Isaac Hayes

Isaac Hayes is shown in an image from the early 1970s. Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless "Theme From Shaft" won Academy and Grammy awards, has been found dead at home. He was 65. A family member found Hayes unresponsive near a treadmill on Sunday Aug. 10, 2008.

Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes and Samuel L. Jackson on the set of the upcoming movie Soul Men in March 2008 in Shreveport, La. Mac and Hayes, who passed away a day apart Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, both appear in Soul Men, which is due to be released in November 2008, The comedy stars Jackson and Mac. Hayes played himself in a small number of scenes of the movie.

Isaac Hayes and his wife Adjowa Hayes, posing for the first family photo with their new baby boy, Nana Kwadjo Hayes, in Memphis, Tenn. The baby was born in Memphis, on Monday April 10, 2006. The "Theme from Shaft" was just a snippet of the groundbreaking music for which Hayes was responsible.

Isaac Hayes poses for photos on his arrival at the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Awards, Aug. 6, 2004, in Miami Beach, Fla. He penned soul classics like "Hold On I'm Comin'" for Sam & Dave, helped usher in the era of disco and was a goldmine for countless hip-hop and R&B artists who used his illustrious arrangements as the focal point for their songs decades later.

Isaac Hayes greets children from the Zion Day Care and Learning Center at the Hoopers Chapel AME Church inside the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, Tenn., Friday, May 2, 2003. His influence extended beyond music. His trademarked bald head, beard and muscular frame, often adorned with gold chains, made him a fashion trendsetter at a time when most of his contemporaries were sporting blowout Afros.

Isaac Hayes performs Aug. 28, 2002, at the Michigan State Fair in Detroit. He was a symbol of black pride, and an activist for civil rights.

Isaac Hayes gestures during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at New York's Waldorf Astoria, March 18, 2002.

Singer Isaac Hayes speaks during his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony by Grammy award winner Alicia Keys Monday, March 18, 2002, at New York's Waldorf Astoria.

Bobby Rogers of the Miracles, Ed Bradley of "60 Minutes" and Isaac Hayes talk at the VIP reception for the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's 12th annual Pioneer Awards in New York, Nov. 8, 2001.

The character of Chef, center, a cook at the elementary school voiced by Isaac Hayes in "South Park," with two other characters.

Isaac Hayes reacts to the crowd of people at World of Music and Dance, a three-day festival of music, arts and dance, in Redmond, Wash., July 27, 2001.

From left: actress Kirstie Alley, Church of Scientology spokeswoman for France Daniele Gounord and musician Isaac Hayes hold a news conference in Paris, Monday, Oct. 23, 2000. Celebrities, religious leaders and members of the Church of Scientology came to Paris from all around the word to protest being labeled a sect by the French government.

Isaac Hayes poses for a portrait in New York, July 1, 1999.

Isaac Hayes holds his Oscar for best song "Theme From Shaft" from the movie "Shaft" during the Academy Awards ceremonies April 11, 1972, in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Isaac Hayes, left holds his Oscar for best song as Joel Gray looks on at the Academy Awards, March 27, 1971, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Isaac Hayes speaks during an interview in 1971 in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles describing how he had lost $5 million to record pirates and how he had hired ex-FBI agents to fight the practice.