Family & Friends come to Mourn Heavy D at Memorial Service

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Dwight 'Heavy 'D' Myers (5/24/1967- 11/08/2011)

Thousands grieve for rapper Heavy D in Mount Vernon

Thousands of fans bid a teary farewell to Heavy D, the charismatic, self-proclaimed "Overweight Lover" of hip-hop, during open calling hours Thursday at a historic church in his hometown.
People assembled in lines that at times snaked around the corner outside Grace Baptist Church, where the body of the late entertainer, born Dwight Errington Myers, lay in a gray suit in a dark wood casket, surrounded by flowers and poster-sized photos of him flashing his signature smile.

"(He) brought people happiness with his music," said Lawrence Burgess, 45, of the Bronx, who displayed a photo on his cellphone of him shaking hands with Heavy D during a chance encounter at a movie theater in 1993. "And he put Mount Vernon on the map."
Another mourner, Diedra Johnson, 26, also of the Bronx, said Heavy D had a big influence on the current generation of artists.

"He's one of the godfathers of hip-hop," she said.
The Jamaican-born entertainer died at a Los Angeles hospital Nov. 8 after collapsing outside his home at age 44. The cause was complications from pneumonia, his brother, Floyd Myers, said in a statement.

Here Floyd Speak on video about his brother!

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A private wake was to be held Thursday evening, and a private funeral service is scheduled for 11 this morning at Grace Baptist Church with a guest list that includes rap mogul Diddy, the Rev. Al Sharpton and gospel star Yolanda Adams.

On Thursday, the church was quiet and the mood somber, as mourners filed past Heavy D's open casket, pausing to genuflect or dab at their eyes with tissues being handed out. A guestbook was initially provided but filled up quickly.
Lifelong Mount Vernon resident Balford Lewis, 48, who was also paying tribute Thursday, said he used to hang out with Heavy D's older brothers when they were students.

He said that when locals saw the young "Hev" try to rhyme at house parties, his older peers were skeptical of his talent. But when the rapper's first album came out, "We were like. 'Wow! That's Mount Vernon pride,' " Lewis recalled. "That's my little brother. My boy."

The rapper was the titular member of Heavy D and the Boyz, which had hits with "Now That We Found Love," "Nuttin But Love" and "Somebody for Me." As one of the genre's top stars in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he collaborated with Michael Jackson on the King of Pop's 1991 hit "Jam."
He was born May 24, 1967, one of six children of Clifford and Eulahlee Myers of Mandeville, Jamaica. His family moved to Mount Vernon in the early 1970s.

Heavy D's family said in a statement this week that it was devastated by the loss of a loved one with a "heart of gold."
"Hev had great love for his family and friends. He was a kind and giving spirit who extended and shared himself with everyone who crossed his path," the family said. "His 'bear hugs' are going to be deeply missed."

Celebs arriving to the service!

The family has launched the Heavy D and Xea Myers Fund, named in honor of the rapper and his 11-year-old daughter. The family is requesting that memorial donations be made to the fund, in care of JP Morgan Chase, 726 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10085. Checks should be payable to the Heavy D and Xea Myers Fund.
BET announced this week that the Soul Train Awards in Atlanta, airing at 9 p.m. Nov. 27, will pay tribute to Heavy D, with Curtis Blow, Naughty by Nature, Big Daddy Kane and Doug E. Fresh, among others.

R.I.P Soldier!!