This weekend just sucks. First Bernie Mac and now Isaac Hayes. The 65 year-old soul singer and former South Park actor died today at the age of 65. His wife found him by a treadmill in their home in Memphis early this morning. He was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead at 2:08 am. More details are not yet known.
Musician Isaac Hayes — who wrote the theme song for “Shaft” — died early this morning in a Memphis hospital.
According to WMC, a Shelby County sheriff’s deputy responded to call from Hayes’ wife after she found him on the floor near a treadmill inside their home.
Hayes was taken to Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, and was pronounced dead at 2:08 AM.
[From TMZ]
Hayes was one of the most influential soul artists. His second album, 1967’s Hot Buttered Soul went multi platinum. He earned three Grammy Awards during his career and an Oscar for best original song for the Theme from Shaft.
From the late 1990s to 2006, Hayes played the oversexed smooth-talking animated character Chef on South Park. Hayes was a Scientologist and cited religious intolerance on South Park’s “Out of the Closet” Tom Cruise parody as his reason for leaving the show in 2006.
He is survived by 12 children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His youngest child is a two year old son, Nana Kwadjo Hayes, with his fourth wife, Adjowa.
RIP Isaac Hayes, you will be missed.
Here’s the theme from Shaft.
File photos from PRPhotos.
“Who’s the black private dick That’s a sex machine to all the chicks? SHAFT!
Ya damn right!”
Shocked to hear he is dead, my condolences to his family.
12 children? WOW.
The man got down and his seed is everywhere no doubt, 12 children and 14 grandchildren. I’m sure at least one or two of them can sing just like Mr. Hayes. He was a wonderful soul artist!
I was so sad. RIP Chef.
i loved that song…even Mulder´s rendition on the x-files…my thoughts go out to his family.
wtf…this weekend really sucks big time.
wow… Bernie, Issac… Samuel better go find a safe house 🙁
He will be missed 🙁
P.s.. not to sound insensitive but i wonder if $cientology will release a statement
This weekend is truly horrible. I hope he rests in peace. I am against Scientology, but Hayes’ merits and the joy he brought people through his music outweigh that. What a shame for him to die so young.
Maybe he can party with Bernie Mac in heaven. Or wherever it is Scientologists go.
Jesus, another genius dead. What a messed-up weekend, indeed, for unexpected deaths of American artists. This is very sad news about Isaac Hayes.
They come in threes – wonder who’s next?
well, this sucks. RIP, chef.
This sucks. I loved these two guys, now they are dead within a day of each other. What is the world coming too? This weekend has not been nice at all.
I m so sad to hear that he died .He was such an iconic person .
God bless ya and may u rest in peace .
We will miss ya .
GOOD GRIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT AGAIN!!! THIS IS SAD…. GOD SPEED ISAAC HAYES.. REST IN PEACE MAN… YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN..
Seven you made me laugh!!! damn you……….
and thank you!!!
I was just thinking of him before I logged in, swear to God and now I see he’s passed away. Good night, soul man.
I have no words to express my thoughts and sadness. The world has lost two greats in less than 48 hours. My condolences to his family
At least he went out in shape.
I don’t mean to be rude by speculating but don’t Scientologists regularly OD on vitamins then run for hours on a treadmill to ‘detox’?
yeah.
Well, if you count Anthony Hart (Cary Hart’s Brother, also part of the Motorcycle circuit) as a celebrity, then that makes three. It seems these things happen in threes. Samuel just might be safe, this time around. I am now going to have the “Shaft” song stuck in my head.
RIP
🙁
It’s inappropriate to speculate that his involvement in Scientology had anything to do with his death until we have more information about how he died. It just doesn’t seem like now is the time to bring it up.
How very sad. I loved him as chef. I am a little confused though. Issac had a stroke a while back. It was mentioned before that Scientology issued the release about ‘South Park’s intolerance’ ,and not hayes, as the reason he left South Park. Now, this is a cartoon that kills the Jesus character all the time. so picking on christianity is okay but sciencetology not.
I do not believe the scientologist episode is why hayes left South Park. I believe it was health related. He hasn’t been seen much sicne the report of his stroke. Was he well enough to be on a treadmill unattended?
This is awful…he was such a talent. As a singer and as chef. South Park hasn’t been the same without him.
Jeez louise. Does this ever suck or what. First Morgan Freeman is in a potentially fatal car accident, Bernie Mac dies and now Isaac Hayes. What’s going on?
RIP Isaac.
hey
looong time ago my friends and I went on a 3 months holiday and the only record we took with us was isaacs hot buttered soul. Recordplayer on the floor near the bed and Isaac played day and night… His sexy voice and the tunes were so fine. Very special moments he gave us. Thank you so much
and may you rest in peace and if there is something behind the curtain enjoy yourself because you brought so much joy in our life. gonna miss your smile….