Hiroshi Morie, known exclusively by his stage name Heath, is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He is the bass guitarist of the rock bandX Japan. He joined the group in 1992 when ex-bassist Taiji Sawada left the band. Heath stayed with X Japan until the band's dissolution in 1997 and reunited with the band from 2007 onward. After X Japan's breakup he focused on his solo career. In 2000, he founded Dope HEADz with fellow X Japan guitarist Pata and former Spread Beaver percussionist/programmer I.N.A. The group ceased activity after its second album in 2002. His stage name comes from his nickname "Hi-chan", which he adopted before 1986.
Career
1986–2006: Early bands, X Japan, solo career and other work
Heath's first known band was the heavy metal group Paranoia which he joined in 1986 as bassist, after their vocalist Nov moved on to the popular thrash metal band Aion. They released one album in 1987 before splitting up, and in 1988 he joined Sweet Beet as vocalist for a year. In 1990 he moved to Tokyo and got introduced to hide of X through a mutual friend, visiting their Nippon Budokan concert. In 1991 he played at Extasy Records' Extasy Summit '91 with a band called Majestic Isabelle. In April 1992 he joined Sweet Death, whom he had previously played with in 1990. Sweet Death was a band produced by Extasy Records, that same year the band's new leader Kiyoshi, decided to change their name to Media Youth. Heath did not stay with them long, because in May hide invited him to join X Japan after a rehearsal with the band. In June he left Media Youth and on August 24, 1992, at a press conference in New York at Rockefeller Center, it was announced that he had joined X. His first concert with them was the October 1992 Extasy Summit, and the following year they released Art of Life, which topped the Oricon chart. However, that year the members of X Japan took a break to start solo projects. Dahlia, which would become the band's last album, was released on November 4, 1996, and once again, it reached the number one spot. In September 1997, it was announced that X Japan would disband. They performed their farewell show, aptly titled "The Last Live", at the Tokyo Dome on December 31, 1997. In 1995, Heath released his first solo album, Heath, and his second, Gang Age Cubist, in 1998. For the 1999 hide tribute album, Tribute Spirits, Heath teamed up with X Japan guitarist Pata and former Spread Beaver percussionist/programmer I.N.A. to cover the song "Celebration". He reunited with them in 2000 when they formed Dope HEADz, adding vocalist Jo:Ya. They released two singles and an album in 2002 when they recruited new singer Shame and released Planet of Dope, but ceased activity soon after its release. in 2010 On December 29, 2003, he announced a new project called Rats, but after the release of their re-recording of Heath's "Traitor", the project was ended on August 29, 2004. That same year he formed a band called Lynx, with Der Zibet vocalist Issay, but they did not release any recordings. In 2005, Heath restarted his solo activities after a seven-year hiatus.
2007–present: X Japan reunion
According to a report by the newspaper Sponichi, X Japan vocalist Toshi visited drummer Yoshiki in Los Angeles in November 2006 to work on a song as a tribute to hide. In March 2007, Toshi announced on his website that he and Yoshiki had recently resumed working together, stating that a "new project" would commence soon. Rumors of a X Japan reunion subsequently began, and in June Yoshiki was reported as having expressed interest in a tour and that he was in talks with Heath and Pata regarding their participation. On October 22, 2007, X Japan announced their reunion and released the Saw IVtheme song, "I.V.". In 2010, they went on their first North American tour from September 25 to October 10. Their first world tour began with four gigs in Europe from June 28 to July 4, 2011, and was resumed from September to October with five shows in South America and five in Asia. In response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Japan on March 11, Heath supported X Japan vocalist Toshi in eight concerts throughout western Japan. All of the shows were acoustic in support of nationwide power conservation efforts and also featured Luna Sea's Shinya and the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa. All proceeds were donated to the Japanese Red Cross to aid the victims.
Equipment
Heath uses Fernandesbass guitars; currently using his signature model FJB-115H. He also had a signature model with Burny, produced by Fernandes, the DB-85H. When he first joined X Japan he used a Burny WB-X and then a Burny EB-X from 1993 until getting a signature model.
