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Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993^{[citation needed]} with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical recording artists. Albums and songs appearing on Top Heatseekers may also concurrently appear on the Billboard 200 or Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

[edit] Heatseekers Albums chart

The Heatseekers Albums chart contains 50 positions, ranked by Nielsen SoundScan sales data, and charts album titles from "new or developing acts", which is determined by the act's historical chart performance. Once an artist has had an album place in the top 100 of the Billboard Top 200, or in the top ten of any of Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Country Albums, Latin Albums, Christian Albums, or Gospel Albums, the album and later works no longer qualify for tracking on Heatseeker Albums.^[1]

Many artists have bypassed Top Heatseekers altogether by having their initial chart entry debut on the Billboard 200 at position 100 or above.

[edit] Heatseekers Songs chart

The Heatseekers Songs chart contains 50 positions, rated by a combination of Nielsen BDS airplay measurements, Nielsen SoundScan sales data, and streaming activity figures from online music sources. Like Heatseekers Albums, this chart tracks titles from "new or developing acts", similarly determined by the act's historical chart performance. An artist's song is no longer eligible for Heatseekers Songs when the artist has had a song place in the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 (or of radio songs before December 5, 1998).^[2]

[edit] See also

• Billboard charts

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart
• Billboard Heatseekers Songs Chart

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Prime Minister Pete Nice (born Peter J. Nash in Floral Park, Long Island, New York) is a former hip hop MC who was most noted as a member of the group 3rd Bass.

[edit] Career

After graduating from Bishop Ford High School in 1985, Nash majored in English at Columbia University, where he hosted a hip hop radio show. This led to the creation of the hip hop group 3 the Hard Way, which later changed its name to 3rd Bass, where he adopted the stage name Prime Minister Pete Nice. The group released two gold-selling albums before disbanding in 1992. Nice teamed up with group DJ Richie Rich, and the pair released their only collaboration, Dust to Dust, in 1993.

Pete Nice and author-radio jock Bobbito started their own label, Hoppoh Records, under the aegis of Columbia Records. The first release was Kurious Jorge's 1994 album A Constipated Monkey; Nice co-produced the album and the single "I'm Kurious." Nashville artist Count Bass D's debut Pre-Life Crisis followed in 1995, distributed by Columbia sister label Chaos Recordings, but those would be the only records released before the label folded because of creative differences with Columbia.

Nice quit the music business and devoted his time to baseball history. He owned a memorabilia shop in Cooperstown. In 2003, he published his first book, Baseball Legends of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, under his real name. He has also been working to secure some property for an official grave site of Negro League players. His brother Brian was the Head Men's Basketball Coach at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, New York.

In early 2008, Pete opened McGreevy's 3rd Base Bar, a sports bar in Boston with Dropkick Murphys' band member Ken Casey. The bar was recently^[when?] named Best Sports Bar In Boston by Citysearch.

Commencing in 2007 and concluding in 2009, Nash was involved in litigation with an auction house relating to the authenticity of baseball memorabilia he consigned for sale. When deposed under oath, Nash invoked the Fifth Amendment dozens of times in response to questions about the origins of specific pieces of memorabilia. The court found in favor of the auction house, and Nash signed a court order in which he admitted to having committed fraud.^[1]

[edit] Discography

[edit] With 3rd Bass

• The Cactus Album (1989, Gold) - on CD, known as The Cactus Cee/D
• The Cactus Revisited (1990)
• Derelicts of Dialect (1991, Gold)

[edit] With DJ Richie Rich

• Dust to Dust (1993)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Arcadia Publishing
• Rapping to the Oldies - New York Times, 9/21/2006
• Bonds Baseball to Be Branded With Asterisk - New York Times, 9/27/2007
• Video: The History of Red Sox Nation - ESPN.com (via thirdbass.net), 10/25/07
• McGreevy's Boston - McGreevy's Boston, Peter Nash's Bar
• 3rd Bass Fan Site - Pete Nice/3rd Bass Fan Site
• Citysearch Boston's Best Sports Bar, McGreevey's 3rd Bass Bar - Citysearch Boston's Best Sports Bar, McGreevey's 3rd Bass Bar
• [1] - From rapper to baseball collector, the wild tale of Peter Nash, SportsIllustrated.com, 12/9/2009

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DJ Richie Rich (born Richard Lawson in Jamaica), is a former record producer and turntablist who was best known as a member of the New York-based rap trio 3rd Bass.^[1] He was also known as Daddy Rich.^[2] He was part of The "Supermen" DJ crew which also included other top DJs such as Scratch, Clark Kent, Miz, Supreme, and Alladin. Rich also appeared in the movie "Juice" in the DJ battle scene, and recorded the scratches for the soundtrack. While working with Third Bass, he was one of the first DJs ever to do a DJ trick routine on TV when they appeared on the Arsenio Hall show.

