mitchell, James Hetfield, Marc Shaiman, Matt Stone: Music |website=Amazon |access-date=September 11, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Chef's Bio">{{cite web| title = Chef – Character Guide – South Park Studios|url=https://southpark.cc.com/guide/characters/chef| website=Southparkstudios.com}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/stats-one-hit-wonders.php |title=Featured Artists from the Official UK Charts Company |publisher=Theofficialcharts.com |access-date=September 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221014845/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/stats-one-hit-wonders.php |archive-date=February 21, 2006 }}</ref>

In 2000, Hayes appeared on the soundtrack of the French movie ''The Magnet'' on the song "Is It Really Home" written and composed by rapper Akhenaton (IAM) and composer Bruno Coulais. In 2002, Hayes was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. After he played a set at the 2002 [[Glastonbury Festival line-ups#2002|Glastonbury Festival]], a documentary highlighting Isaac's career and his impact on many of the Memphis artists in the 1960s onwards was produced, ''Only The Strong Survive''.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} In 2004, Hayes appeared in a recurring minor role as the [[Jaffa (Stargate)|Jaffa]] [[Jaffa characters in Stargate#Tolok|Tolok]] on the television series ''[[Stargate SG-1]]''. The following year, he appeared in the critically acclaimed independent film ''[[Hustle & Flow]]''. He also had a brief recurring role in [[UPN]]/[[The CW|The CW's]] ''[[Girlfriends (U.S. TV series)|Girlfriends]]'' as Eugene Childs (father of Toni).{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

====Departure from ''South Park''====
[[File: Isaac Hayes 2.jpg|thumb|Hayes performing in 2007]]
In the ''South Park'' episode "[[Trapped in the Closet (South Park)|Trapped in the Closet]]," a satire of [[Church of Scientology|Scientology]] that aired on November 16, 2005, Hayes did not appear in his role as Chef. In an interview for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', Hayes said that he was not pleased with the show's treatment of Scientology, but said that he "understands what Matt and Trey are doing."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/isaac-hayes-1798208903|title=A.V. Club interview of Isaac Hayes|website=AV Club|date=January 4, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025185344/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/44132/2 |archive-date=October 25, 2006 }}</ref>

On March 13, 2006, a statement was issued in Hayes's name, indicating that he was asking to be released from his contract with [[Comedy Central]], calling recent episodes that satirized religious beliefs 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 as saying in the press-statement. However, the statement did not directly mention Scientology. A response from Stone said that Hayes's 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, Muslims, Mormons, or Jews."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/isaac-hayes-quits-south-park-citing-religious-intolerance-1.585043 |work=CBC |date=March 23, 2006 |title=Isaac Hayes quits 'South Park' citing religious intolerance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314005054/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/03/13/southpark-chef-quits.html |archive-date=March 14, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=South Park gets revenge on Chef |date=March 23, 2006 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4836286.stm}}</ref>

On March 20, 2006, two days before the episode "[[The Return of Chef]]" aired, [[Roger Friedman]] of [[Fox News]] reported having been told that the March 13 statement was made in Hayes's name, but not by Hayes himself. 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."<ref name="Friedman-March2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/chefs-quitting-controversy|publisher=Fox News|author=Roger Friedman|date=March 20, 2006|title=Chef's Quitting Controversy|access-date=December 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016174852/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188463,00.html|archive-date=October 16, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2016 oral history of ''South Park'' in ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', Hayes's son [[Isaac Hayes III]] said the decision to leave the show was made by his father's entourage, all of whom were ardent Scientologists, and that it was made after Hayes suffered a stroke, leaving him vulnerable to outside influence and unable to make such decisions on his own.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Parker|first1=Ryan|title=Holy Shit, 'South Park' Is 20! Trey Parker, Matt Stone on Censors, Tom Cruise and Scientology's Role in Isaac Hayes Quitting|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/south-park-20-years-history-trey-parker-matt-stone-928212|access-date=September 15, 2016|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=September 14, 2016}}</ref>

=== 2006–2008: Final years ===
Hayes's income was sharply reduced as a result of leaving ''South Park''.<ref name="Friedman-August2008">Roger Friedman, [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,401321,00.html "Isaac Hayes's History With Scientology"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320033824/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C401321%2C00.html |date=March 20, 2013 }}, ''Fox News'', August 11, 2008</ref> There followed announcements that he would be touring and performing. A [[Fox News]] reporter present at a January 2007 show in New York City, who had known Hayes fairly well, reported that "Isaac was plunked down at a keyboard, where he pretended to front his band. He spoke-sang, and his words were halting. He was not the Isaac Hayes of the past."<ref name="Friedman-August2008"/>

In April 2008, while a guest on ''[[The Adam Carolla Show (terrestrial radio)|The Adam Carolla Show]]'', Hayes stumbled in his responses to questions, possibly as a result of health problems. A caller questioned whether Hayes was under the influence of a substance, and Carolla and co-host [[Teresa Strasser]] asked Hayes if he had ever used [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]]. After some confusion on what was being asked, Hayes replied that he had only ever tried it once. During the interview the radio hosts made light of Hayes's awkward answers, and replayed snippets of earlier ones to simulate conversation with his co-hosts. Hayes stated during this interview that he was no longer on good terms with Parker and Stone.<ref>[http://podcast.971freefm.com/klsx1/1016244.mp3 Isaac Hayes interview, MP3 format] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028205758/http://podcast.971freefm.com/klsx1/1016244.mp3 |date=October 28, 2008 }}, FreeFM: The Adam Carolla Show, April 9, 2008</ref>

During the spring of 2008, Hayes shot scenes for ''[[Soul Men]]'', a comedy inspired by the history of Stax Records, in which he appears as himself in a supporting role. The film was released in November 2008, after both Hayes and his costar, [[Bernie Mac]], had died.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Swan|first=Lisa|title=Both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes appear in 'Soul Men'|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/bernie-mac-isaac-hayes-soul-men-article-1.316197|access-date=November 9, 2021|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=August 11, 2008}}</ref>