Posted on 08/10/2008 11:41:33 PM PDT by kellynla
Being an international icon didn't mean that Isaac Hayes did not also appreciate the love he received in his own hometown.
In three baggage claim areas at Memphis International Airport, oversized images welcome the world to the home of Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Isaac Hayes.
"Isaac was very, very proud of that," says Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau president Kevin Kane.
As Memphis filmmaker Craig Brewer pointed out, Hayes came to embody the Memphis creative spirit: "He was an American icon and also a true Memphis icon. He was really our artist, and an artist in the true sense of his life story -- a guy who as a kid is struggling to live, with his grandmother, without his parents, and living in extreme poverty. ... It's an amazing story."
Hayes, an official ambassador of Memphis music, took part in separate 50th anniversary celebrations of rock and roll and of soul music. The soul music celebration last year meant an appearance in Times Square in New York when Hayes was still recovering from a stroke. "He was absolutely spectacular. His delivery was a little slow because of the stroke, but the place just erupted," Kane says.
Hayes, who grew up in poverty, always appreciated his humble beginnings and wanted to use his celebrity status to promote the city and to set an example for others, says longtime collaborator Pat Tigrett.
Tigrett invited Hayes to take part in her first Blues Ball 15 years ago at a time when Hayes was living in Atlanta. She said Hayes feared the city would no longer accept him, but he reluctantly agreed to a homecoming as honorary chairman.
(Excerpt) Read more at commercialappeal.com ...
May you rest in peace.
The duke is A #1!
Hay’s is from Covington, not Memphis.
Rest in peace, Chef..and you’re still the Duke of New York!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.