Official Biography
Aaliyah Which means, "the highest,
the best, the most exalted one," in Arabic was truly a angel sent to share her
blessing with the world. Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16,1979 in the
Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, to Micheal and Diane
Haughton, and had a older brother, Rashad. When Aaliyah was four her family
relocated to Detroit, Michigan, where Aaliyah spent her formative years. Her
mother had been a teacher and an aspiring singer, but she decided to devote
herself to her family full-time. Her father, Micheal begin working with his
brother in law, Barry Hankerson.
Together they started various business
projects. Aaliyah and her brother Rashad were best friends, even though they
sometimes fought like many brothers and little sisters. Rashad said,"She would
come to me and say I'm sorry and give me a kiss on the cheek she was always an
angel from the first day since she was born. She was my everything. "growing up
with her was amazing." She would run around the house and sing and it was never
annoying because she had a beautiful voice. "Aaliyah was always singing around
the house her family has videos of her singing her favorite songs, and she and
her mother would often sing together. She also loved animals growing up she had
so many pets around her house from dogs, ducks, and cats to snakes and iguanas. Aaliyah attended a Catholic School called Gesu Elementary in Detroit, a school
known for its elaborate theater productions. When Aaliyah was in the first
grade, she won her first stage role as one of the orphans in the musical Annie.
From that point on, she wanted to perform her spirit in show business. She also
went on to win larger roles at Gesu Elementary, productions such as 42nd Street
and Hello, Dolly which set her on a path to stardom. Aaliyah was an shy little
girl, but on stage, she just came alive. She just liked everything about
theater, the singing, the acting and dancing everything was worth it. Aaliyah's
parents completely supported her decision to want to become a divine influential
singer in the entertainment business. Pretty soon Aaliyah's parents began to
manage her career, at the age of eight Aaliyah's angelic vocals began to get
great recognition outside of family get together. She started to perform at
school functions and talent shows around the Detroit area, She was just amazing
that she began to land singing gigs at weddings. At the age of ten Aaliyah got
her first big break and suffered her bigest setback. She was selected to be on
Star Search the syndicated television show hosted by Ed MaMahon. A talent show
that had new, entertainers compete in categories like acting, singing, and
comedy. Aaliyah sang "My Funny Valentine," a famous song that was sang by many
talented legends such as Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald to name an few and
also she had heard hear mother sing the song many times before, so it was a
dream come true to perform it on Star Search. When the decision was announced,
that she did not win she cried but despite her lost Aaliyah was about to take
the entertainment world by storm. Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson, was then
married to R&B star Gladys Knight. Knight had been an R&B singer since the
1950's, Her group Gladys Knight and the pips had a classic soul sound, and their
popularity had spanned decades. Knight though it would be a good idea to take 11
year old Aaliyah with her on the road to see how she would like performing. For
a week Aaliyah appeared in the show, singing both solos and duets with her aunt
Gladys. "She loved everything about it", said Knight. In 1993 Aaliyah's uncle
Barry Hankerson formed his own record label, call Blackground Records, and he
brought the company his first signing: Aaliyah. He then made a deal for Aaliyah
to work with R. Kelly a hot R&B star who Writes and produce his own songs. R.
Kelly wrote and produced the songs for her album. The album was released in
1994, it was called Age Ain't Nothing But A Number and even though it was her
first album it became a great success. Aaliyah's recording career started when
she was 15 and still in school which was the Detroit High School for the
Performing Arts. DSA, as it was called, the school was for students who were
serious about both school and entertainment careers. Aaliyah chose to major in
singing, acting, and dance when she auditioned to be admitted to the school, she
sang "Ave Maria" in Latin. During the time of the first Album rumors started to
spark that Aaliyah and her long time mentor R. Kelly was romantically involved,
at the time Kelly was 27, and Aaliyah was 15, but both sides denied the Rumors
and Aaliyah spoke out to clear her name. In the end Aaliyah and R. Kelly parted
ways. In the year of 1996 for her second album One in a Million she hooked up
with a new producer name Timbaland who loved to create innovative rhythms. She
also chose Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot to write and produce with Timbaland. With
their Beats and writing skills put over Aaliyah's Angelic vocals a new age of
music was born a sound no one had ever heard before. The critics liked One in a
Million, and the public loved it- They bought two million copies. Even though Aaliyah was a mega star she continued to stay grounded, she was still a serious
student in high school she wanted to make sure she got her school work done.
