Singer Isaac Hayes found dead

Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose 'Theme From Shaft' won Academy and Grammy awards, has been found dead at his home. He was 65.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said a family member found Hayes collapsed near a treadmill today.

He was pronounced dead about an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis. The cause of death was not immediately known.

In the early 1970s, Hayes laid the groundwork for disco, for what became known as urban-contemporary music and for romantic crooners like Barry White.

His career hit another high in 1997 when he became the voice of Chef, the school cook and devoted ladies man on the animated TV show 'South Park'.