more photos after the jump…

Hayes was pronounced dead at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis an hour after he was found by a family member, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said. The cause of death was not immediately known.
With his muscular build, shiny head and sunglasses, Hayes cut a striking figure at a time when most of his contemporaries were sporting Afros. His music, which came to be known as urban-contemporary, paved the way for disco as well as romantic crooners like Barry White.

Hayes was about to begin work on a new album for Stax, the soul record label he helped build to legendary status. And he had recently finished working on a movie called Soul Men in which he played himself, starring Samuel Jackson and Bernie Mac, who died on Saturday.

photos: PR Photos

May he rest in peace!