Lawson did it with MC Serch and Pete Nice in 1987 to form the rap group 3 the Hard Way, which later became 3rd Bass. After releasing two albums in 1989 and 1991, the group split in 1992. Rich and Pete Nice collaborated on their only release together, the 1993 album Dust to Dust, which peaked at #171 on the Billboard 200, #50 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #3 on the Top Heatseekers.^[2][3]

Rich produced the track "I'm Kurious" for Kurious Jorge's 1994 debut, A Constipated Monkey, before leaving the music business. He resurfaced briefly in 1999 on The Madd Rapper's album Tell 'Em Why U Madd, providing scratches for the single "Dot Vs. TMR."

Rich also attended Farmingdale State College in Long Island.

[edit] Discography

[edit] 3rd Bass

• The Cactus Album, 1989
• Cactus Revisited, 1990
• Derelicts of Dialect, 1991

[edit] With Pete Nice

• Dust to Dust, 1993

[edit] Production

• "I'm Kurious" from the Kurious Jorge album A Constipated Monkey, 1994
• "Dot Vs. TMR" from the The Madd Rapper album Tell 'Em Why U Madd, 1999

[edit] References

Bill Paxton
Paxton in August 2011
Born	William Paxton (1955-05-17) May 17, 1955 (age 57) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, director
Years active	1974–present

William "Bill" Paxton (born May 17, 1955) is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic. Paxton starred in the HBO series Big Love (2006–2011).

[edit] Early life

Paxton was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, the son of Mary Lou (née Gray) and John Lane Paxton, a businessman, lumber wholesaler, museum executive, and occasional actor.^[1] He was raised Roman Catholic, his mother's religion.^[2] He attended St. Anne's Catholic School, Arlington Heights High School (Fort Worth, Texas), and Southwest Texas State University (San Marcos, Texas).^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Career

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Paxton in April 2010

Paxton has appeared in such films as Weird Science, Aliens, Apollo 13, Near Dark, Twister, Titanic and True Lies. Four years after appearing in Titanic, he joined James Cameron on an expedition to the actual Titanic. A film about this trip, Ghosts of the Abyss, was released in 2003.

Paxton has also directed a number of short films, including Fish Heads, which aired during Saturday Night Live's low-rated 1980-1981 season. He directed the feature films Frailty and The Greatest Game Ever Played.

Paxton was cast in a music video for the 1982 Pat Benatar song "Shadows of the Night," in which he appeared as a Nazi radio officer. He appears in Limp Bizkit video Eat You Alive.

In 1988, Paxton and the vocalist/guitarist Andrew Todd Rosenthal formed a short-lived rock duo Martini Ranch.

[edit] Personal life

Paxton was in the crowd waving when President John F. Kennedy emerged from the Hotel Texas in Ft. Worth, Texas, on the morning of his assassination, November 22, 1963. There are pictures at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas where 8-year-old Paxton can be seen astride the shoulders of an unidentified man.^[3]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bill Paxton

• Bill Paxton at the Internet Movie Database
• Bill Paxton at the TCM Movie Database
• Bill Paxton at AllRovi
• Bill Paxton and Bill Paxton - Movie Director at The Numbers
• Bill Paxton on National Public Radio in 2005
• Bill Paxton on National Public Radio in 2002

Amos Lee
Lee performing at Poptech in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Ryan Anthony Massaro
Born	1978 (age 33–34)
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres	Soul, folk, blues
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Blue Note
Website	amoslee.com

Amos Lee (born 1978 as Ryan Anthony Massaro^[1][2]) is an American singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk, rock and soul. He was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. After working as a schoolteacher and bartender he began to pursue a career in music. His manager submitted a demo recording to Blue Note Records which resulted in a recording contract and an association with Norah Jones.

Since that time Lee has recorded four albums on Blue Note Records and has toured as an opening act for Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Van Morrison, John Prine, Dave Matthews Band and Adele and his music has appeared on the soundtracks of numerous TV shows and movies. He has performed on several late night TV shows and at a voter registration rally for Barack Obama. In 2011, his album Mission Bell debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart^[3][4][5] and his music has been described as "1970s folk rock and rustic soul".

