The soul singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes, known for his gravelly voice, shaven head and copious jewellery, died on Sunday at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 65.

Hayes was found by family members, who discovered him lying next to a treadmill in a basement room at his home. Sheriff's deputies performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead an hour later.

Hayes, a distinctive and flamboyant figure among the black rhythm and blues stars of the early 1970s, found fame later in his career as the voice of Chef, the laid-back womaniser on the cartoon series South Park.