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annual PUSH `Black Expo`, October 1973]] Isaac Lee Hayes (born August 20 , 1942 , in Covington , Tennessee , United States ) is an actor, and influential Soul singer, songwriter, musician and Arranger . He also voiced the character " Chef ", the Ladies' Man /school cook, on animated sitcom '' South Park '' from 1997 until his resignation from the show in March 2006 following the airing of " Trapped In The Closet ", an episode critical of Scientology , of which Hayes is a member. Hayes is rumored to have suffered a Stroke on January 17 , 2006, which could alternately be the reason for his leaving the show. In addition to being a music mogul and successful voice actor, Isaac Hayes is also royalty. In fact, Hayes is a coronated king of the Ada coastal district of Ghana in western Africa where he is a member of the Royal Family. Instead of a palace, he built an 8,000 square foot educational facility through his Isaac Hayes Foundation (IHF). He is most certainly the only king on earth with an Oscar , Grammy Awards , #1 gold records, his voice on an animated tv series, a radio show, two restaurants, a best-selling cookbook, and a line of barbecue sauces. On June 9 , 2005 , Hayes was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame alongside Bill Withers , Steve Cropper , Robert B. Sherman , Richard M. Sherman , John Fogerty and his longtime writing partner David Porter . MUSIC CAREER Hayes began his recording career in 1962, soon playing Saxophone for The Mar-Keys . After writing a string of hit songs at Stax Records with songwriting partner David Porter , including "Soul Man" and "Hold On I'm Comin" for Sam And Dave , Hayes released his debut album ''Presenting Isaac Hayes''. A moderate success, the album was recorded immediately following a wild party. The top-selling '' Hot Buttered Soul '' (1969) was a breakthrough album, and established his image (gold jewelry, sunglasses, etc) which eventually became a template for much of the fashion of Gangsta Rap and similar trends in the 1980s and 90s . Hayes' biggest hit was 1971 's Soundtrack to '' Shaft ''. The title song won an Oscar (the first for an African American composer), and clearly presaged Disco . ''Black Moses'' (1971) became almost as successful. By 1975, Hayes left Stax Records and formed his own label called Hot Buttered Soul Records. A series of unsuccessful albums led to Hayes' Bankruptcy in 1976. The late 1970s saw a major comeback for Hayes, following the release of '' A Man And A Woman '' (1977, with Dionne Warwick ). In spite of moderate success as a singer, Hayes' records did not sell very well. Hayes has also forged a career as an actor in TV shows and feature films. When ''Shaft'' was being filmed, Hayes wanted the lead role, which went to Richard Roundtree ; director Gordon Parks was impressed with ''Hot Buttered Soul'' where Hayes ended up scoring the film's music. Hayes was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002. LIVE ACTION ROLES In the '' and as "Hammer" in '' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka '' (1988). In 2004, Hayes appeared in a recurring minor role as the Jaffa Tolok on the television series '' Stargate SG-1 ''. The following year, he appeared in the critically acclaimed independent film '' Hustle & Flow ''. SCIENTOLOGY ACTIVISM Hayes is also an outspoken Scientologist , frequently identified by Scientology as a success story. He has called Scientology the "gateway to eternity" and "the path to happiness and total spiritual freedom." Hayes has contributed endorsement blurbs for many Scientology books. The Frontispiece page for ''Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought'' (1997 paperback edition) quotes Hayes as saying: "If you ''really'' want to know about the mind, the spirit and life itself, read ''Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought''. It will put you on the right path!" In February 2006, Hayes appeared in a Scientology music video called "United". Fox News entertainment reporter Roger Friedman reported receiving a copy in the mail sent personally from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes , along with a framed set of Scientology maxims such as "Never fear to hurt another in a just cause" {Link without Title} . SOUTH PARK'S CHEF By the late 1990s, he was best known as the voice of Chef on the '' in 1998. Scientology controversy Hayes quit ''South Park'' on in a statement — charge that Hayes never had any problems with ''South Park's'' take on religion, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or Mormonism, until Scientology was criticized in the episode " Trapped In The Closet ". In fact - Isaac Hayes's answer to a question on XM radio show "Opie and Anthony" about a month after the episode aired "How do you feel about Matt and Trey making fun of scientology?" was along the lines of: "I have no problem with it, you have to take everything Matt and Trey say with a grain of salt." This leads to suspicion that Hayes was somehow coerced into quitting. In the ''South Park'' episode "Trapped in the Closet", a satire and exposé of Scientology, Hayes did not appear in his role as Chef. In an interview for '' The A.V. Club '' on January 4 , 2006, Hayes was asked about the episode. Hayes said that he told the creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker , "Guys, you have it all wrong. We're not like that. I know that's your thing, but get your information correct, because somebody might believe that shit, you know?" He then told them to take a couple of Scientology courses to understand what they do. {Link without Title} Hayes's Departure and Criticism On BBC News story quoted Stone as saying, "In 10 years and over 150 episodes of South Park, Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons or Jews. He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show." {Link without Title} Stone and Parker agreed to release Hayes from his contract per his request. {Link without Title} . In contrast to the press release, Hayes stated in a radio interview on the XM Radio show Opie And Anthony , approximately a month after the " Trapped In The Closet " episode aired, that he was not particularly offended by the episode because of the level of satire people have come to expect from the show. "Matt and Trey, they lampoon everybody, and if anybody takes that shit serious, then I'll sell you the Brooklyn Bridge for two dollars," Hayes said. Additionally, on January 4 , 2006, Hayes defended ''South Park's'' style of controversial humor to ''the Onion's'' AV Club, noting that he was not pleased with the show's treatment of Scientology, but conceding that he "understand what [Matt and Trey are doing." [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/44132/2] On March 22 , 2006, the season opening of South Park brought Hayes' character, Chef, back for one more skewering (literally) at the Scientologists. In the episode, they offer their own explanation as to why Mr. Hayes may have quit the show. On March 20 , 2006, Roger Friedman of Fox News reported having been told that the statement was made in Hayes's name, but not by Hayes himself, as he suffered a Stroke in January and has not been seen in public since. He wrote: "Isaac Hayes did not quit ''South Park''. My sources say that someone quit it for him. ... Friends in Memphis tell me that Hayes did not issue any statements on his own about South Park. They are mystified." {Link without Title} . "The Return of Chef" Episode The South Park season 10 premiere (aired March 22 , 2006) featured The Return of Chef. The episode addressed Hayes' departure using sound clips from Chef's past appearances. It depicts Chef as brainwashed by the Super Adventure Club, and, as a result, becoming a budding Child Molester . There are many striking resemblances between the Church of Scientology and the Super Adventure Club, which pulls Chef away from South Park using brainwashing. It is a thinly-veiled telling of the Hayes/South Park break up story from the point of view of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who use the church/club metaphor to attack Scientology even more openly and harshly than in the episode that supposedly caused Hayes' departure. The episode ends with Chef choosing to stay with the club rather than returning to South Park, and then dying a painful and graphically violent death. At his funeral, Kyle urges the town of South Park to "remember Chef as the jolly old guy who always broke into song," and that they not let "the events of the last few days take away the memories of how much Chef made us smile." He also tells them that they should not blame Chef for his defection, but rather "be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains." The final scene depicts Chef being resurrected in the image of Darth Vader by the Super Adventure Club. DISCOGRAPHY
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