Farewell to Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes

The weekend of August 9th and 10th 2008 has been a sad weekend for millions. On August 9th Bernard Jeffrey McCullough better know as Bernie Mac died.On August 10th the very next day Isaac Hayes died.

Bernie Mac was hospitalized and for a moment it looked as if he was improving but to the surprise of his family and fans it did not turn out that way.

Bernie was born on October 5, 1958 in Chicago Illinois. Bernie came from humble beginnings. He was raised by a single parent. His mother raised him until he was 16 years old. She died from cancer. Bernie reportedly said that his mother believed in him even when he did not believe in himself. He recalled her saying that when he grew up he would surprise a lot of people. I must say her words hit home. After her death Bernie went to live with his grandparents.

Bernie Mac married his high school sweetheart Rhonda and to this union one daughter was born. He also is survived by a granddaughter. It was reported that his wife and daughter was with him when he took his last breath.

Bernie was diagnosed in 1983 with a disease called Sarcoidosis. Scaroidosis is known as an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body organs. Not very much is know about Sarcoidosis. It was stated that the disease went into remission in 2005.

In 1990 Mac won a national comedian contest and his career took off. Mac landed roles in many many films, but he was loved for his stand up comedy. He toured the country as one of "The Original Kings Of Comedy."

He will also be remember for his television sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show." He took a show based on his life and won an Emmy and a Peabody Award.

Mac will be greatly missed. He was only 50 years old. It was stated he died from complications from pneumonia. At the time of his death Mac was also working on a movie called "Soul Man" with Isaac Hayes who died the very next day.

Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. was born on August 20,1942 in Covington, Tennessee. He was an orphan and was also raised by his grandparents.

When you hear the name Isaac Hayes you automatically think of The 1971 hit "Theme From Shaft." Isaac was not only a Oscar and Grammy Award winner, a musician, singer, songwriter and an actor but he was also a humanitarian and an international spokesperson. Hayes did many great deeds through his organization called the Isaac Hayes Foundation which was founded in 1999. He and Lisa Marie Presley started a Learning Education Ability Program called the LEAP Program. A program that teaches Memphis children how to read and write. Hayes even has educational ties to children in Ghana a country in West Africa. He too will be greatly missed.

Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes have taught us that it does not matter where you come from as long as you have a dream and you are willing to work toward it you can succeed.

Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes rest in peace.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki.Bernie_Mac
www.nytimes.com
www.worldliteracy.org