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Portrait of Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes

Isaac Lee Hayes Jr.

Isaac Hayes is an American singer from Covington, Tennessee active since 1962.

Profession
Singer, Songwriter, Producer
From
Covington, Tennessee
Born
August 20, 1942
Years active
1962–2008

Early life

A Tennessee native, Isaac Hayes became a songwriter and producer at Stax Records, co-writing hits for Sam & Dave before his solo breakthrough.

Career

His lush album "Hot Buttered Soul" and the Oscar-winning "Theme from Shaft" reinvented soul as cinematic and orchestral, and he later voiced "Chef" on "South Park."

Major achievements

He won an Academy Award and multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Legacy

Isaac Hayes's symphonic soul and the "Shaft" theme shaped 1970s funk, film scoring, and the sound of later hip-hop.

References

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