Throwback Tuesdays--Isaac Hayes "Walk on By"

I'm keeping this one short and sweet this morning. Since Isaac Hayes passed away over the weekend, it's only fitting to kick off this Throwback Tuesday with my favorite song of his--"Walk on By." To me, it's the best song he ever sang, even though I know it's originally a Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach composition from 1964. But he took this song and made it his own--everybody knew it.

I first fell in love with the tune while listening to the Dead Presidents soundtrack in 1995. I really wasn't hip to who Isaac Hayes was before then but when his booming voice and powerfully emotional lyrics first came through my tiny bedroom speakers, I was converted right there on the spot.

I started diving into his catalog shortly thereafter and found a whole bunch of dusty LPs of his like Black Moses and Hot Buttered Soul to help educate me on who the man was. And every time I listened to his music, I knew he was special. So this one's for Brother Isaac. R.I.P.

--Jonathan Cunningham