Singer, songwriter Isaac Hayes dies at age 65

Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless "Theme From Shaft" won Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday afternoon, the Shelby County Sheriff's  Office said. He was 65.

A family member found him unresponsive near a treadmill and he was pronounced dead an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, according to the sheriff's office. The cause of dealth was not immediately known.

In the early 1970's, Hayes laid the groundwork for disco, for what became known as urban contemporary music and for romantic crooners like Barry White. And he was rapping before there was rap.