He's been a “soul man,” a “black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks,” and a brooding “Black Moses” with gold chains draped around his muscular torso. Today, he's the voice of Chef, the wide-eyed, spoon-wielding dynamo who since 1997 has helped Comedy Central's animated series South Park explore new frontiers in bad taste.
He's Isaac Hayes, the veteran multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose smoky vocals on tunes such as “Never Can Say Goodbye” gave a jolt to '70s African-American pop music. Now, with a new cookbook (Cooking with Heart and Soul) and a smash album to boot, the sixty-something Hayes is back — and bigger than ever.
Hayes got his start in the '60s doing songwriting and session work at the legendary Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Beginning in 1966, Hayes, along with cowriter David Porter, composed a string of seminal soul classics, from “Hold on, I'm Coming” and “Soul Man” to “I Thank You” and “Wrap It Up.” Hayes then set out on his own, recording several R&B hits before breaking out with 1971's “Theme from Shaft,” which earned Hayes both an Oscar and a pair of Grammy Awards.
By the late '70s, his acting career took off, and Hayes racked up numerous dramatic film and TV roles. But he had a comedic side as well, which gained him parts in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
That versatility attracted South Park originators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who in 1997 recruited Hayes to handle the booming voice-overs for Chef. With the success of the various South Park projects, including a feature film and the double platinum Chef Aid: The South Park Album, Hayes suddenly finds himself on top again, performing, writing, touring, and lecturing — some 40 years after he began his musical journey.
“I worked for years to achieve artistic excellence,” says Hayes, “and then all of a sudden, I get involved in this stupid, crazy, insane cartoon — and now I'm hotter than I've ever been. I love it.”
