Peers, Followers Pay Tribute to Isaac Hayes
In interviews around the globe, music stars of yesterday and today are paying tribute to the soul stylings of Isaac Hayes, calling him a gentleman who helped start a Stax revolution. Hayes died in his home Sunday at age 65, next to a running treadmill.
His peers in soul music were among the first to speak out about their contemporary and friend.
Gloria Gaynor told Access Hollywood that Hayes was "a gentleman and an extremely warm and talented artist."
The two's relationship goes back decades, with Gaynor recording her Barry White cover, "You're The First, The Last, My Everything," for Hayes.
"I will miss him and his contribution to the entertainment world and to human kind," she said.
Another star from days past, Dionne Warwick, said, "I've lost one of my best buddies and it is not easy to reckon with."
In addition to being friends, the two worked together. Warwick's 1979 hit, "Dej? vu," was written by Hayes.
Less obvious artists who have come forward in praise of the man include art rock group Portishead, who sampled "Ike's Rap" for their own hit, "Glory Box," in 1994. The band's guitarist told BBC News, "I would say we've definitely got him to thank [for their hit], because had he not written that tune we wouldn't have sampled it and the basis of the music that you hear is his."
Some of the most thought-out tributes came not from musical peers, but from industry bigwigs. Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, called him "a true renaissance man," in a statement. He continued, "The world has lost a true creative genius and a passionate humanitarian, but his indelible legacy will remain ever present."
Stax was the record label with which Hayes was most associated, pushing the "Stax sound" to the top of the charts in the '60s and '70s. An A&R representative of the label, Colin Stanback said, "When you think of soul music, you think of Isaac Hayes - the expression, the sound and the creativity that goes along with it."