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Isaac Hayes - Isaac Hayes Dies Aged 65

11 August 2008 09:17:49

(File Photos). * Musician Isaac Hayes Dies. Musician Isaac Hayes Has Died. He Was 65. Hayes Passed Away On Sunday (10Aug08) Morning At A Memphis, Tennessee Hospital. The Cause Of Death Has Yet To Be Confirmed. According To Reports, The Songwriter Was Rushed To Baptist East Hospital After Receiving A Call From Hayes' Wife Who Found Him Lying Near A Treadmill In Their Home. Police At The Shelby County Sheriff's Office Are Investigating The Star's Death, But Do Not Believe Foul Play Was A Factor. Born In 1942 In Covington, Tennessee, Hayes Was Raised By His Maternal Grandparents, Who Moved The Family To Memphis When He Was Six. Hayes' Early Ambitions Of Becoming A Doctor Were Redirected When He Won A Talent Contest In Ninth Grade, Singing Nat King Cole's Looking Back. A Self-Taught Musician, He Was Hired In 1964 By Tennessee-Based Stax Records As A Backup Pianist, Working As A Session Musician For Music Greats Including Otis Redding. He Then Paved His Way To Stardom With The Release Of His Album Hot Buttered Soul In 1969. The Soul Singer Then Broke Out With A Number One Hit With The 1971 Grammy Award-Winning Theme From Shaft From The Iconic Movie, Starring Actor Richard Roundtree. Hayes' Chart-Topping Singles Also Include Hold On, I'm Coming And Soul Man. In The Early 1970S, Hayes Continued To Forge A Path For Disco And Urban-Contemporary Music, Making Way For Legendary Singers Like Barry White. In A 1999 Interview Reflecting On His Career He Said Of His Influence: I Knew Nothing About The Business, Or Trends And Things Like That. I Think It Was A Matter Of Timing. I Didn't Know What Was Unfolding. In Addition To Music, Hayes Appeared In Several Movies, Including It Could Happen To You With Nicolas Cage, Ninth Street With Martin Sheen And Reindeer Games, Starring Ben Affleck. Hayes Enjoyed Success As A Radio Show Host In New York City From 1996 To 2002, And Later In Memphis. His Distinctive Voice Can Also Be Heard As Part Of Nickelodeon's Nick At Nite Programme And In Scenes From His Role As Chef During A Stint On Animated Tv Show South Park. (Jma/Wnwczm&Amp;Wnwcyr/Cl) . . Isaac Hayes . Dozens Of Artists And Copyright Industry Representatives Gathered On Capitol Hill To Exhibit Creative Works, Unveil New Copyright Protection Tools And Release A New Compendium Of Information About The Positive Effect Copyright Has On State Economies And Job Creation. The Capitol, Cannon Building. Washington Dc picture

Picture: (File Photos). * MUSICIAN ISAAC HAYES DIES. Musician ISAAC HAYES has died. He was 65. Hayes passed away on Sunday (10Aug08) morning at a Memphis, Tennessee hospital. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed. According to reports, the songwriter was rushed to Baptist East Hospital after receiving a call from Hayes' wife who found him lying near a treadmill in their home. Police at The Shelby County Sheriff's Office are investigating the star's death, but do not believe foul play was a factor. Born in 1942 in Covington, Tennessee, Hayes was raised by his maternal grandparents, who moved the family to Memphis when he was six. Hayes' early ambitions of becoming a doctor were redirected when he won a talent contest in ninth grade, singing Nat King Cole's Looking Back. A self-taught musician, he was hired in 1964 by Tennessee-based Stax Records as a backup pianist, working as a session musician for music greats including Otis Redding. He then paved his way to stardom with the release of his album Hot Buttered Soul in 1969. The soul singer then broke out with a number one hit with the 1971 Grammy Award-winning Theme From Shaft from the iconic movie, starring actor Richard Roundtree. Hayes' chart-topping singles also include Hold On, I'm Coming and Soul Man. In the early 1970s, Hayes continued to forge a path for disco and urban-contemporary music, making way for legendary singers like Barry White. In a 1999 interview reflecting on his career he said of his influence: I knew nothing about the business, or trends and things like that. I think it was a matter of timing. I didn't know what was unfolding. In addition to music, Hayes appeared in several movies, including It Could Happen to You with Nicolas Cage, Ninth Street with Martin Sheen and Reindeer Games, starring Ben Affleck. Hayes enjoyed success as a radio show host in New York City from 1996 to 2002, and later in Memphis. His distinctive voice can also be heard as part of Nickelodeon's Nick at Nite programme and in scenes from his role as Chef during a stint on animated TV show South Park. (JMA/WNWCZM&WNWCYR/CL) . . Isaac Hayes . Dozens of artists and copyright industry representatives gathered on Capitol Hill to exhibit creative works, unveil new copyright protection tools and release a new compendium of information about the positive effect copyright has on state economies and job creation. The Capitol, Cannon Building. Washington DC

Isaac Hayes Dies Aged 65

American soul singer Isaac Hayes has died at the age of 65, police have said.

He was found dead at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, at about 13:00 local time (19:00 BST) on Sunday.

Hayes was reportedly found collapsed on the floor of a bedroom next to a treadmill that was still running.

Shelby country sheriff spokesman Steve Shular told the AFP news agency: "We don't believe there was any foul play.

"Based on the statement by family members that Mr Hayes had been treated of late from a number of medical issues, we believe that led to his death. There are no plans for an autopsy."

Hayes is best known for his soundtrack of the 1971 film Shaft, for which he picked up an Oscar, three Grammy awards and a Golden Globe.

He also provided the voice for the South Park character Chef but quit in 2006 apparently due to disagreements over Scientology, a religion he had followed since the 1990s.

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