Singer Isaac Hayes Dead at 65

Legendary singer/songwriter Isaac Hayes, whose "Theme from Shaft" claimed Academy Awards and Grammys alike, died early today at the age of 65, reports WMC-TV in Memphis. Hayes' wife found him lying unresponsive next to a still-running treadmill at their Memphis home; attempts to revive him failed and he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Foul play is not suspected.

Hayes made his breakthrough in 1969 with "Hot Buttered Soul," and sealed his legend 2 short years later with "Shaft." In the late '90s until recently, the soul legend won over a new generation with his recurring role as Chef on South Park. Hayes left the show in 2006 after it lampooned Scientology, his religion. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
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