August 13, 2008
R.I.P Isaac Hayes
I was on a country-wide road trip after spending six months in Palm Beach in spring, 1992.
I stopped for an afternoon in Memphis. Did the Graceland thing. (For some reason I was the only one there in my tour group snickering.) Then I hung out on Beale Street, where I watched some blues on a patio, visited the original B.B King's, peeked inside the old Stax Records and stopped in a bar where I watched the riots happening back in LA. I remember the bartender saying to me, "I guess you're glad you're not there." I replied, "No, actually, I kind of wish I was." You know, watching your town and your favorite camera shop burn down on TV, is pretty surreal. In the meantime, I shot a shit-load of photos, including one of Isaac Hayes' cape - it hung on one wall of the bar - that he wore to the Academy Awards when he won for Shaft.
This is the photo, painted over with enamels.
In 1994, after being displaced by the Northridge earthquake, I had a little fundraiser for myself. At the time, my friends were working with John Larroquette. He sent over $500 and said to choose a piece for him. We all agreed this was the piece to sell him. I was told he loved it, and I will assume he was enjoying it even more in the last week when news of Isaac's death hit the news.
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