Accessibility links
Isaac Hayes Isaac Hayes artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music.

Isaac Hayes
Guest DJ With Adrian Quesada, A Man Who Needs Four Bands

Adrian Quesada of Ocote Soul Sounds, Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath, The Echocentrics, and Spanish Gold. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of the artist

Alt.Latino

Guest DJ With Adrian Quesada, A Man Who Needs Four Bands

Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath, The Echocentrics, Ocote Soul Sounds and Spanish Gold all capture the vision of the Austin musician. This week on Alt.Latino, Quesada spins some of his favorite music.

Guest DJ With Adrian Quesada, A Man Who Needs Four Bands

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/323354559/323658302" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

Signature Soul: Memories of Isaac Hayes

The former owner of Stax Records, Al Bell, and Atlanta-based vocalist Rhonda Thomas remember legendary musician Isaac Hayes, who passed away Sunday. Hayes is best known for the soundtrack of the blaxplotation film Shaft.

Listen to this 'Talk of the Nation' topic

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/93503140/93503124" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Music Interviews

Isaac Hayes: Remembering Soulsville's Main Man

XPN

To pay tribute to the unforgettable voice of Isaac Hayes, World Cafe offers an archival interview with the soul singer. Hayes talks about the opening of the Stax Museum, the early days of Stax Records and his legendary musical contributions to Shaft.

Hear an Interview with Isaac Hayes

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/93501431/93495136" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

Isaac Hayes

Fresh Air

Isaac Hayes is a renowned soul musician, who rose to the top of the charts in the 1970's on the Stax label, a soul record label. He released his first solo album, Presenting Isaac Hayes, in 1968. His next album, Hot Buttered Soul, became a gold record in the 1970's. His 1972 soundtrack to the movie Shaft, went platinum and won an Oscar for "Theme From Shaft." Hayes is also an actor.

Isaac Hayes

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/12302685/12302692" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Music Interviews

'Ultimate Isaac Hayes: Can You Dig It?'

Ed Gordon talks with soul music icon Isaac Hayes about his long career — he's been making music for nearly 40 years — his influence on hip-hop and the release of a collection of his now-legendary Stax Record tunes called Ultimate Isaac Hayes: Can You Dig It?

'Ultimate Isaac Hayes: Can You Dig It?'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5011532/5011533" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Music Interviews

Dig It: 'The Ultimate Isaac Hayes'

The music icon's career has stretched from the heyday of 1960s soul to newfound popularity as the voice of Chef in the irreverent animated series South Park. A newly released three-disc set follows Hayes' storied career.

Dig It: 'The Ultimate Isaac Hayes'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5008572/5008597" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Can Ya Dig It? Still Down With 'Shaft'

Isaac Hayes. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The NPR 100

Can Ya Dig It? Still Down With 'Shaft'

Shaft had the moves because his music had the grooves, the music of Isaac Hayes.

Can Ya Dig It? Still Down With 'Shaft'

Listen · 8:55
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1115821/18674971" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
World Cafe Looks Back: The Sound Of Memphis

Al Green performs during the 2009 Essence Music Festival at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

Sean Gardner/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Sean Gardner/Getty Images

World Cafe

World Cafe Looks Back: The Sound Of Memphis

XPN

Celebrate the Tennessee swagger with sessions by Booker T, Al Green, Isaac Hayes and Steve Cropper.

World Cafe Looks Back: The Sound Of Memphis

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/141514538/141514553" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Obituaries

Deaths of Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac An Incredible Loss

Music and comedy fans everywhere are mourning the sudden loss of two enormous talents. Soul musician and composer Isaac Hayes and comedic actor Bernie Mac died over the weekend. Professor and culture critic Mark Anthony Neal explains how the lasting contributions of both Hayes and Mac put them in a class of their own among entertainers.

Deaths of Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac An Incredible Loss

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/93493476/93493463" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Obituaries

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes, From 'Shaft' To 'Chef'

Isaac Hayes, the legendary soul singer and composer, died Sunday in Memphis, Tenn. He was 65. His signature sound laid the groundwork for the lush orchestrations of disco and the hip vocals of rap. He was known more recently as the voice of "Chef" on South Park.

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes, From 'Shaft' To 'Chef'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/93490133/93490111" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Religion

Hayes Quits 'South Park' over Scientology Satire

Singer Isaac Hayes, who for years lent his mellow voice to the South Park character Chef, has quit the raucous Comedy Central cartoon after an episode that lampooned Scientology. Hayes is a Scientologist.

Hayes Quits 'South Park' over Scientology Satire

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5287983/5287984" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Obituaries

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes, From 'Shaft' To 'Chef'

Isaac Hayes, the legendary soul singer and composer, died Sunday in Memphis, Tenn. He was 65. His signature sound laid the groundwork for the lush orchestrations of disco and the hip vocals of rap. He was known more recently as the voice of "Chef" on South Park.

Soul Legend Isaac Hayes, From 'Shaft' To 'Chef'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/93490133/93490111" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Browse archive or search npr.org