Isaac Hayes

    Isaac Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee, but was raised by his grandmother in Memphis. After years of singing in church, he started his secular music career playing in the high school band. The beginning of his legendary career started when he signed as a session player with the fledgling Memphis-based "Stax" label; home of artists such as Otis Redding, Carla Thompson, Booker T. and the MGs and the place where acts like Sam & Dave and Wilson Picket came to collect their latest hits. The dynamically talented Hayes quickly became Stax's most prolific composer / producer / musician contributing to scores of hit songs. His collaboration with David Porter in the late 1960's proved to be most successful, landing the duo a place in musical history. The Hayes/Porter team notched additional hit records for artists Carla Thomas and Mable John and Lou Rawls.

    In 1967 he released his first solo album, "Presenting Isaac Hayes." Sales were lackluster at best and Hayes returned to the studio unaware that he was about to make history. In 1969, when the Civil Rights Movement was peaking, Hayes released the album that was heard around the world, "Hot Buttered Soul." "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" crossed over to the Top 40 on both R&B and Pop charts and "Walk On By" rose to #13 on the R&B side, heralding Isaac Hayes as one of the top African-American performers of the year. Bearded, bald, muscles wrapped in shimmering gold chains, Isaac made some of the most powerfully potent music ever recorded. He was an innovator, breaking all the rules and receiving maximum airplay on radio stations everywhere. His popularity knew no racial or ethnic boundaries and his appeal was universal. He followed with "The Isaac Hayes Movement" which went platinum and then released the equally successful 'To Be Continued."

    In the summer of 1971 the "Shaft" soundtrack album propelled Isaac Hayes' career well beyond anyone's expectations. Isaac Hayes became the first African-American to have an album certified platinum. "Theme From Shaft" also won a Golden Globe, 2 Grammys, the NAACP Image Award and the Edison Award - the highest musical award in Europe. Hayes continued to score for films and television. He recorded the soundtrack for the series, "The Men" starring Robert Conrad, "Wattstax" and two feature films in which he also starred, "Three Tough Guys" and "Truck Turner." He is regarded as an artist who revolutionized film scores and there is hardly a contemporary soundtrack since "Shaft" that hasn't borrowed from Isaac's mold-breaking, mind-blowing concepts. In 1971, Isaac released "Black Moses," featuring his sizzling rendition of the Jackson Five's "Never Can Say Good-bye." The double platinum, double-LP set lived up to his high creative standards and was followed by another double-LP set, "Live at Lake Tahoe," certified gold. But, being called a Black "pop" Messiah was proving to be very controversial in those racially turbulent times. He confesses he was never completely comfortable with the Biblical tag. "It was not my idea to call myself 'Black Moses,'" he insists, "the name came from a band member and Stax jumped on the commercial bandwagon."

    In 1973 Hayes released "Joy," his final Stax/Enterprise album. Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul records label debuted in 1975 (via ABC Records) with the "Chocolate Chip" gold album and R&B hit single of the same name, followed by "Juicy Fruit." He then produced an album by the Isaac Hayes Movement in 1976. His final album for the Hot Buttered Soul label was "Groovathon." In 1977 he completed his tenure with ABC, with the recording of "A Man And A Woman," with Dionne Warwick. The album featured "By the Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Say A Little Prayer." The mid 1970's also found Hayes producing albums with Masqueraders and jazz great Donald Byrd, and recording with Linda Clifford and others. In 1977 Hayes signed with Polydor Records and presented the "New Horizon" album. The following year came the smash "Don't Let Go," a top-10 R&B album whose title single was his last major pop/R&B album crossover success of the 1970's. In 1979, on the Sring subsidiary, Hayes recorded "Royal Rappin's" with Millie Jackson. He recorded two more for Polydor: the 1980 album "And Once Again" and 1981's "Lifetime Thing."

    It was late in the 1970's when Hayes decided to try his hand at acting. He started with "Truck Turner" and "Three Tough Guys," Usually playing the take-charge, no-nonsense, macho kind of character. In reality, Hayes is a sensitive individual, not wishing to hurt anyone. In 1975 he turned to comedy with the Canadian production of "It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time" starring Stephanie Powers. Leaving no stone unturned, Hayes also did his share of television, playing "Gandolph Fitch" on the James Garner series "The Rockford Files," and appearing on "Hunter," "Miami Vice" and "The A-Team." He teamed up with Paul Sorvino and Barry Bostwick in the 1986 TV movie "Betrayed By Innocence" as well as co-starring with Ed Marinaro in "The Sofia Conspiracy."

