CNN is reporting soul legend Mr. Isaac Hayes has died. He was 65.
Isaac was a rare breed like Luther Vandross. Both are dear favorites of mine. Both were soul virtuosos, and both had an affifinity for taking pop standards (from the likes of geniuses like Burt Bacarach) and transforming them into rich, bluesy, gospel tinted R&B masterpieces.
I have played piano, keys and recorded/performed R&B and Rock for many years, and Isaac’s extended jams like Walk on By were a huge source of inspiration on more occasions than I can count. I can hear that song’s beat in my head as I type this.
Isaac, you made my heart sing. Your one-of-a-kind brand of delicious ‘hot buttered soul’ will always have a place in my music collection and heart.
A few favorite Isaac Hayes covers and songs
The look of love
If loving you is wrong (I don’t want to be right)
Never can say goodbye
Walk on by
Close to you
By the time I get to Phoenix
I stand accused
Never gonna give you up
Love you Isaac! You’ll be missed. -JT
I hear you Joe. Good news is that his music lives on, as does Lu’s. Now get some of your music on the site here so people can hear it!
He was also brilliant on South Park. By the way, just got a response from Tretheway to the question posed last week. A little late, but here’s the questions and answer:
Dear Mr. Farty,
I want to thank you for writing and for investing in South Natomas. Like you I also live in Natomas, raised my family here, built my house here, and want to have a great place for my two new grandsons to visit and play.
The first thing that we are doing to address crime is adding additional law enforcement officers to Natomas. Since I became a Councilmember in 2001, we have seen an increase in police presence in Natomas. In the last three years we have added over 15 patrol officers and 4 problem-oriented-police (POP) officers to the area. In 2005 Natomas had 23 assigned patrol officers and 2 POP officers, today we have 38 assigned patrol officers and 4 POP officers.
Overall the City of Sacramento continues to invest in law enforcement. Over the past five fiscal years our police department operating budget has increased by 23% and we budgeted $132.2 million dollars this year on law enforcement. This money goes to increased staffing (an increase of 15% totaling 157 positions in the last five years). We did this while losing over $80,000 in state COPS funding and over $3 million dollars in federal COPS funding.
We are also attacking some of the issues that cause crime. I received funding to open a truancy center in the Natomas Unified School District, that attacks the issue of teen truancy in Natomas head on. This is one of only three truancy centers in Sacramento, and it is successfully taking kids off the streets, putting them in the classroom and holding parents accountable. In its first year of operation we successfully returned over 400 students to the class room.
My hope is by both increasing the amount of officers in Sacramento and in Natomas, as well as tackling some of our issues directly, we will bring down crime not just in Natomas, but all of Sacramento.
Sincerely,
Ray Tretheway
Ray Tretheway
Councilmember, District One
City of Sacramento
(916) 808-7001
>>> “Farty, Danny” 8/5/2008 10:11 AM >>>
Councilmember Tretheway,
What are you and your colleagues doing to make our community safer? I have lived in South Natomas for the last three years and crime has only gone up. It’s gotten to the point that my wife and I plan to move as soon as we possibly can. As it is, we try not to go out after 9 p.m. because it just isn’t safe anymore. Please tell me that something is being done. I know we’re not the only ones that feel this way.
Sincerely,
Danny Farty
Farty gets the prize. The other chick never even posted her reply. Far-dee! Far-dee! Far-dee!