Did you know that Isaac Hayes was the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song?

Hayes won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1972 for his hit tune ‘Theme from Shaft’. In addition to be the first African-American to earn the honor, he also became the third African-American to win an Academy Award, following Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier.

Written for the movie ‘Shaft’, the ‘Theme from Shaft’ climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the song was his only top 20 hit and he died in 2008 at the age of 65 years.

Watch Hayes perform ‘Theme from Shaft’ below:

Now you know!