Jul 15 2008
Clearing Up the Hayes
Before Monday night, I never had met a celebrity, as far as I know. I almost certainly never had met anyone known internationally.
Although I have had dreams of working in the entertainment industry in one field or another, my goal never has been to rub elbows with the famous. They are just people, I still tell myself.
Sometimes, they just happen to be kind, funny, and humble people — the kind whose home one would enjoy visiting while on a routine business trip.
And, on occasion, they have won a Grammy and an Oscar.*
But I’m not starstruck at all. Nope. Never happen to me. Heck, I’m not even the one who suggested taking a picture (which you may enlarge by clicking).
Near the end of our visit, as Isaac and I stood arm in arm waiting for Chris to help his girlfriend, D, set the camera, I felt so at ease that I blurted out a joke. I turned to Isaac and said, “You know, I’ve never been held by a black man.”
I was glad and a bit relieved that he laughed.
My lifelong friend, Chris, the one who so smugly kicked all our butts in a high school physics bridge-building contest, worked for several years as an audio engineer. Both independently and as an employee, he recorded voice talents for radio, television, and movies.
One of those talents was Isaac Hayes. Yes, my friend recorded the voice of Chef on “South Park.” The two became friends and Chris eventually managed Isaac’s worldwide tour for about a year.
That last fact, although Chris does not have a history of making things up to impress people, was hard for me to grasp. People from our small, rural hometown just don’t go on to manage tours for masters of soul music. Also, no offense to my dear friend or anything, it just wasn’t a role I could picture him filling.
Fill it he did, however, and he has remained friends with Isaac and his family ever since.
About an hour into our visit, Chris and I excused ourselves to Isaac’s studio, which featured a hanging portrait of Isaac as the black Moses. The Hayes’ two-year-old son followed us in there and pointed at something above my head and behind me. As I turned to look, I felt hands grabbing my shirt and tugging. The little guy tried to climb up me to reach the ceiling fan’s pull chains. I gently set him down and he reached up to turn knobs on an audio patch panel. Chris quickly grabbed the little guy’s hands and redirected him out of the room.
As we all sat at the dining table we talked and watched Jesse Ventura announce on Larry King that he would not run for the Senate. We laughed, traded anecdotes about our children, and asked each other about our jobs and our pasts. Isaac looked at pictures of his son on Chris’ camera.
It came time for us to leave, so I excused myself to the restroom. When I emerged, Chris said, “Hey, man, Isaac wanted to show you the rest of the house.” Larger than any home I have entered, but not ridiculously so, it featured spacious rooms downstairs. The second floor, I didn’t see.
I saw an empty water feature at the bottom of the stairs in the entryway. “We had to take out the water because of him,” said Isaac’s wife, pointing at their toddler.
When we left I shook Isaac’s hand and hugged his wife and his child. It was like an evening getting to know friends of a friend — because that’s exactly what it was. It just so happens that Isaac is famous.
* In 1972 Isaac won an Oscar for Best Original Song (Theme from Shaft (1971), the first African-American composer to do so. In addition, he won a Grammy Award for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture, also for Shaft.
Seriously cool Mark!!!!
I had something similar happen to me once.. but maybe I’ll save that for a blog post someday.
That’s freakin’ sweet! You didn’t feel compelled to say “oh hello children” when the little one walked in?
Whaddaya mean, you’ve never met a celebrity? You’ve met me!
Cool experience. And even I remember “Shaft.”
What’s with the Google ads below your banner? Ringtones from Isaac?
That is totally awesome and perfect for Project Black! You go Mark! What an awesome story! And BTW, I have lost count of what all rules I am breaking but on that particular post…I turned a color photo into black and white…..
You title was all like, “Clearing Up The Hayes.”
And I was like, “Shut your mouth.”
But you were like, “But I’m talkin’ ’bout Isaac.”
“The we can dig it…”
Very cool, Mark. After his fall-out with the South Park crew, I kinda assumed he had fallen off the deep end with Mr. Cruise. But, if you can vouch for him…then maybe he’s ok ;)
I’ve never had the oppertunity to really hang out with a celebrity. I’ve hung out in the homes of celebrities while installing home theaters in Miami…but they usually weren’t home. I got invited to play pool with Rob Thomas (of Matchbox Twenty) but couldn’t go. But sitting around, playing with the kids…that’s a much better way to meet a famous person. Strips away a bit of the celebrity glow…although a bit of that glow is still evident on your face…and I can’t blame you.
Holy crap, this is cool! I always thought that Isaac Hayes was very cool, celebrity or not. Just the way he looks and his mannerisms. Someone you’d wanna hang out with.
Ahh, yeah.