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When I commented, in a newsgroup, that I didn't think anyone would have
expected Isaac Hayes to have made such a successful musical comeback with his
post-Christmas, number one, single Chocolate Salty Balls ( as Chef
from South Park ) most comments I got back were along the lines of,
Who is Isaac Hayes ?
It would appear that a lot of people are either too young to remember him or
they've simply forgotten what he was previously famous for; I must admit that,
although I knew he was famous for something, I couldn't quite remember what
for. And then, after a little research, it all came flooding back ...
Born in Tennessee, and raised in Memphis, after many years of singing in Church,
Hayes joined the Stax record label and became one of their most
prolific artists as a performer, composer and producer.
He released his first solo album in 1967, Presenting Isaac Hayes, with
little commercial success. In 1969, he finally made the big time with the release of his critically
acclaimed album, Hot Buttered Soul and had two successful hits with
By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Walk On By.
In 1971 Hayes released the Shaft soundtrack album which made him the
first African-American to go platinum. The song for which he is most
famously remembered, Theme From Shaft, won numerous awards from around
the world. Not content to sit back on his laurels and bask in success; Hayes continued to
write further soundtracks, numerous songs, embarked upon a film and television
career ( notably appearing opposite Kurt Russell in Escape From New
York ) and has been far from idle.
He has been outspoken on the subject of drug abuse, is a strong supporter of
humanitarian aid and has not been afraid to air his opinions on Civil and Human
Rights abuse. In 1992, he became the International Spokesperson for the World
Literacy Crusade. Officially enthroned as an African King in Ghana and made an Honorary Chief of
Nigeria; his support for African development has not gone unnoticed by those he
has helped. Hayes has recently stepped back into the limelight as the voice of Chef
in Comedy Central's South Park and is enjoying musical success, once
again, with his amusing single, Chocolate Salty Balls, from the
Chef's Aid Album. Isaac Hayes may be a new name to many of the younger generation, but his talents
have spread wide and far. There is so much information available on this great man's successful career
that attempting to list related sites would be nothing short of madness.
To find out more about this remarkable man and his life; just pop-up your
favourite Search Engine and enter Isaac Hayes.
You'll be surprised at just how much one man can accomplish in a lifetime.
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