ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
NEWS/FEATURES 26
People & Places
Obituary
Top hit-maker
Rapper Heavy
D dies, age 44
LOS ANGELES, Nov 9, (AP):
Heavy D, the self-proclaimed
“overweight lover” of hip-hop
who became one of rap’s top hit-
makers with wit, humor and a pos-
itive vibe, has died. He was 44.
Lt Mark Rosen of the Beverly
Hills police said Heavy D died in a
Los Angeles hospital Tuesday
after collapsing at his condomini-
um building.
Rosen said Beverly Hills police
officers were dispatched to Heavy
D’s condominium building
Tuesday morning after receiving a
report of an unconscious person
laying on the walkway of a build-
ing. They found Heavy D was con-
scious and communicative but had
difficulty breathing. He was trans-
ported to
Cedars Sinai
Medical
Center, where
he later died.
Rosen said
Beverly Hills
detectives
found no
signs of foul
play and
believe his
Heavy D death is med-
ically related.
He said Heavy D “was returning
home from shopping. He experi-
enced difficulty breathing while
walking into his condominium
building. He was being assisted up
to his apartment by building per-
sonnel when he collapsed in an
exterior hallway.”
The last tweet from Heavy D
posted Tuesday morning read,
“BE INSPIRED!”
Dwight Arrington Myers, the
rapper known as Heavy D of
Heavy D and the Boyz, and his Taylor Swift attends the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards on Nov 8, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Inset): LeAnn Rimes performs during the 59th Annual BMI Country Awards in Nashville on Nov 8. (AFP/AP)
crew released their debut album
“Living Large” in 1987. Their hits Davidson, Akins named BMI songwriters of the year
included “Now That We Found
Love,” ‘’Who’s the Man” and Good friends and songwriting part- the BMI Country Awards. Nichols, Luke Bryan and Rodney Shelton, who Braddock discovered walking red carpets, something the
“Somebody For Me.” ners Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins Davidson and Akins each had five Atkins. and produced early in his career, his usually private Braddock has found
The New York-born rapper was share this year’s BMI country song- of the year’s most-performed songs. BMI, the performing rights organi- wife Miranda Lambert’s group Pistol unsettling.
one of the genre’s most integral writer and song of the year awards. The Georgia natives, also part of a zation, also saluted songwriter Bobby Annies, Vince Gill and LeAnn Rimes “I wouldn’t say private as much as
stars in the last 1980s and early Many of country music’s top stars songwriting trio called The Peach Braddock. The writer of classics “He sang his songs in tribute. I’m a hermit,” Braddock joked before
1990s, as it relied on new voices were on hand to celebrate songwrit- Pickers, collaborated on four of those Stopped Loving Her Today” and “D-I- The 71-year-old Braddock has had the ceremony. “Being in a crowd
and star power to fuel its phenom- ers, including Taylor Swift, Kenny hits, including song of the year “All V-O-R-C-E,” two of country’s most quite the year. He was inducted into scares the daylights out of me. But I
enal growth in the mainstream. Chesney, Carrie Underwood and Over Me,” a No. 1 for Josh Turner. important songs, was named a BMI the Country Music Hall of Fame this can do an impersonation of an extro-
Style Blake Shelton, on Tuesday night at They also wrote hits for Shelton, Joe Icon. spring and has spent a lot of time vert. It’s fakery, though.” (AP)
The deep-voiced rapper’s earli-
est hit, “The Overweight Lover’s
in the House,” played up his hefty
frame. But while that nickname
would stick, his weight did not
become part of his routine, like the
Music
Fat Boys. What drew people to his
music was his singular style,
which celebrated an easygoing,
party vibe — sometimes humor- World online music sales seen up 7 pct in 2011
ous, sometimes inspiring and
almost always positive.
