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The life and legacy of soul legend Isaac Hayes were celebrated in his hometown of Memphis at two gatherings - a private burial service on Sunday and a public memorial held yesterday with 3,000 fans and friends in attendance.
Sunday's ceremony included Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise and Wesley Snipes; while the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Chuck D., Bootsy Collins and actor Richard Roundtree were on hand for Monday's farewell, according to the Associated Press.
"What would you say if you were flying into Memphis and they said you are about to land at Isaac Hayes International Airport," U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen asked the mourners, drawing a huge round of applause.
Cohen, who represented Hayes' area of Memphis, said the city should celebrate Hayes, an architect of the Memphis sound, as it celebrates Elvis Presley. "He is a world person who the world will miss," Cohen said.
Monday's four-hour service at Hope Presbyterian Church featured music, speakers and video clips. It began with a drum march through the sanctuary and a video clip of Hayes and Jackson on stage together at a 1972 concert in the Watts area of Los Angeles.
"He was a lovely man, always involved with causes," Jackson told the AP before the service. "Literacy, civil rights. He was always there, and that's why we're all here for him."
"Isaac came from our culture. He emanated our culture. That's why he never lost his authenticity, never lost his conviction," Sharpton told the crowd. "There is a difference between authentic and fabricated."
Also speaking during Monday's service were fellow Scientologists Anne Archer and Kelly Preston.
Rap veteran Doug E. Fresh, also in attendance, said outside the church that Hayes' music directly influenced rap and hip-hop. "Hip-hop wouldn't be what it is without Isaac Hayes," he said.