    In 1988 Hayes was featured with an all-star cast in Keenan Ivory Wayan's comedy "I'm Gonna Git You Sucker" and his most recent comedy role was in 1993 when he appeared in Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood, Men In Tights." In 1988, in the midst of his flourishing career as an actor, Hayes released a new LP, "U-Turn," his first in five years. "I was embraced like I hadn't been away at all," explains Isaac. The same year he released a top-10 R&B single, "Ike's Rap/Hey Girl" with its strong anti-crack message. His music caused several addicts to seek rehabilitation. One Detroit rehab center even chose the lyric "Don't be a resident of the crack city" from the song as its slogan and featured the warning on sweatshirts. Isaac spoke all over the country at colleges and prisons, inspiring students and inmates to fulfill their potential without drugs. Soon after, he released "Love Attack," an album that he wrote, produced and on which he played most of the instruments. His remake of "I Stand Accused" was an overwhelming success. In 1996, Isaac released two LPs for Virgin's Point Blank label-"Branded" and "Raw and Refined," as well as co-writing the soundtrack to "Beavis & Butthead Do America," with Beavis & Butthead creator Mike Judge. This soundtrack, on which he performed the movie's title track, went gold in keeping with the movie's success.

    Hayes' other film credits include "Escape from New York" with Kurt Russell, "Guilty As Charged" with Rod Steiger, "Posse" with Mario Van Peebles, "It Could Happen To You" starring Nicholas Cage, "Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored" and "Flipper" with Paul Hogan. Also scheduled for upcoming release is Kevin Wilmott's "Ninth Street" for which he is also scoring the soundtrack. This legendary talent was also officially enthroned as an African King and is a member of the Royal Family of Noyami Mantse of the Kabiawe Division of the Ada Traditional Area in Ghana. His official name is Nene Katey Ocansey I, and he has shouldered the responsibility of spurring the industrial and economical health of Ghana. He was also made an honorary chief of Nigeria.

    Isaac continues his humanitarian efforts in both Africa and the United States, where he is a frequent speaker and lecturer, particularly for young African-Americans, and speaking out against civil and human rights violations everywhere. In 1992 Hayes became the international spokesperson for the World Literacy Crusade, for which he speaks to people everywhere about the possibility of future hope, higher education and worthwhile employment without the need for guns and violence. He has continued these actions through the years and is still heavily involved in the ongoing activities of the World Literacy Crusade.

    In addition to these efforts, and while also continuing to tour to sold-out shows and festivals worldwide, Isaac has also done recent commercial work, such as the Pepsi "Shaq" commercial and Burger King commercial-writing and performing the music for both. Isaac has also recently expanded on his talents once again, performing as the voice of "Chef" on the Cable Ace Award-winning animated show "South Park," as well as taking on a morning show DJ position at 98.7 KISS FM in New York, where he quickly became their top rated show, and the second top rated radio morning show in New York. Hayes is manager, and co-founder of the Holiday Inn chain. Hayes and Lisa Marie Presley have opened a branch of L. Ron Hubbards Church of Scientology in Memphis with a big party in 1997. Hayes is a member of the Royal family of Noyami Mantse of the Kabiawe Division of the Ada Traditional Area in Ghana, where he is an African King under the name Nene Katey Ocansey I. Isaac is also an honorary Nigerian chief as well.

Movies

Three Tough Guys
Truck Turner
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
Escape From New York
The Sofia Conspiracy
Counterforce
Calhoun
I'm Gonna Git You Sucker
Fire, Ice & Dynamite
Guilty As Charged
Final Judgement
Bloodlaw
CB4
Posse
Robin Hood, Men in Tights
Acting On Impulse
Oblivion Part I
It Could Happen To You
Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored
Uncle Sam
Oblivion Part II
Ill Town
Flipper
Blues Brothers 2000
South Park Bigger, Longer, and Uncut

Television

Hammer
Slammer & Slade
Rockford Files
Hunter
Miami Vice
The A Team
Betrayed By Innocence
The Soul Survivors
Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Sliders
South Park

Soundtracks

Three Tough Guys
Shaft
The Men
Wattstax
Truck Turner
Ninth Street
Beavis & Butthead Theme
Chef Aid: the South Park Album
South Park Bigger, Longer, and Uncut

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