The son of sharecroppers, Isaac Hayes was born Aug. 14, 1942, in Covington, Tenn. At age 5, he joined the church choir, and by the time he was a teen he had mastered multiple instruments. Soon, he was performing with R&B groups in Memphis. After cutting his first solo album in 1967, Hayes began to receive offers from Hollywood; he struck gold with (and won an Oscar for) his score for 1971's Shaft.Also interested in acting, Hayes made his big-screen debut in the Italian flick Three Tough Guys (1974); later that same year, he landed a starring role in Truck Turner. It would be seven years, however, before he appeared in his next film, John Carpenter's Escape from New York.
Since then, Hayes has continued to split his time between music and film projects such as I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Blues Brothers 2000 and Hustle & Flow. From 1997 through 2006, he voiced the role of Chef on "South Park." Hayes died on Aug. 10, 2008, at the age of 65.
WattstaxSeven years after the Watts section of Los Angeles ignited in a violent burst of racial tension in August 1965, director Mel Stuart took the pulse of the city by revisiting the issues that led to the devastation. His main stop: The Watts Summer Festival held in 1972 at the L.A. Coliseum, where... Read More
Only the Strong SurviveJournalist Roger Friedman teams with preeminent documentary filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus to capture this reunion of some of the greatest soul singers of the 1960s and '70s, while taking a critical look at the record industry. Performers include some of the brightest stars on the... Read More
Ninth StreetBased on a play by Kevin Willmott -- a film professor at the University of Kansas -- this independent drama follows two men making their way in Junction City, Kan. (referred to by the locals as "Jump City"). Huddie (Kevin Willmott) and Bebo (Don Washington) join with an activist priest (Martin... Read More
Isaac Hayes: Live at Montreux 2005Isaac Hayes puts on a rousing performance in front of an enthusiastic audience in this 2005 concert filmed live at Montreux. A versatile entertainer, Oscar and Grammy winner and hit-producing songwriter, Hayes never fails to deliver. Read More
A Celebration of Stax RecordsCommemorating the grand opening of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, this once-in-a-lifetime concert features a legendary gathering of soul artists such as Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the MG's, Mavis Staples, Solomon Burke and more. Home to many of soul music's all-time greatest... Read More
