 |
.The silky smooth
soul legend checked himself into an undisclosed Memphis hospital on
Tuesday to be treated for exhaustion, according to published reports. |
|
|
The
silky smooth soul legend checked himself into an undisclosed Memphis
hospital on Tuesday to be treated for exhaustion, according to
published reports. No immediate word on the 63-year-old Hayes' condition. His agent could not be reached for comment Wednesday. However, Hayes' longtime songwriting partner, David Porter, told Memphis' Commercial Appeal newspaper: "He's just overworked and had been in Atlantic City performing, the D.C. area performing and in Tunica [Mississippi] a couple of nights ago. He was just overworked." But, Porter added, "He's doing much better." Hayes's most recent performance came Sunday night at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, where he appeared with frequent collaborator Roberta Flack. Hayes is best known for his number-one hit "Shaft" from the 1971 blaxploitation flick of the same name, which nabbed him the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1972. He was the first African American to win that award. A three-time Grammy winner, the self-proclaimed Black Moses' greatest hits also include "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Do You Wanna Make Love," "Chocolate Chip" and "Don't Let Go." When not touring, he spends time giving voice to Chef on South Park, which spawned the Hayes-crooned "Chocolate Salty Balls." Hayes got his start in the '60s as a session musician for Stax Records' in-house band, The Mar-Keys, backing up the likes of Otis Redding and William Bell. He and Porter became a formidable songwriting team, penning the Sam & Dave classics "Soul Man" and "Hold On I'm Coming," before Hayes struck out on a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Hayes continues to appear onscreen, including roles in the 1988 comedy I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, 2000's Shaft remake and last year's indie hit Hustle & Flow. He's next scheduled to guest star on That '70s Show in April. By Josh Grossberg |
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