LEGEND ISAAC HAYES DEAD AT 65 YEARS

Award winning singer and songwriter Isaac Hayes, who wrote the "Theme From Shaft" and won Academy and Grammy awards, died today, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. He was only 65. A family member found Hayes unresponsive near a treadmill and he was pronounced dead about an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, according to the sheriff's office. The cause of death was not known yet. In the early 1970s, Hayes laid the groundwork for disco, for what became known as urban-contemporary music and for romantic crooners like Barry White. And he was rapping before there was even rap. His career hit yet another high in 1997 when he became the voice of Chef, the sensible school cook and devoted ladies man on the animated TV show "South Park." The album "Hot Buttered Soul" made Hayes a star in 1969. His shaven head, gold chains and sunglasses gave him a compelling visual image.

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