Black Moses Audiobook Libro.fm

Description

The first biography of soul pioneer Isaac Hayes whose groundbreaking music provided the foundation for hiphop and a new racial paradigmWithin the stoned soul picnic of Black music icons in the 60s and 70s only one could bill himself without a blush as Moses demanding liberation for Black men with his notions of life and selfIsaac Lee Hayes Jr the beautifully sheen shaded and chainspangled acolyte of cool whose hightoned lounge music and protorap was souls highest orderheard on twentytwo albums and selling millions of records Hayess stunning selfportraits his obsessive pleas about love sex and guilt bathed in lush orchestral flights and soulstirring bass lines drove other soul men like Barry White to libidinous license But Hayes who called himself a renegade was a man of many parts While he thrived on soulful remakes of pop standards his biggest coup was writing and producing the epic soundtrack to Shaft memorializing the black private dick as a complicated man as coolly mean and amoral as any white private eyeThis new musical and cultural coda delivered Hayes the first Oscar ever won by a Black musician as well as the Grammy for Best Song Yet few know Hayess remarkable achievements In this compelling buffet of sight and sound acclaimed music biographer Mark Ribowskywho has authored illuminating portraits of such luminaries as Stevie Wonder Little Richard and Otis Reddinggallops through the many stages of Hayess daring and daunting life starting with Hayess difficult childhood in which his mother died young and his father abandoned him Ribowsky then takes readers through Hayess rise at Memphiss legendary soul factory Stax Records first as a piano player on Otis Redding sessions then as a songwriter and producer teamed with David Porter Tuned to the context of soul music history he created crossover smashes like Sam amp Daves Soul Man Hold on Im Comin and I Thank You making soul a semireligion of Black pride imagination and joyful emotionHayess subsequent career as a solo artist featured studio methods and outofthebox ideas that paved the way for soul to occupy the top of the album charts alongside white rock albums But his prime years ended prematurely both as a consequence of Staxs red ink and his own selfdestructive tendencies In the 90s he claimed he had finally found himself as a minion of Scientology But Scientology would cost him the gig that had revived himthe cartoon voice of the naively cool Chef on South Parkafter he became embroiled in controversy when South Parks creators parodied Scientology in an episode that caused the cults leaders to order him to quit the show Although Hayes was honored by the Rock amp Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 the brouhaha came as his seemingly perfect body finally broke down He died in 2008 at age sixtyeight too soon for a soul titan But if only greatness can establish permanence in the cellular structure of music Isaac Hayes long ago qualified His influence will last for as long as there is music to be heard And when we hear him in that music we will by rote say We can dig it