August 11, 2008
"Who's that black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?"Decades after Isaac Hayes, who died yesterday, altered the world of cool with his number-one hit "Theme From Shaft," and shortly before he gained new fame as the voice of Chef in "South Park," he helped launch the career of local film director [Kevin Willmott][1].It was a small miracle that Willmott, then an unknown even by indie film standards, landed Hayes to play a role and write music for his debut feature film, "Ninth Street," an ode to the rise and fall of the black section of his hometown of Junction City, as seen through the eyes of a couple of old winos. ![][2]I talked with Willmott this morning about working with Hayes:How'd you land Isaac Hayes for "Ninth Street"? I was working with a talent agent in Kansas City. Her name is Mi-Ling Poole. She was getting Isaac speaking engagements and different things. I was looking for an actor in "Ninth Street" at the time, because, actually, the one I had originally cast, an old friend of mine, had passed away. I told her that I was interested. She said, "Well, would you think about Isaac Hayes?" I said, "Of course, but how could I get him?" She got the script to him, and one day I was in the shower and the phone rang. I got out of the shower-you're wet and you're naked and the whole damn thing, and it's Isaac Hayes on the phone. He says that he read the script and he really liked it-it reminded him of growing up on Beale Street in Memphis-and he'd like to do the film.Did you immediately recognize his voice? Yeah. (In a low voice) This is Isaac (laughs). Growing up in Junction City, I remember the old guys, they were talking about his bald head when he first came out. He was the first cool guy to have a bald head. I remember guys kind of making fun of him, and then he turned that totally around and became the coolest dude with a bald head, probably ever, besides Yul Brynner. You know, he was "Black Moses." In the '70s, he was the man.What was it like to work with him? We shot together for a couple weeks and then he did music for the film as well. We stayed in touch for a long time and I visited him in New York a couple times. He was great. He said "Ninth Street" was the greatest thing he thought he'd ever done. Isaac totally got it. He understood what I was trying to do. I didn't have any money and I was shooting the movie over a long period of time, raising money as I went along. He was totally supportive.And when he offered to do some music for the film, I just about went through the roof. Here I am, getting an Academy Award winner to be in a film that cost me about $40,000, $50,000 dollars. Obviously, that's a great example of his generosity. He really was very supportive of me, and I will always thank him for that.Did you keep in touch after that? As he became Chef and "South Park" blew up, I didn't see him nearly as much. I'd always hoped to work with him again, but unfortunately I'm not going to get the chance now.Any memories from working with him that stand out? I remember visiting him in New York. Several of the cast members were with me and the crew guys that worked on the film. We got to go to his apartment and he played some music for us when we were there. That was like:it's hard to understand what Isaac was like for young black guys growing up in the '70s like I did. "Shaft" and "Black Moses" and all of that was a whole world that only black people fully understood. Even though he wasn't a political figure technically, he was like a political figure within the black community at that time. The "Black Moses" icon image that he created was a leader like a political leader.So getting to work with him and getting to know him and laughing with him was really fun on the set. He loved to laugh. "Ninth Street" has a lot of down-home street wisdom in it and Isaac understood that very well. He grew up the hard way, without a mother and a father, and his grandmother raised him. So he's very much connected with all that. I think that's where soul music kind of comes from, and he really represented that. [1]: http://www.lawrence.com/news/2008/mar/24/bunker_mentality/ [2]: http://media.lawrence.com/img/blogs/roguescarlet/ninth_street2.jpg
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measles (anonymous) says...
Kudos for Wilmott on scoring Issac Hayes in that film, and my regards to the friends and family of the man who meant so much to so many people. That being said, how the hell did he get Martin Sheen?
August 12, 2008 at 12:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
monkeywrench (Tim vonHolten) says...
great interview. it really makes me wish i'd known the man. This cat isaac hayes was a bad mother. . . shut your mouth. Dig it.
August 12, 2008 at 7:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )