LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of famed rapper and actor
Dwight Arrington "Heavy D" Myers

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay trib-
ute to those individuals whose commitment and creative talents have
contributed to the entertainment and cultural enrichment of their commu-
nity and the entire State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Dwight Arrington "Heavy D" Myers died on November 8, 2011 in
Los Angeles, California, at the age of 44; and
WHEREAS, Heavy D was born on May 24, 1967, in Mandeville, Jamaica, the
son of Eulahlee Lee, a nurse, and Clifford Vincent Myers, a machine
technician; as a young child, Heavy D's family moved to Mount Vernon,
New York, where he was raised; and
WHEREAS, Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to Uptown
Records; their debut, "Living Large", was released in 1987, and the
album was a commercial success; their second album, "Big Tyme" was a
breakthrough that included four hits; and
WHEREAS, One of the group's members, Trouble T. Roy, died at age 22 in
a fall on July 15, 1990, while on tour in Indianapolis, Indiana; his
death led to a tribute on the follow-up platinum album, "Peaceful Jour-
ney"; and
WHEREAS, Heavy D & the Boyz gained even more fame by singing the theme
song for the television program, "In Living Color" and also "MADtv";
Heavy D performed the rap segment on Michael Jackson's hit single "Jam"
as well as sister Janet Jackson's "Alright"; and
WHEREAS, Heavy D then began focusing on his acting, appearing in vari-
ous television shows before returning to the music charts with the hit
single "Nuttin' But Love"; after appearing in the off-Broadway play
"Riff Raff" at Circle Repertory Company, Heavy D returned to recording
with the big hit "Waterbed Hev"; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, Heavy D collaborated with B.B. King on his duets
album "Deuces Wild" rapping in the song "Keep It Coming"; in addition,
Heavy D performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards in October of 2011,
which was his first live performance in 15 years; and
WHEREAS, Heavy D also made a cameo appearance in the movie "Tower
Heist", which premiered only four days before his death; and
WHEREAS, A man of colossal talent and charisma, Heavy D will be missed
by his family, his fans and all who knew him; his dedication to his
music and his heritage leaves an indelible legacy of inspiration for all
other artists; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of famed rapper and actor Dwight Arrington "Heavy D"
Myers; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Dwight Arrington "Heavy D" Myers.