Biography of Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes gained success in the '60s as an R&B songwriter, then turned to performing for equal success, especially in the early '70s. Born in Tennessee, Hayes became part of the Stax Records operation in 1964, where he played sessions and helped write such songs as Sam And Dave's "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming." His first successful album as a recording artist in his own right was Hot Buttered Soul in 1969, but he hit his peak with Shaft, the soundtrack to the "blaxploitation" movie of the same name, which topped the charts in 1971 and featured the Grammy-winning #1 hit "Theme from Shaft." Hayes's work was less successful after that, as he tried to keep up with the disco movement he himself had helped to create, but he charted numerous albums throughout the '70s, including duet records with Dionne Warwick and Millie Jackson. After not being heard from much in the first half of the '80s, Hayes scored a Top Ten R&B hit in 1986 with "Ike's Rap." His most recent album at this writing is 1988's Love Attack. ~ William Ruhlmann
