Isaac Hayes was as much the personification of everything cool during the 1970s and 80s as any rap star is today. In fact, I doubt there’s a single man over forty (black or white) who in his youth did not attempt to emulate Hayes’ baritone refrain “right On” – from his Grammy and Academy-Award winning hit “Theme From Shaft.”
But even though he continued to perform (including as an actor in some forgettable movies and as a radio personality in New York City and Memphis), Hayes’ popularity in recent years was based more on a cartoon character he played than on his music. The cartoon of course is the irreverent South Park, on which Hayes lent his distinctive voice (in a bit of typecasting) to ladies’ man “Chef”.
It is unfortunate therefore that the last bit of celebrity news his fans heard about him related to the way he left (or was booted from) the show a couple years ago. Hayes claimed that he left because he didn’t like the way the show’s creators mocked his religion, Scientology. And here’s how he explained the offense he took:
There is a place in the world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs of others begins.
In response, however, the show’s creator not only killed off the Chef character but also made a religious hypocrite out of Hayes by issuing the following pithy statement:
[H]e has no problem – and he’s cashed plenty of checks – with our show making fun of Christians.
Thus ended Hayes’ life as a celebrity: from the coolest cat on the planet to a self-righteous cry baby.
According to the Associate Press, he died yesterday at his home in Memphis after collapsing near his treadmill from what appears to have been a sudden heart attack. He was 65.
Farewell “Black Moses”
Bernie Mac is dead
Meanwhile, Hayes’ death came only one day after actor and comedian Bernie Mac died from complications due to pneumonia. He was only 50.
I appreciate that Mac had a very successful career as a stand-up comedian before breaking into television with The Bernie Mac Show. Then, of course, he gained international fame after appearing in such movies as Oceans Eleven and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.
But, frankly, I did not follow his career close enough to comment any further. In fact, the only reason I’m commenting at all is out of sympathy for a friend of mine who was also a very close friend of his.
However, given that Hayes and Mac died within 24 hours of each other, I feel obliged to note my superstition, which has proved remarkably prophetic in recent years, that the deaths of famous people come in threes. Therefore, this begs the haunting question: Who’s next?
Farewell “Original King of Comedy”
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