Charles Pitts - Isaac Hayes (1971-2008)

Isaac Hayes (1971-2008)

In 1970, Pitts moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to join Isaac Hayes' band. A year later, Pitts created the wah-wah guitar intro for "Theme From Shaft", a song which earned Hayes an Academy Award.

Pitts went on to work with Hayes over the next three decades, appearing on many of Hayes' hit albums and soundtracks. He can been seen onstage performing with Hayes in the documentary Wattstax (1973) and in the blaxploitation film Truck Turner (1974). In the 1990s and 2000s, Pitts collaborated with Hayes on the John Singleton remake of Shaft as well as the soundtrack for the animated series South Park, for which he received a gold record.

Pitts remained the band's guitarist and bandleader until Hayes' death in August 2008.