Good morning Qcity! As we continue to look back over 2011, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the lives we lost this year. Feel free to leave comments of tribute. Who will you miss in 2012?

Heavy D, 44 – Rapper & Actor

Born Dwight Arrington Myers, the “overweight lover” died in November outside his Beverly Hills home. Yesterday, a coroner's report determined he had died of a pulmonary embolism caused by deep leg vein thrombosis, and a long flight back to L.A. from a Michael Jackson memorial concert may have been a contributing factor. "I felt like he was my guider, my person that just put me in place. He was my #1 believer," legendary producer Pete Rock said during a radio interview. "He was just too good to be true."
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Nick Ashford, 70 – Singer & Songwriter

Known for writing some of Motown’s biggest hits, along with his wife Valerie Simpson, Nick Ashford died in August while undergoing treatment for throat cancer. The duo penned chart-topping songs such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” expressing a hopeful view of love. “They had magic, and that’s what creates those wonderful hits, that magic,” Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire told The Associated Press. “Without those songs, those artists wouldn’t have been able to go to the next level.” 
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Nate Dog, 41 – Rapper & Singer ?

Nathaniel “Nate Dogg” Hale was one of hip hop’s most lauded male hook singers. He is most popular for the work he recorded with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. He died in March at the age of 41 after suffering several strokes. “His voice was synonymous with West Coast hip-hop,” said Russell Simmons. “He was a sweet gentleman who died too soon.” 

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Joe Frazier, 67 - Boxer

Smokin’ Joe Frazier went down in history as the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali. The two fought in three of the greatest boxing matches of all time, culminating at the “Thriller in Manila.” Frazier, who had been named one of the ten greatest heavyweights of all time, died in November. "The world has lost a great champion,” Ali said in a statement. “I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration."
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Gil Scott-Heron, 62 – Poet & Musician

The self-described "bluesologist" is credited with laying the foundation of hip-hop. Gil Scott-Heron fused soul, jazz, percussion and politically charged poetry into a potent mix. He died in May at age 62. " He gave us 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' & 'We Almost Lost Detroit.' And, in essence, he gave us hip-hop," tweeted documentary filmmaker Michael Moore after Heron’s passing.

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Amy Winehouse, 27 – Singer & Songwriter

Small and petite with a big beehive and even bigger voice, Amy Whinehouse exploded onto the music scene in 2006 with her second album, the Grammy Award winning "Back to Black." The troubled star’s untimely death in July made her a member of the “27 Club” along with other late performers such as Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin – who all died at the age of 27. "What a waste of a gifted person,” wrote Kelly Osborne. “I keep asking myself why some of us are spared and then others are made examples.  
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Vesta Williams, 53 – Singer

The R&B diva, known for her late 80s hits “Sweet, Sweet Love” and “Congratulations” was found dead in a Southern California hotel room this September after reportedly overdosing on prescription pills. "Vesta created some timeless hits than the world knows but there were depths to her artistry that the world at large did not get to hear," said Randall Grass, general manager Shanachie – the recording label Williams was signed to. "Aside from music, Vesta had many other accomplishments and brought a touch of class to all she did." 
 

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