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Isaac Hayes death being questioned

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Crusader
FOX News:

Isaac Hayes' History With Scientology
Monday, August 11, 2008

By Roger Friedman



My friend, Isaac Hayes, died on Sunday, and his passing leaves many unanswered questions.

The great R&B star, actor, DJ, performer and family man, the composer of “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming” and other hits by Sam Moore and Dave Prater like “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby,” also was a member of the Church of Scientology.

Isaac was found dead by his treadmill, but conveniently missing from the wire stories was a significant fact: in January 2006, Isaac had a significant stroke. At the time, the word went out only that he had been hospitalized for exhaustion.

But the truth was, Isaac, whom I’d seen just a couple of months earlier when he headlined the Blues Ball in Memphis, was in trouble. Having lost the rights to his songs two decades earlier, he was finally making some money voicing the character of Chef on “South Park.” But “South Park” lampooned Scientology, so the leaders wanted Isaac out.

Push came to shove on Nov. 16, 2005, when “South Park” aired its hilarious “Trapped in the Closet” episode spoofing Tom Cruise and John Travolta. “South Park” creator Matt Stone told me later that Isaac had come to him in tears.


“He said he was under great pressure from Scientology, and if we didn’t stop poking at them, he’d have to leave," Stone said.

The conversation ended there. Isaac performed Chef’s signature song at the Blues Ball a week later with great delight. Although he was devoted to Scientology, he also loved being part of “South Park.” He was proud of it. And, importantly, it gave him income he badly needed.

But then came the stroke, which was severe. His staff — consisting of Scientology monitors who rarely left him alone — tried to portray it as a minor health issue. It wasn’t. Sources in Memphis told me at the time that Isaac had significant motor control and speech issues. His talking was impaired.

In March 2006, news came that Hayes was resigning from “South Park." On March 20, 2006, I wrote a column called “Chef’s Quitting Controversy,” explaining that Hayes was in no position to have quit anything due to his stroke. But Scientology issued the statement to the press saying Hayes had resigned, and the press just ate it up. No one spoke to Isaac directly, because he couldn’t literally speak. "Chef” was written out of the show.

Click here to read the March 20, 2006 FOX411

Isaac’s income stream was severely impaired as a result. Suddenly there were announcements of his touring, and performing. It didn’t seem possible, but word went out that he’d be at BB King’s in New York in January 2007. I went to see him and reported on it here.

The show was abomination. Isaac was plunked down at a keyboard, where he pretended to front his band. He spoke-sang, and his words were halting. He was not the Isaac Hayes of the past.

What was worse was that he barely knew me. He had appeared in my documentary, "Only the Strong Survive," released in 2003. We knew each other very well. I was actually surprised that his Scientology minder, Christina Kumi Kimball, with whom I had difficult encounters in the past, let me see him backstage at BB King’s. Our meeting was brief, and Isaac said quietly that he did know me. But the light was out in his eyes, and the situation was worrisome.

But the general consensus was that he needed the money. Without “Chef,” Isaac’s finances were severely curtailed. He had mouths to feed to home. Plus, Scientology requires huge amounts of money, as former member, actor Jason Beghe, has explained in this space. For Isaac to continue in the sect, he had to come up with funds. Performing was the only way.

In recent months, I’ve had conflicting reports. One mutual friend says that Isaac had looked and sounded much better lately at business meetings. But actor Samuel L. Jackson, who recently filmed scenes with Isaac and the late Bernie Mac for a new movie called “Soul Men,” told me on Saturday that Isaac really wasn’t up to the physical demands of shooting the movie. (Neither, it seems, was Bernie Mac.)

Sam Moore, who recorded those Isaac Hayes songs in the '60s and loved the writer-performer like a brother, told me Sunday when he heard about the death: “I’m happy.” Happy, I asked? “Yes, happy he’s out of pain.” It was one of the most beautiful ideas I’d ever heard expressed on the subject of death.

But there are a lot of questions still to be raised about Isaac Hayes’ death. Why, for example, was a stroke survivor on a treadmill by himself? What was his condition? What kind of treatment had he had since the stroke? Members of Scientology are required to sign a form promising they will never seek psychiatric or mental assistance. But stroke rehabilitation involves the help of neurologists and often psychiatrists, not to mention psychotropic drugs — exactly the kind Scientology proselytizes against.

What will come next, I’m afraid, is a wild dogfight among family members for Isaac’s estate. His song catalog (with David Porter) is one of the greatest in music history. Isaac lost the rights to his big hit songs in 1977. But thanks to something called the Songwriters Act, his heirs — whoever they are determined to be — automatically get the rights back as the songs come up for copyright renewal. I guarantee this will not be pretty. Isaac Lee Hayes has over 300 original compositions listed with BMI, from the Sam & Dave songbook to Carla Thomas’ “BABY (Baby)” to his monumental instrumental “Theme from SHAFT.”

None of this should ever take away from who Isaac Hayes really was: a great friend, a warm congenial man with a big heart and a big laugh. He had married again right before his stroke, and was very happy. If he hadn’t had the stroke, I am certain he would have recorded a new album. There was talk of it after the stroke, but nothing materialized. When we made and promoted “Only the Strong Survive,” he was a masterful musician with a great mind and a wicked sense of humor. His loss at 65 is simply way too early and very tragic.
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
"...But the truth was, Isaac, whom I’d seen just a couple of months earlier when he headlined the Blues Ball in Memphis, was in trouble. Having lost the rights to his songs two decades earlier, he was finally making some money voicing the character of Chef on “South Park.” But “South Park” lampooned Scientology, so the leaders wanted Isaac out.

