Andreao "Fanatic" Heard

Last updated

Andreao "Fanatic" Heard
Andreao "Fanatic" Heard.jpg
Background information
Birth nameAndreao Heard
Also known as
  • "Fanatic"
  • "Billie Lenox"
Born Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Origin New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • songwriter
  • singer
  • musical artist
Years active1987–present

Andreao "Fanatic" Heard (also known as Billie Lenox) is a record producer and a musical artist from Greensboro, North Carolina. [1]

Contents

Career

Discovered by Vincent Herbert, Heard moved to New York City, where he connected with Sean Combs and became a part of his "Hitmen" production team, producing records for the Notorious B.I.G. and Ma$e.

In 1997, Heard produced "Crush on You" for Lil' Kim and "Y'all Know" for Will Smith's debut solo studio album, Big Willie Style .

In 2001, he produced the song "Heaven Can Wait" for Michael Jackson.

Heard received recognition from the Grammy association for his participation as a producer on Beyoncé's 2003 debut solo Grammy Award-winning album Dangerously in Love , [2] [3] Fanatic also contributed as a producer on Anthony Hamilton's 2013 Grammy nominated album Back to Love . [4]

In 2019, Heard collaborated with Reynard Pringle, Mayor Nancy Vaughn and local artists in Greensboro, NC, to produce, A&R, and executive produce the Artists United to End Poverty album. [5] The album features original material in various genres of music, as well as interludes of spoken word by spiritual leaders and community activists. [6] It was released on September 9, 2019, jointly by Heard's non-profit and entertainment company, the Culture Pushers, [7] and Sixthboro Entertainment. All proceeds from the sales of the album went to United Way of Greater Greensboro to help end local poverty. [8] [9] [10] [11]

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References

  1. "Experience the Fanatic". CIVILIAN MAGAZINE. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  2. "Leah LaBelle Had a 'God-Given Gift': Producer Andreao 'Fanatic' Heard Remembers Late Singer, Talks Plans for Her Unreleased Music". Billboard. February 5, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  3. Arnold, Chuck (July 29, 2022). "The story behind Beyoncé's meteoric rise: From Destiny's Child to 'Renaissance'". New York Post. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  4. "Interview With Andreao Heard", HitQuarters , November 25, 2008.
  5. "Journeys of Discovery: Greensboro musicians unite to end poverty". KCBX. September 17, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  6. DeCwikiel-Kane, Dawn (July 15, 2019). "Album from Greensboro area musical artists will benefit United Way; producer Andreao "Fanatic" Heard says proceeds will fight local poverty". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  7. Wallace, Riley (December 26, 2018). "Surviving The Bad Boy Curse: "Crush On You" Producer Andreao Heard Talks Career & New Label". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  8. Adamian, John (August 23, 2019). "Music community tackles poverty". YES! Weekly. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  9. Matsuoka, Sayaka (September 11, 2019). "'We Are the World' in Greensboro: Local producer brings artists together to end poverty". Triad City Beat. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  10. Yost, Scott D. (August 30, 2019). "Greensboro Does Its Own "We Are The World" Album". The Rhino Times of Greensboro. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  11. "Artists United to END Poverty". United Way of Greater Greensboro. Retrieved April 2, 2024.