“Most know Heavy D as a rap
icon,” said actor-comedian
Tommy Davidson. “I considered
him a brother who made an indeli-
Ex-Oasis frontman releases solo album
LOS ANGELES, Nov 9, (RTRS): really speak well for the individuality whole into the sun, and love would
level jaunty.
ble mark on me as a performer and When artists break free from the bands his songs require. The uncharacteristically speedy burn this city down for you,” Gallagher
a human being. I miss him that have always defined them to take And Noel does have just a wee bit “AKA What a Life,” takes its inspira- sings. “Let me fly you to the moon,” he
already.” up solo careers, some celebrate their less personality. With Liam, you tion from Paul McCartney’s solo career adds, probably not thinking too hard
In the mid-1990s, Heavy D emancipation with radical musical always sensed a slight sneer at work, — specifically, “Nineteen Ninety about what would have happened to the
became president of Uptown departures. Others adhere to the old even when he was singing his brother’s Five,” with its fast beat and nervously rest of the solar system after he’d
Records, the label that released British singer Seal poses on Nov 8, in
Paris to promote his new album ‘Soul group’s sound as much as possible, most romantic songs. Now, Noel’s quick piano. The problem is, Macca destroyed the sun and Earth to amuse
most of his albums and was also either out of fear, habit, or a desire to slightly blander tone removes any such always came up with a chorus, whereas his girl.
the home to acts like Mary J. II.’ (AFP)
prove once and for all that they were ironic distance, but points up how banal Gallagher just repeats “What a life” Also:
Blige and Jodeci. He also created the brains of the band. his lyrics can be, shorn of the attitude
the theme songs for the TV sketch four times as his refrain, which makes LONDON: Global online music rev-
Noel Gallagher goes the latter route his bro brought to the table. the initially promising tune drag.
comedy shows “In Living Color” on “Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Almost all of “High Flying Birds” enues are expected to rise by about 7
and “MADtv” and acted on the If you buy the deluxe edition, you’ll percent this year to $6.3 billion as digi-
Birds,” which almost sounds more like (which shares its name with the group get the most interesting hybrid of styles
TV shows “Boston Public” and Oasis than Oasis did — the sole differ- Gallagher assembled) persists in the tal services such as Spotify and iTunes
“The Tracy Morgan Show,” as with the bonus track “The Good gain momentum, technology research
ence being that it’s him singing, not anthemic, pretty, ploddingly mid- Rebel,” which takes Ringo’s drumbeat
well as in the films “Life” and embattled brother Liam. tempo mode that Oasis struck UK gold firm Gartner said on Tuesday.
“Step Up.” from “Rain” and weds it to an old- But sales of CDs, hurt by piracy as
It’s as if Noel wanted to establish with and mined to the end. Less than school R.E.M.-style chorus. (The fact
“I feel sick,” tweeted rapper and that Oasis would’ve fared just fine with midway through the opening track, well as paid-for online distribution, will
“Law & Order” actor Ice T. that Gallagher keeps singing “Rain, continue to decline faster than can be
him as frontman. “Everybody’s on the Run,” a choir and like rain don’t care for the sunshine” is
“Everyone should stop for a sec- strings have kicked in, to nice but not made up for by digital sales, as the
ond, take a breath and realize how Proving probably no coincidental homage.) music industry struggles to adapt to
particularly transformative effect. Unfortunately, the record is rife with
lucky you are to be alive, then Holland Adele It’s a point almost worth proving. consumers’ changing behaviour,
appreciate every second with your Noel is close to a dead ringer, vocally, Inspiration provocative titles that give no indica- Gartner predicted.
luv ones.” for his sibling, so Oasis fans may feel Other predictably Beatles-esque tion of the utterly ordinary songs with- By 2015, Gartner forecasts online
Combined with the fusion of the Variety as if not much has changed, at least in touches abound on this handsomely in. music spending will rise to $7.7 billion
“New Jack Swing” musical style, the studio. And it must feel as liberating mounted but unexciting effort. You get For instance, you might hope that “If from $5.9 billion in 2010. In the same
Heavy D was a constant presence for Noel to get to sing his own songs as trumpet squalls, calliope sounds, and I Had a Gun” is about what Noel would period, consumer spending on CDs and
on the charts, and also a go-to fig- LONDON: Heir-to-the-throne Prince it was for Pete Townshend when he Mellotron-ish keyboards in “The Death do to Liam if England had more lax other physical music forms is seen
ure for several performers. Charles and record industry royalty paid started making solo records. of You and Me,” which, ominous title weapons laws. falling to about $10 billion from $15
He collaborated with such tribute to pianist, bandleader and televi- But the seamless transition doesn’t aside, turns out to be “Penny Lane”- But no. “If I had a gun, I’d shoot a billion.
artists as Michael Jackson on the sion presenter Jools Holland on Monday
1991 single “Jam” and the 1997 when he was awarded the 20th Music
duet “Keep It Coming” with B.B. Industry Trusts Award.
