Isaac Hayes

American singer, keyboardist, producer, songwriter, and actor, born 20 August 1942 in Covington, Tennessee, USA, died 10 August 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA (aged 65).

Signed to the [l=Stax] record label during the 1960s and 1970s, Hayes played an important role in shaping the Memphis sound. First active for the label as musician and later songwriter/producer (usually teaming up with [a=David Porter]), he enjoyed his biggest success as a solo artist in 1971 with the soundtrack of the movie [i]Shaft[/i]. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 (Performer).

As an actor, he is best known as the voice of [a=Chef (4)] on the animated TV series [i]South Park[/i] (1997-–2006). He also played the role of the Duke in [a=John Carpenter]'s 1981 movie "Escape From New York", along with [a=Kurt Russell], [a=Ernest Borgnine], and others.

Isaac Hayes is the father of [a=Isaac Hayes III].