Isaac Hayes Dead at 65

Sun., Aug. 10, 2008 1:30 PM PDT by

Isaac Hayes Jo Hale/Getty Images

It's another sad day in Hollywood.

E! News has confirmed that Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer and songwriter Isaac Hayes passed away early Sunday morning in Memphis, Tenn., at the age of 65. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Police were called to the Hayes' home when relatives found him unresponsive on the floor near a treadmill. The legendary musician was taken to Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, where he was pronounced dead at 2:08 a.m.

Hayes made history when he won the 1972 Oscar for Best Original Song for the theme song to Shaft, becoming the first African-American to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category. He also won two Grammy Awards that year for his musical work on the film. A third Grammy followed in 1973 for the album "Black Moses" and he was eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Hayes' career experienced a resurgence in the late 1990s when he provided the voice of Chef on the hit Comedy Central series South Park. He played the smooth-talking, ladies-lovin' chef from 1997 to 2006, until he clashed with the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, over the show's treatment of Scientology.

Hayes, who was a Scientologist, was quoted as saying, "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins."

He appeared in episodes of The A-Team and Miami Vice, though his acting wasn't limited to the small screen. Hayes also had roles in films such as Shaft (1971), Escape from New York (1981), I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) and Johnny Mnemonic (1995).

In a tragic twist of fate, Hayes most recently filmed a small role playing himself in the upcoming movie Soul Man, starring Bernie Mac, who died yesterday at the age of 50 from pneumonia.

Hayes is survived by his wife, 12 children and 16 grandchildren.

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