In a video message played at a swanky hospital officials in Boston said. dates through the end of the year, had sur- rent bleeding, Massachusetts General unstable blood vessels in the vocal cord
King. The Grammy-winning singer, who was gery in Boston to treat a benign polyp on Hospital said in a statement. that can rupture,” the hospital said in a
dinner in central London, Charles spoke
Tribute of Holland’s “irresistible music” and forced by throat problems to cancel tour her vocal cords which was causing recur- The condition “is typically the result of statement on Monday, adding that doctors
“My heart goes out to the fami- “wonderful humanity.” expect the singer “to make a full recovery
“As you now know, there has been a from her laser microsurgery.”
ly and (loved) ones of Heavy D,” The hospital did not say when Adele
tweeted La Toya Jackson, who long-running plot to promote you to the
position of a full blown national treasure,” Unveils ‘star’ had the surgery.
performed with him at a tribute Last week the singer dismissed rampant
concert for Michael Jackson last he joked.
Holland rose to prominence in the speculation in the media that she has
month. “I am sooo sorry for your
(loss). You will be in my prayers.”
1970s as a founding member of the band
Squeeze, famous for hits like “Cool For
Shakira enshrined throat cancer.
“We would like to reiterate that Adele
The late Notorious B.I.G., Cats” and “Pulling Mussels (From the LOS ANGELES, Nov 9, (AP): is to undergo surgery for a hemorrhaged
Questlove and Sean Kingston Shell).” Grammy-winning Colombian vocal cord. All reports regarding any other
were just a few of the artists who He has worked with a host of major singer Shakira now has a star in condition are 100 percent false,” her
counted Heavy D as an inspira- music stars and is best known in Britain the Hollywood Walk of Fame. spokesman said in a statement.
tion. today for his long-running, famously During a Tuesday ceremony The surgery was performed by Dr
“We had a lot of great times eclectic music show “Later ... With Jools surrounded by hundreds of Steven Zeitels, who the hospital said has
touring together,” tweeted MC Holland” on which the quirky presenter screaming, flag-waving fans, pioneered many vocal cord surgical proce-
Hammer. “He had a heart of gold. regularly jams with his invited guests. Shakira unveiled her sidewalk dures, including the use of specialized
He was a part of what’s good The annual award is designed to honor star in front of the W Hollywood lasers to stop vocal cord bleeding in
about the world.” a leading figure in the music business and Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. singers. (RTRS)
Heavy D wasn’t as successful raise money for its two chosen charities It’s the 2,454th star dedicated ❑ ❑ ❑
— music therapy organization Nordoff along Hollywood’s avenue of
with his later Boyz-free albums. dreams. LONDON: London rapper Professor
He attempted a reggae-fueled Robbins and The BRIT School for
Performing Arts & Technology. “This is incredible,” said the Green continued to hog all the headlines
comeback in 2008 with the album singer and activist. “I would like in the singles charts with “Read All About
“Vibes,” which didn’t contain any Nordoff Robbins uses music to help
people with a range of conditions includ- to thank all of you.” It,” holding on to No. 1 spot for a second
rapping. ing autism, dementia, stroke, mental Shakira said she remem- week, the Official Charts Company said
He returned to his lyrical roots health problems, depression and terminal Colombian musician Shakira poses on her Hollywood star during a ceremony bered being on the boulevard Sunday.
on his latest album, “Love Opus,” illness. (RTRS) honoring her with the 2,454th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in as a tourist when she was 7- The single, featuring Scottish singer-
which was released in September, Hollywood on Nov 8, in southern California. Born and raised in Barranquilla, years-old, accompanied by her songwriter Emeli Sande, is Professor
and he performed a medley of his ❑ ❑ ❑ Colombia, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known professionally as Shakira, mother who told her, “Shaki, Green’s first British No. 1 release.
past hits at the 2011 BET Hip Hop NEW YORK: British singer-songwriter released her debut album ‘Magia’ in June 1991 when she was 13 years old one day you’ll have your own The 27-year-old also was a new entrant
Awards last month. Adele is expected to make a full recovery but it was the 2001 release of her first English-language single ‘Whenever, star here.” at No. 3 on the albums chart, with “At
after undergoing vocal cord microsurgery, Wherever’ that launched her worldwide success. (AFP) Your Convenience.” (RTRS)