About the Artist/Andrew Heller
After winning numerous competitions and singing awards in his teenage years and singing light opera, musicals, and formal church solos professionally to earn much of his way during his university years, Andrew Heller turned his attentions to high technology. He spent 23 years at IBM working his way to the very top echelons of technical and business management at the company. Among his awards and titles was the honor of being the youngest person ever appointed to the position of IBM Fellow, a lifelong title. He also served as the head (president) of the Independent Business Unit (IBU) at IBM, located in Austin, Texas, that created the family of computers and software now known as the RS6000, the Power PC family of microprocessors (that are now in Apple computers) and AIX.
After leaving IBM in the late 1980s, he has spent the last 14+ years in the creation and building of young and new high technology companies both as a venture capitalist and as and entrepreneur, a career that he continues to pursue today. Although he started these activities in the famed Silicon Valley, he returned to his beloved Austin in 1993 where he has remained.
Throughout the period from the late 1960s through the 1990s he continued singing to his wife of over three decades and a few select friends at anniversaries, birthdays, and other important family events. He also sang occasionally at various charity events and benefits as well as at an occasional party, but he did not pursue singing as a serious vocation or avocation. It was his wife, Mary Ann who finally convinced him by presenting him with a Christmas present of his first CD, to open his heart and his songs to a broader audience and to record CDs that would be available to the general public. The reaction to his first CD “Be My Love†sold to people in the central Texas area has been remarkable and surprised both he and his wife. (Be My Love is available at CDBaby.com, Amazon.com and at numerous local Austin merchants).
El Paso is Andrew’s first effort at recording his long beloved country, western and folk ballads, many of which he has sung and enjoyed since childhood. This CD and especially the original recording exists as the result of requests from several friends and admirers living in Austin, New York, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Maui, and Nashville among other places. Sprinkled among the songs on the CD are old favorites, some new CW songs, and a little known old tune from the hills of West Virginia that Andrew learned as a child.
In the last few months of 2004 the Hellers produced a Christmas CD, Christmas Wonder, that was well accepted and sold in local Austin stores in time for Christmas festivities. This CD brings back many of the great musical sounds and well known songs that have warmed hearts for generations but have not been recorded like this for many years. The CD has something for everyone who loves great music, fabulous singing, and Texas swinging. This year, the Christmas CD, Christmas Wonder, is available nationwide. Andrew sang several songs from his album with the Austin Symphony Orchestra in 2004 and will do so again in December of 2005.
Andrew’s newest album coming out at the beginning of 2006, Broadway Love, is filled with the beautiful love songs from many of the truly great musicals that played on Broadway during the 20th century. Songs from Roberta, Boys from Syracuse, South Pacific, West Side Story, Carousel, My Fair Lady, Pal Joey, Annie Get Your Gun, Paint Your Wagon, Camelot, and Showboat. The musicians include both local Austin talent and some of the old Nashville greats like Charlie McCoy and BeeGee (Cruiser) Adair. The arrangements are refreshing and beautiful for either gentle listening or dancing with your favorite partner.
Both Andrew and his wife remain deeply committed to Austin and Texas and both support and serve in many educational, musical, and philanthropic organizations. Andrew continues working in High Technology and has founded or managed a number of startup companies in Austin including HaL Computer Systems, Smart Technology, ClearCube, NexQL, and others.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.heller.comTrack List:
1. If I Loved You
2. Some Enchanted Evening
3. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
4. They Say That Falling in Love
5. I Could Have Danced All Night
6. This Can't Be Love
7. If Ever I Would Leave You
8. Younger Than Springtime
9. Bewitched
10. Make Believe
11. Mariah
12. Tonight
Other Genres:
