[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H8138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING ISAAC HAYES

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, last month, the City of Memphis and the world 
lost a great entertainer and humanitarian in Isaac Hayes. Today on this 
House floor, we will pass H. Res. 1425 memorializing my good friend and 
a great world citizen who was an actor, a musician and a humanitarian.
  Isaac Hayes, like Elvis, came to Memphis from the rural Midsouth, a 
poor person who was raised in the cotton fields and came to Memphis and 
got his education at Manassas High School. Elvis went to Sam Phillips 
and Sun Records. John Lennon said before Elvis there was nothing, but 
after Elvis there was Isaac Hayes. Isaac Hayes put a new form to music, 
pretty much created hip hop, received Oscars and Grammys and produced 
his signature song ``The Theme From Shaft,'' which began a kind of a 
new genre of music.
  He was a wonderful human being to be around. He inspired greatness 
and wrote great songs with his dear friend and co-composer, David 
Porter, ``Hold On I'm Comin' '' and other great songs by Sam and Dave. 
``Black Moses'' will be remembered for years to come. We're fortunate 
he has come our way and lent his talents to the world. We'll miss him. 
He was my friend.

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