Grammy Winner and South Park Chef (voice-over) Isaac Hayes Dies at 65

Isaac Hayes died Sunday in Memphis, where he lived. He was 65.

A releative discovered an unresponsive Hayes near an exercise machine in their home at midday, and Hayes was pronounced dead at 2:10 p.m. when he arrived at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis.

"Family members had gone to the grocery store and left him home. When the family came home around 1, his wife's cousin found him lying on the floor in the basement near a treadmill. The treadmill was running, so it is believed that he had been working out."

Although the hospital is still determining the cause of death, Shular says Hayes most likely died of natural causes.

With his distinct basso profundo (his voice seemed emanate in his feet), from 1997 to 2006, Hayes voiced the role of South Park's school-cafeteria sage, Chef. However, he abruptly quit over what he considered the show's disrespect for religion.

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone speculated that Hayes was offended by the show's treatment of his faith, Scientology.

Born in Covington, Tenn., Hayes was a self-taught musician. At age 22, he was hired by Stax Records of Memphis to play backup for piano and sax for Otis Redding and others. In the '60s, with David Porter, he wrote soul hits for Sam and Dave ("Hold On, I'm Coming" and "Soul Man"

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