Hot Buttered Soul Brother Isaac Hayes Makes His Transition

You know, this has been a very interesting -- read trying -- period for me.  I was definitely taken off balance by the sudden death of my friend, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer. And Bernie Mac's demise was no less painful.  But when Bobbi Humphrey called me Sunday afternoon to tell me of Isaac Hayes death, I really could not process it.  I kind of heard myself shouting in the middle of the streets of Brooklyn that it was not possible!  We just saw him! 

But, then of course, the spiritual philosophers reminded me that I have no control over when it's time for a person to make his or her transition.  This came in the form of a beautiful 75 year old lady who dances like she's 17, and has a physique that puts most models to shame.  So I reluctantly yielded to her wisdom; at least temporarily. 

But as I read the attached bio of Isaac Hayes, I am reminded of why I liked and respected this brother so much.  Not only the fact that he made bald look so good, so virile, but because at heart he was such a spiritual, caring brother.

I know many of us New Yorkers remember Isaac Hayes annual birthday bashes.  It was always the place to be, even if you only made it to the periphery.  But how many of you realized that a good deal of the funds from those parties went to support schools and educational centers that he had helped to establish in Ghana, West Africa?

Isaac was involved in Scientology, a philosophy I had mixed emotions about.  But he was using his connections with that philosophy to provide books, materials, and other equipment to help educate hundreds of African students.

I clearly remember, at a press conference held in the 90's when then Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Rawlings were visiting New York, Hayes was asked why he was providing materials to African students, as opposed to African American students.  His response was, interestingly enough, similar to what Oprah Winfrey said when she established a school in South Africa:  There is an attitude of entitlement that often overrides the spirit with which a gift is given.  Hayes wanted to be sure that they valued and utilized the gift, and was concerned that our youth were not at that level.  No doubt his contributions, including the construction of schools and the provision of educators amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While he didn't wear his belief system on his sleeve, or stand out as the poster boy for Scientology, he was no less devoted to its tenets.  This is why it was understandable that he left South Park after derogatory remarks.  (I never liked that show anyway).

My other memory of Isaac was during my stay in Jersey City, when Glenn D. Cunningham was running as the first Black mayor of that city.  Though it had a fairly large African American population, the community, at that time, was dominated by mainstream media.  Though Hayes resided in Jersey City, he spent most of his time in New York, and few realized that he lived there, or that he took an interest in what was happening in the Black community.  When I contacted him and asked him if he would do a PSA in Cunningham's behalf, he did not hesitate to do so.  In exhorting Jersey City residents to "marshal their votes for Glenn D. Cunningham," he helped stem the tide of negativity in the press, and inspired Jersey City residents to turn out in droves to support and elect their first Black mayor.   He never asked for any compensation, just stated he was happy to be a part of a team that was making a difference in the Black community.

I am sure there are many others who likewise have great stories of times when Hayes came through like a champ.  He appeared to take adversity on the chin, rebound and come back twice as strong.  The 9/11 tragedy, however, was something that he wasn't able to override.  His waterfront apartment directly faced the World Trade Center, and he viewed the horror first hand.  It was this that caused him to leave the New York area and return to Memphis, TN.  "I just couldn't get that vision out of my mind." he stated when we told him how much we missed him, asking if he would ever return.

While others derided him for having retreated as an act of "cowardice", it spoke more to the soul of this man of peace who was trying to come to grips with so much carnage up close and personal. 

Brother Isaac "Black Moses" Hayes has given us so much through his sonorous bass voice, his stature, and his multi-talented, multi-faceted personality.  I am sure that he will be equally mourned in Ghana as he will be here.  And we can all say "I Stand Accused of Loving You Toooooo Much!"  But we know that he is not just resting in peace, but up there with Gordon Parks planning yet another great Shaft Adventure score.

Stay blessed,

Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes Passes Away

AP

Posted: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES AGO

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 10) -Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless "Theme From Shaft" won Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. He was 65.

Remembering a Soul and Funk Giant  

A family member found Hayes unresponsive near a treadmill and he was pronounced dead about an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, according to the sheriff's office. The cause of death was not immediately known.

In the early 1970s, Hayes laid the groundwork for disco, for what became known as urban-contemporary music and for romantic crooners like Barry White. And he was rapping before there was rap.

His career hit another high in 1997 when he became the voice of Chef, the sensible school cook and devoted ladies man on the animated TV show "South Park."

The album "Hot Buttered Soul" made Hayes a star in 1969. His shaven head, gold chains and sunglasses gave him a compelling visual image.

"Hot Buttered Soul" was groundbreaking in several ways: He sang in a "cool" style unlike the usual histrionics of big-time soul singers. He prefaced the song with "raps," and the numbers ran longer than three minutes with lush arrangements.

"Jocks would play it at night," Hayes recalled in a 1999 Associated Press interview. "They could go to the bathroom; they could get a sandwich, or whatever."

Next came "Theme From Shaft," a No. 1 hit in 1971 from the film "Shaft" starring Richard Roundtree. "That was like the shot heard round the world," Hayes said in the 1999 interview.

At the Oscar ceremony in 1972, Hayes performed the song wearing an eye-popping amount of gold and received a standing ovation. TV Guide later chose it as No. 18 in its list of television's 25 most memorable moments. He won an Academy Award for the song and was nominated for another one for the score. The song and score also won him two Grammy Awards.

"The rappers have gone in and created a lot of hit music based upon my influence," he said. "And they'll tell you if you ask."

Hayes was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. "I knew nothing about the business, or trends and things like that," he said. "I think it was a matter of timing. I didn't know what was unfolding."

A self-taught musician, he was hired in 1964 by Stax Records of Memphis as a backup pianist, working as a session musician for Otis Redding and others. He also played saxophone. He began writing songs, establishing a songwriting partnership with David Porter, and in the 1960s they wrote such hits for Sam and Dave as "Hold On, I'm Coming" and "Soul Man."

All this led to his recording contract.

In 1972, he won another Grammy for his album "Black Moses" and earned a nickname he reluctantly embraced. Hayes composed film scores for "Tough Guys" and "Truck Turner" besides "Shaft." He also did the song "Two Cool Guys" on the "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America" movie soundtrack in 1996. Additionally, he was the voice of Nickelodeon's "Nick at Nite" and had radio shows in New York City (1996 to 2002) and then in Memphis.

He was in several movies, including "It Could Happen to You" with Nicolas Cage, "Ninth Street" with Martin Sheen, "Reindeer Games" starring Ben Affleck and the blaxploitation parody "I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka."

In the 1999 interview, Hayes described the South Park cook as "a person that speaks his mind; he's sensitive enough to care for children; he's wise enough to not be put into the 'whack' category like everybody else in town, and he l-o-o-o-o-ves the ladies."

But Hayes angrily quit the show in 2006 after an episode mocked his Scientology religion. "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 said.

Co-creator creators Matt Stone responded that Hayes "has no problem, and he's cashed plenty of checks, with our show making fun of Christians." A subsequent episode of the show seemingly killed off the Chef character.

Hayes was born in 1942 in a tin shack in Covington, Tenn., about 40 miles north of Memphis. He was raised by his maternal grandparents after his mother died and his father took off when he was 1 1/2. The family moved to Memphis when he was 6.

Hayes wanted to be a doctor, but got redirected when he won a talent contest in ninth grade by singing Nat King Cole's "Looking Back."

He held down various low-paying jobs, including shining shoes on the legendary Beale Street in Memphis. He also played gigs in rural Southern juke joints where at times he had to hit the floor because someone began shooting. 

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. 2008-08-10 16:03:54