Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr.'s Net Worth as of 2024
$12 Million

Born Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. on the 20th August 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee USA, he was a soul singer, songwriter, actor and voice actor, best known to the world as a co-writer of the song “Soul Man” with David Porter, for Sam & Dave, the R&B duo. Also Isaac had a successful solo career as a singer, releasing 21 studio albums, including “Hot Buttered Soul” (1969), “…To Be Continued” (1970), and “Chocolate Chip”, which topped the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart. He passed away in August 2008.

Have you ever wondered how rich Isaac Hayes was, at the time of his death? According to authoritative sources, it was estimated that Hayes` net worth was as high as $12 million, an amount earned through his successful career in the entertainment industry. Apart from being a successful musician, Isaac appeared in over 60 film and TV titles, including “Escape From New York” (1981), “Guilty As Charged” (1991), “It Could Happen To You” (1994), and “South Park” (1997-2005), giving his voice to Chef.

Isaac Hayes Net Worth $12 Million

Isaac grew up in Tipton County in the town of Covington, the second child of Eula and her husband Isaac Hayes Sr. However, his mother died, and his father then left him, and as a result, he was raised by his maternal grandparents. His childhood was tough, as he started working on farms in Shelby County and Tipton County, but he found solace in singing, plus joining the church choir, and also learning to play the piano, and other instruments, including flute, Hammond organ and saxophone. He dropped out of high school, but still managed to obtain a diploma when he was 21, as his teacher encouraged him to finish high school. After matriculation, he was offered scholarships to several universities, however, he decided to pursue his musical ambitions.

His career started in the late 1950s, singing in the Curry`s Club in Memphis, and little by little his career progressed. By the early 1960s his name was known through Stax Records, being a session member for several musicians of the label. He became known to the world when he teamed up with David Porter, and wrote the song “Hold On! I’m Comin” in 1966, for Chuck Johnson and Maxine Brown, topping the US R&B Chart. Isaac and Porter continued to work together, and wrote songs such as “Soul Man”, “I Thank You”, “Soul Sister, Brown Sugar”, and “The Sweeter He Is”, among others, the success of which certainly increased Isaac`s net worth.

Isaac also wrote several popular songs on his own, including “Theme From Shaft”, which is used for the film “Shaft” and performed by Eddy & The Soul Band; the song topped the US Pop chart, and reached No. 2 on the US R&B chart. In 1972 he wrote “Do Your Thing”, which peaked at No. 3 on the US R&B Chart, and other songs included “Ike’s Rap”, “Chocolate Chip” and “Joy”, among others, all of which increased his net worth by a large margin.

Isaac also started his own musical career; he released 21 studio albums, with his debut album came out in 1968 entitled “Presenting Isaac Hayes”. His second album was a breakout, entitled “Hot Buttered Soul” (1969), topping the US Jazz and US R&B/Hip-Hop chart, which increased his net worth to a large degree.

He continued successfully until the mid- 1970s, with albums “Black Moses” (1971), “Joy” (1973), “Chocolate Chip” (1975). After that his fame began to decline, and although he released such albums as “Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak)” (1976), “And Once Again” (1980), “U-turn” (1986), and “Branded” (1995), all were without any major success.

During his career, Isaac received numerous prestigious awards, including induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, and three years prior into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Also, Isaac won an Academy Award in the category Best Music, Original Song for his work on the film “Shaft”, and Golden Globe Award in category Best Original Score – Motion Picture for the same film score.

Regarding his personal life, Isaac had led quite a full life, being married four times and having 12 children. His first wife was Dancy Hayes in 1960, then to Emily Ruth Watson(1966-71). His third wife was Mignon Harley(1973-86), and his final marriage was with Adjowa Hayes in 2005, until his death in 2008 when he passed away on the 10th August.
Isaac is also recognized as the follower of the Church of Scientology, being the member from 1993.

He is also known to the world for his philanthropic activities, starting The Isaac Hayes Foundation in 1999, supporting several causes, including human rights.