For the American arctic explorer, see Isaac Israel Hayes

Isaac Lee Hayes (born August 20, 1942) is an American Grammy Award and Academy Award-winning soul and funk singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, composer and actor. Hayes was one of the main creative forces behind Southern soul music label Stax Records, for which he served as both an in-house songwriter/producer and later as its premier recording artist.

Alongside his work in popular music, Hayes is a film score composer for motion pictures. His best known work, for the 1971 blaxploitation film Shaft, earned Hayes an Academy Award for Best Original Song (the first Academy Award received by an African-American in a non-acting category) and two Grammy Awards. Hayes received a third Grammy for his 1971 album Black Moses.

In 1992, in recognition of Hayes' humanitarian work, he was crowned an honorary king of Ghana's's Ada district. From 1997 to 2006, he provided the voice for "Chef", a singing ladies' man and elementary school cook, on the animated sitcom South Park.

Isaac Lee Hayes (born August 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee, United States) is an influential soul singer, songwriter, musician, producer, arranger, and actor. One of the key creative forces behind Memphis’ Stax Records, Hayes began his recording career in 1962, soon playing saxophone for The Bar-Kays . Hayes and writing partner David Porter would pen numerous hits for Stax artists such as Sam & Dave (“Hold On! I’m Comin’”, “Soul Man”) and Carla Thomas (“B-A-B-Y”) during the