Haven't got a link yet. It was just flashed up as 'breaking news' on Sky News.

Fuck!

:-(

Here you go.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

A genuine legend. RIP.

I just saw this on the NY Times website. I'm stunned.

Arghhh, terrible news.

Another hero down.

He was the only one of the Golden Age who I went to see when I could, that I didn't regret. Me and my achingly beautiful girlriend were on the verge of splitting up, and he came out with a trademark long introductory monologue about The One Who Got Away, with the same colour hair as her, and I was in fucking BITS - particularly how the first song on the tape I gave to her when we were going out was The Look Of Love from Live At The Sahara Tahoe.

Fuck.

Good jaysus.

Was he sick?

Sad, sad news. On the plus side, he has finally freed his corporeal self from all those Body Thetans...

Sad. I was just listening to the Shaft in Africa soundtrack:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/16830487c82ecf08/

Very much a shock. I still think his greatest achievments were those songs he co-wrote with Dave Porter for the Stax label. I think I'll listen to 'Hold On I'm Coming' by Sam and Dave in memory of him.

Hieronymus of Hesselink wrote:

QUOTE:
Good jaysus.

Was he sick?

I'm guessing that he probably just had a heart attack, based on where he was found (next to his treadmill). I doubt seriously it will be anything but natural causes.

Fuck. Just got back to OTF, and this. They're dropping like flies.

I can think of no higher compliment than this: when I went to see him at the Albert Hall, he made a Sting song sound good. Ah fuck, will all these dudes stop fucking dying?

Still, he's with Xenu now. No hang on, that's not right, is it?

Crap. That's seriously sad.

How many of the original soulmen are left? Al Green's the only one I can think of.

Oh and Solomon Burke. Both Reverends, must prove something.

Oh my god.

One of the small handful of absolute undisputed geniuses of popular music, someone who 'saw' music in physical shapes (to paraphrase Pharrell Williams, who I saw in concert a few hours ago, who is clearly influenced by Hayes more than most, and who is presumably receiving this news roundabout now too), and could work a song into almost infinite new forms, like a dancer does with their body.

I saw Isaac Hayes and his band live at Shepherds Bush Empire around a year ago - absolutely brilliant - and I listen to him on my Walkman damn near every day.

When I read this, I stuck on "Theme From Shaft", and me, Mrs Rhino and a reluctant and bemused cat danced around our living room like maniacs. It seemed like the right thing to do.

As I write this, I'm listening to his version of "Walk On By". The intelligence with which he extrapolates on the basic structure and builds to climax upon climax only shows most other jazzmen and funkateers up as the tedious wafflers they are.

Pretty much anyone else on earth, if I saw that they'd recorded a twelve minute long version of a Burt Bacharach song, I'd be looking for the sickbag.

Isaac Hayes was the exception. Isaac Hayes was exceptional.

Sad.
No doubt that his lasting legacy will be Shaft, one of the most famous soundtracks ever. It set the sound for a whole genre.
My favourite Hayes moment is his rendition of The Look of Love (the full length version). It was low down and dirty. Loved it. Loved him. Will miss him like hell (which is hopefully one place he won't end up).

In late, nothing to add but- fuck . . . someone who added to the flesh and colour of popular music.