As a songwriter (with Dave Porter) for Stax Records in the '60s, Isaac Hayes wrote and produced hard-swinging R&B hits for artists like Sam and Dave. But his own recordings as a solo performer emphasized epic bedroom grooves—made all the more lascivious by Hayes' buttery, basso vocals—or relentlessly funky workouts, like his Oscar®-winning theme to Shaft. Movies eventually became Hayes' primary outlet, both as a composer and actor, but he remained a magnetic stage presence until his death in 2008.