Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee, the second-born child of Isaac Sr. and Eula Hayes, but after their deaths was raised by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Wade, Sr. The child of a poor family, he grew up picking cotton in Covington. He dropped out of high school, only to be encouraged later by his former high school teachers at Manassas High to get his diploma, which he earned at the age of 21. He began singing at the age of five at his local church, and, soon after, he taught himself to play the piano, Hammond organ, flute and saxophone.
On March 20, 2006, Roger Friedman of Fox News reported that Hayes had suffered a stroke in January. Hayes spokeswoman Amy Harnell denied that Hayes had a stroke, but on October 26, 2006 Hayes himself confirmed that he did.
Hayes was found unconscious in his home located just east of Memphis, Tennessee on August 10, 2008 as reported by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department. A Shelby County Sheriff's deputy responded to Hayes's home after his wife found him on the floor near a still-running treadmill. Hayes was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, where he was pronounced dead at 2:08pm. The cause of death was not immediately known, though authorities subsequently listed stroke as the cause of death. At the time of his death, he was preparing his first new studio album since 1995.
He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis.
Quick Info
Birth name Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr.
Born August 20, 1942, Covington, Tennessee, U.S.
Origin Memphis, Tennessee
Died August 10, 2008 (aged 65), Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genre(s) R&B, funk, soul, disco
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, arranger, record producer, and actor
Instrument(s) Piano, keyboards, vocals, saxophone
Voice type(s) Bass
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