Push came to shove on Nov. 16, 2005, when “South Park” aired its hilarious “Trapped in the Closet” episode spoofing Tom Cruise and John Travolta. “South Park” creator Matt Stone told me later that Isaac had come to him in tears.

“He said he was under great pressure from Scientology, and if we didn’t stop poking at them, he’d have to leave," Stone said...."

ANOTHER TRAGIC EXAMPLE OF ENFORCED DISCONNECTION BY THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
 
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Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
ENFORCED DISCONNECTION BY THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY

It seems he had the stroke shortly after the CofS was pressuring him to abandon his main source of income. The "Trapped in the Closet" show aired Nov 16, 2005, and the stroke was in Jan 2006. We'll have to wait for the coroner's report, but it wouldn't be unexpected to find the stroke a contributory factor in his death. Hmmm.

Paul
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
It seems he had the stroke shortly after the CofS was pressuring him to abandon his main source of income. The "Trapped in the Closet" show aired Nov 16, 2005, and the stroke was in Jan 2006. We'll have to wait for the coroner's report, but it wouldn't be unexpected to find the stroke a contributory factor in his death. Hmmm.

Paul

I also wonder what neurological or psychiatric procedures or medications were forbidden to treat his stroke because Scientology forbade them.
 

gomorrhan

Gold Meritorious Patron
What's amazing is that an OT wouldn't be able to control his body. I mean, a stroke? So what? It's just meat, right? That body should have done whatever that Thetan said!

I'm pretty cynical on that sort of bullshit, but I am completely unsurprised that Hayes had a stroke and died after losing Chef. The Church probably declared him PTS, and only better success and a whole lot of money to the Church would have gotten him back (probably put in "liability" for his contributions to a show that attacked scientology, if not "enemy").
 

MarkWI

Patron Meritorious
[...]
But then came the stroke, which was severe. His staff — consisting of Scientology monitors who rarely left him alone — tried to portray it as a minor health issue. It wasn’t.
[...]

Co$ PR! Always hiding the truth and lying. Honest and sincere communication seems to have no place in Scientology.
:angry:
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
It seems he had the stroke shortly after the CofS was pressuring him to abandon his main source of income. The "Trapped in the Closet" show aired Nov 16, 2005, and the stroke was in Jan 2006. We'll have to wait for the coroner's report, but it wouldn't be unexpected to find the stroke a contributory factor in his death. Hmmm.

Paul

Right. That's why I'm annoyed and disgusted by those who've made fun of Hayes for being a Scn'ist even mocking his death.
 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
Right. That's why I'm annoyed and disgusted by those who've made fun of Hayes for being a Scn'ist even mocking his death.

I agree with that.

It is disgusting to mock a person like that when they've died.

It's sick.
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
I sometimes think critics blame CofS too often for deaths of members and of critics, but on this one? Well, I'm looking askance at CofS, too. I don't think there was any foul play but I do think that they pretty much hounded him to death, made him very unhappy and that this could well have contributed to his death.
 

Iknowtoomuch

Gold Meritorious Patron
I sometimes think critics blame CofS too often for deaths of members and of critics, but on this one? Well, I'm looking askance at CofS, too. I don't think there was any foul play but I do think that they pretty much hounded him to death, made him very unhappy and that this could well have contributed to his death.


Let's not forget the fact it's very very possible they weren't letting him take medications for his physical problems. I mean medical meds not Psych meds.
 

thetanic

Gold Meritorious Patron
There have been amazing gains in stroke rehab meds, especially if a stroke is caught early enough.

Naturally, he'd be denied those if he had handlers present, but he may have gotten some early on before they did.
 

Voltaire's Child

Fool on the Hill
It would depend on the meds- if they were "psych drugs" or not. Maybe. I say "maybe" because CofS staff are not medically trained and have shown themselves to be woefully ignorant about the difference between meds and treatment for neurological issues and meds and treatment for psychiatric issues. So even if the meds weren't psychotropics or SSRIs or anything like that, it's quite likely that CofS staff wouldn't get the difference.
 

klidov

Silver Meritorious Patron
True Story

The gains that have been made in recovering stroke patients are remarkable. If they recieve immediate (and proper) treatment.

I know a woman who's Mom is in her 80's. She had a MAJOR TIA (stroke) three years ago. She was in ICU for 3 days, then CCU (critical care) for a week.

She was home after a total of two weeks. To this day, she cooks, cleans, grocery shops & cares for her husband, who has cancer. (I should have so much energy!!).

If the cult prevented him from taking blood thinners (like coumadin), plaque removers (like Vyoxx), and other medications, yes, it would be a matter of time before he would "stroke-out" again. :bigcry:

Bastards. WTF is wrong with those people.....?

(Yes, as a former Nurse, I AM that upset)
 

Shifter

Patron
It's terrible that my auto pilot leaps to blame whenever I hear of the death of anyone connected to the Co$.

I liked Isaac Hayes, he became an icon to a new generation after the best of his musical career was over, through South Park. Something about his leaving the show bothered me, obviously we all knew why he left, but it gave me a bad feeling.

I didn't know anything about his stroke, but with hindsight it all makes sense and its devastating to think that with proper care he could have recovered.
 

Iknowtoomuch

Gold Meritorious Patron
It would depend on the meds- if they were "psych drugs" or not. Maybe. I say "maybe" because CofS staff are not medically trained and have shown themselves to be woefully ignorant about the difference between meds and treatment for neurological issues and meds and treatment for psychiatric issues. So even if the meds weren't psychotropics or SSRIs or anything like that, it's quite likely that CofS staff wouldn't get the difference.

Holy Geebees, exactly!
All drugs are eeevvviiiiiiiiilllllllllllllll!!

Shit, back in the day I wouldn't even take an aspirin....even when I needed it.:duh:
 
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