As reported on the Digital Music News Website on August 10: “The mind behind Shaft and the voice behind Chef has now passed. Isaac Hayes, a giant in both soul and disco, died in his home in Memphis this weekend at the age of 65.
“Best known for penning and performing the ‘Theme From Shaft,’ Hayes is one of the most heavily-sampled artists. That is part of a multi-decade, continuing influence, one that has spanned different genres and generations. In a transformed role, Hayes lent his deep baritone to the character of Chef on South Park, a comical reinvention. But Hayes, a Scientologist, left the show in recent years over ideological differences.”
More information and related coverage is available from the Los Angeles Times, the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7552986.stm, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7554700.stm), and Time magazine.