[edit] Early life and education

Lee was born Ryan Anthony Massaro in 1978 and was raised in Philadelphia.^[6][7] He moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey at age 11 and graduated from Cherry Hill High School East.^[7][5][4]

Lee attended the University of South Carolina and graduated with a degree in English and a minor in education.^[8] During his college years he developed an interest in music after being inspired by the John Prine album, Great Days.^[8][5] Later began playing the guitar and played the bass as part of a band while working at a record store where he was exposed to the music of Donny Hathaway, Joni Mitchell, Luther Vandross, Bill Withers and Otis Redding.^[8][9][10]

[edit] Career

After returning to Philadelphia, Lee worked as a second grade school teacher at the Mary McLeod Bethune School and as a bartender at local music venues. He performed at "open mic" events in the area and through his contacts with promoters, was hired as an opening act for artists like Mose Allison and B.B. King.^[7]

In 2003, Lee's manager sent a four-song demo CD to several record labels, and Eli Wolf of Blue Note Records heard the recording and was "immediately struck by his [Lee's] voice".^[8] Afterwards, Norah Jones heard the demo CD while visiting the record company and invited Lee to be the opening act for her 2004 tour.^[5]

The friendship between Lee's manager and the manager for Bob Dylan resulted in Lee touring with Dylan as his opening act in early 2005.^{[7][11][12][13]} Later Lee began touring on his own and recorded his self-titled and "widely praised" debut album of "subtle, folky soul"^{[6][14][10][15]} which included vocals and instrumentation by Norah Jones and members of her band.^[8] After it was released, the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and Lee was named one of Rolling Stone's "Top 10 Artists to Watch."^[9][16] One song from the album, called "Colors", appeared on the TV show Grey's Anatomy and in the film Just Like Heaven.^[17] Lee's music received additional media attention when he performed on late night TV shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman.^[18]

In 2006, Lee recorded his second album, Supply and Demand which was produced by Barrie Maguire. An NPR Music reviewer described it as having "more complicated instrumentation and production" than his prior work.^[15] The song "Shout Out Loud" was released as a single and peaked at No. 76 on the Billboard 200.^[19] and the song, called "Sweet Pea", was used in an AT&T ad campaign.^[17]

Lee's third studio album, Last Days at the Lodge was released in 2008 and re-emphasized "his grounding in folk and soul". The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 chart and Lee performed at the Change Rocks, voter registration rally for Barack Obama, in Philadelphia that summer.^[4][20][21]

In 2011, Lee released his fourth album on Blue Note Records, entitled Mission Bell which was produced by Joey Burns of Calexico. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, number one on the Digital Albums chart, number two on the Internet chart and number one on the Amazon Top-Selling Albums and iTunes charts.^[22] The album's single, "Windows are Rolled Down", became a top 10 hit on USA Today's adult-alternative chart.^[17] Guest artists on the album included Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Priscilla Ahn, Pieta Brown, James Gadson, and Sam Beam.^[12][23] The album was described by critics as tunes placed in "a stark landscape, enveloped by rustling percussion and reverberant drones" with a tones and lyrics that were more optimistic than prior albums.^[24][25] Other critics called it "a restless album with a gentle soul" and "another fine showcase for his [Lee's] elegant, soothing songwriting".^[26]

[edit] Reception

Lee's "folksy, bluesy sound" has been compared to that of John Prine and Norah Jones.^[27] His music is said to utilize the "supple funk of his vocals and arid strum of his guitar" while recalling "the low-volume, early-'70s acoustic soul of stars like Bill Withers and Minnie Ripperton".^[7] A New York Times music critic described Lee as having a "honeyed singing voice – light amber, mildly sweet, a touch of grain" which he features "squarely, without much fuss or undue strain" in his "1970s folk rock and rustic soul" musical song craft.^[24] According to a music writer at ABC News, Lee "has that folksy, bluesy vibe, with a bit of country twang" and a voice that is "ever soulful".^[25] Simultaneously Lee has been both lauded and dismissed as the "male Norah Jones" and^[3] his lyrics are said to convey "the complexities of everyday emotions" without falling into flowery imagery.^[8]

Lee's songs have appeared on a number of TV shows including the Parenthood (TV series).^[28][17]

[edit] Personal life

Lee describes himself as being of "mixed" ethnicity^[29] and maintains a residence in Philadelphia and while spending some winter months in San Francisco.^[6]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Extended plays

[edit] Singles

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Amos Lee's official website
• Amos Lee at Blue Note Records
• Amos Lee at NPR Music