This weekend saw the passing of two great artistic pioneers – one in the person of the legendary musician/composer/ actor, Isaac Hayes – the other in actor/comdian Bernie Mac. Mac, 50, died Saturday, August 9, of complications arising from pneumonia; he had suffered from sarcoidosis – an autoimmune disease causing inflammatory nodules on organs, most often the lymph nondes or the lungs (though his publicist, Danica Smith, stated that that the pneumonia was unrelated to the sarcoidosis). Hayes, 65, was found unconscious by his wife on Sunday, August 10, near a still-running treadmill in his Memphis, Tennessee home. He [Hayes] was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital (in Memphis), where he was pronounced dead; no immediate cause of death was named.

Isaac Hayes – alongside the late Curtis Mayfield – was an innovator of the so-called "blaxploitation" style of soundtrack music. Indeed, Hayes 1971 soundtrack double-album opus, Shaft is widely regarded as one of the genre's most outstanding full-length recordings, and earned Isaac the distinction of being the first African-American to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category, that being 'Best Original Song'. Equal parts cultural phenomenon and artist, Hayes perfectly embodied the eclectic fusion of the black power movement with the ever-evolving sonic landscape of soul music. Often seen in dashiki's and African jewelry – especially during his "Black Moses" phase – Isaac's visual aesthetic combined the regal grandness of the Motherland with an ever-present black male sexuality. Seen at other times shirtless and boasting elaborate gold chains, Hayes set into motion a style and  image that is still emulated by many in hip hop circles today.

Hot Buttered Soul; Shaft; Black Moses – these albums not only epitomized Hayes' style, but represented a uniquely brilliant time in commercial black music wherein geniuses like the aforementioned Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway and Earth, Wind & Fire all sculpted music that was relevant and timeless. And – unlike many of the overproduced mainstream artists in circulation today – Hayes, Hathaway and the like actually had musical talents as composers.

In recent times, Isaac Hayes had become known to a new generation of followers in the form of the soul-singing "Chef" – the much-beloved cafeteria worker on the animated South Park program. Isaac had done the voice of Chef for nine seasons, but eventually parted ways with the show and its producers due to the show's lampooning of Scientology in the 2005 episode, "Trapped in the Closet" – Hayes had converted to Scientology in 1995.

Bernie Mac – born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough – first gained national notoriety through a performance on HBO's Def Comedy Jam. Mac followed this with the short-lived talk show, Midnight Mac (also on HBO), as well as minor acting roles in Friday, Booty Call, What's the Worst That Could Happen? and How to Be a Player. Mac would become particularly noteworthy for returning to his comic roots alongside Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley in 2000's The Original Kings of Comedy, which was directed and produced by Spike Lee and focused on the comic tour of the same name.

2001 saw the launch of The Bernie Mac Show, a semi-autobiographical sitcom based on (and starring) Bernie. The show aired for five seasons, during which time it won an Emmy for 'Outstanding Writing' and a Peabody Award for 'Excellence in Broadcasting'. Even more interesting was the fact that Bernie's character on the show went on to be ranked as #47 in TV Guide's list of '50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time'. Also in 2001, Mac starred in the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven alongside Brad Pitt and George Clooney; he [Mac] would also appear in its sequels, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen.

Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac effectively pushed the boundaries of their chosen artistic fields – the former in his pursuit of numerous other avenues in addition to his musical genius – the latter in his refusal to stay in the relatively limited world of exclusively black/African-American comedies. Both men (in their different ways) touched millions and inspired subsequent generations of artists and entertainers. Indeed, in the case of Hayes, it could be argued that the more contemporary soul singers and socially-aware hip hop artists like Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton, Common – even the formerly ethnic Queen Latifah – owes an eternal debt to Hayes tenacious afro-centrism.

Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes will be truly missed...

Categories: Isaac Hayes; Bernie Mac; Steve Harvey; Curtis Mayfield

Estelle Getty – beloved to millions as Sophia Petrillo on the long-running sitcom, Golden Girls (and its short-lived spin-off, Golden Palace) – has passed away. She was 84. Getty had suffered from advanced dementia.

Getty had a checkered career as an actress – one that ultimately culminated in immense success. Indeed, she [Getty] had struggled for four decades prior to landing the role of Sophia, during which time she often worked in low-paying office jobs to support her family. The other three stars of Golden Girls – Beatrice "Bea" Arthur; Betty White; Rue McClanahan – all came to the show as seasoned television veterans, with credits like (Arthur) Maude, (White) The Mary Tyler Moore Show and (McClanahan) Mama's Family to their name. Estelle, on the other hand, mainly had stage experience and was starring in Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy as Mrs. Beckoff at the time of her [first] Golden Girls audition – she reportedly failed the [Golden Girls] audition two times for not looking old enough to play 80. Getty also appeared in a handful of small parts in various films, television shows and movies, among them Tootsie, Cagney & Lacey and Victim for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story. Following the success of Golden Girls, Estelle went on to play Cher's mother in the film Mask, Claire Prince Timkin in Mannequin and would do voiceover work in Stuart Little (as Grandma Estelle).

Remembered not only for her sharp wit as Sophia Petrillo, but her perseverance in the dog-eat-dog world of acting, Estelle Getty was proof that our greatest successes do not often come to us in life as early as we'd like. The trick is to make the very best of them when they emerge, and Estelle Getty did just that. She will be mourned and missed, but the laughter and jubilance she inspired will live on forever.

Categories: Estelle Getty; Bea Arthur; Betty White; Rue McClanahan; Golden Girls; Golden Palace