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The Day Isaac Hayes Came To The Tennessee State Capitol In Nashville

Isaac Hayes came to the Tennessee Senate one day.

I used to work there. (That’s me in the red shirt.)

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I was the Electronic Journal Clerk for the Senate where I typed into the computer all of the actions that took place on the Senate floor each day.

It was an honor and a privilege to meet Isaac Hayes on this day in the State Capitol building in Nashville.

Unfortunately, Isaac Hayes died today: August 10, 2008.

He was an amazing singer, songwriter, actor, voice actor, and producer who was born in Covington, Tennessee.

Here’s more about “Black Moses”.

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Isaac Hayes has received countless awards for a forty-plus-year career in music, film, television, and radio. His music has influenced funk, soul, and disco, and many artists, rappers included, have emulated his smooth vocals and sampled his music. Capitalizing on his distinctive hot, buttery voice, Hayes has also made his mark in film, animated television, and radio. Additionally, his humanitarian efforts have raised awareness and funding for music education and the international fight against illiteracy and AIDS. With his characteristic bald pate, beard, and sunglasses, and a flashy wardrobe of gold chains, fur, and leather, Isaac Hayes is an American entertainment icon. — Tennessee Encyclopedia

He will be missed.

UPDATE: In 2010, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted legislation to honor Isaac Hayes by naming a section of Interstate 40 the “Isaac Hayes Memorial Highway”. It applies to the stretch of highway in Shelby County from Sam Cooper Boulevard in Memphis east to the Fayette County line. It was made official at a ceremony held on Isaac Hayes’ birthday: August 20, 2010.