Aaliyah graduated in 1997 with a pefect 4.0 GPA. She even talked about going on
to earn a doctorate (Ph.D.) in music history. She was a perfectionist and a very
hard worker at anything she did. Aaliyah also began to branch out to movie
music. She began with the song "The Thing I Like" for Keenan Ivory Waynans's
1995 movie A Low Dirty Shame. She recorded a song for the Disney movie
Anastasia. The song was nominated for a Academy Award in 1998, She also
performed the song at the Oscar award ceremony. She then went on to record "Are
You That Somebody?" for the Eddie Murphy hit, Dr. Dolittle. The song was such a
big hit that it went all the way to top of the R&B charts, and also did well in
the pop music market, and was nominated for a grammy award. This single,
considered a musical milestone, was called "the most radical pop single" of the
year by critic Simon Reynolds. In 1999, she recorded "Turn The Page" for the
film Music of the Heart, and she was also a singer and executive producer for
the music in her first movie, Romeo Must Die. Aaliyah had always wanted to
achieve being a entertainer to the fullest. Longevity was a main part of
Aaliyah's growth. Singing, acting, and dancing was all part of her dreams. Now
that her music career was firmly established, she was ready to work on her
acting career. Filming started in 2000 with the release of her first movie Romeo
Must Die. The plot is loosely based on Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. In
this action film, Aaliyah played Trish O'Day the Juliet character and Jet-Li
played Han, the Romeo character. The movie was a suprised hit with moviegoers,
even though many critics were not that impressed with it overall. Aaliyah's
performance was considered excellent, especially for a new actress, She also
recorded music for the movie and won MTV awards for Best Video, both for "Try
Again." In July 2001, Aaliyah's third Album, which was self titled Aaliyah,
debuted at number two on the billboard charts, it had been five years since her
last album immediately began to recieve positive reviews from music critics at
Time, Vibe, Spin, and Rolling Stone and fuller, with her trademark soft vocal
over hard beats. According to Kelefa Sanneh in the New York Times, "She was only
22, but she had recorded some of the most innovative and influential pop songs
of the last five years." Aaliyah's promising young life and career, was about to
sky rocket to the very top until an tragic accident claimed her life on August
25, 2001, Aaliyah was in location in the Bahamas shooting a video for her second
single "Rock the Boat," off her successful third album, Aaliyah. She had finish
shooting the video and was perparing to return back to the states on a small
Cessna 402B aircraft from Abaco Island to Opa-Locka Airport near Miami when just
200 feet after takeoff, the plane crashed. Killing 22 year old Aaliyah and her
crew. Her personal hairstylist, Eric Forman, 29;
makeup artist Christopher
Maldonado, 32; bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Virgin Records executive Douglas
Kratz, 28; hairstylist Anthony Dodd, 34; Gina Smith, 29, and Keith Wallace, 49,
of Black ground Records; and pilot Luis Morales III, 30. Reports say that the
plane was too overloaded with baggage and other equipment but the cause of the
accident is still under investigation by Bahamian authorities. Aaliyah's funeral
was held on August 31, 2001 in New York City, at St. Ignatius Loyola Roman
Catholic Church. Hundred's of fans lined up outside waiting as her casket
arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, chosen by her family because she loved
horses. There was a private service that was attended by her shocked and
devastated friends, family, and recording industry associates, after the
service, Aaliyah's mother Diane released 22 white doves in honor of her 22
years. Her third album was just released in July and doing well. Her movie Queen
of the Damned was set to released several months later. She also had other film
projects under her belt like the sequals to The Matrix's, the remake of the
movie Sparkle and another movie that was being talked about call Something Kind
of Blue. But even though she didn't get to finish these wonderful projects that
she loved so dearly within her heart. We know within our own hearts that she was
and still is the most amazing talented young entertainer of all time. A
entertainer who never give up on her purpose to touch other people's lives. And
just like she said in her own words," Everything is worth it. The hard work, the
times when you're tired, the times when you're a bit sad...In the end, it's all
worth it because it really makes me happy. There's nothing better than loving
what you do." R.I.P Babygirl
Other Biography One
Since exploding on to the music scene in 1994 with her debut single Back and
Forth, which claimed the top spot of Billboard's R&B Singles chart, Aaliyah has
always led the pack with her cutting edge style in music.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York. At age
five, her family transported from Brooklyn and settled in Detroit, Michigan,
where Aaliyah spent most of her young and teenage years. Growing up, Miss
Haughton did a lot of singing, thanks in part to her parents who introduce the
young singer to the many different styles of music. However, she did
not realize
her full potential until the age of six years old, when she auditioned for a
role in her elementary school play of Annie.
Although Aaliyah only played a small role (she was a young orphan) this event
did spark her interest in becoming a singer and set her on her road to stardom.
But this road was tough, and like many other young artist starting out, Aaliyah
had to first pay her dues. She began auditioning and performing all over
Detroit, hoping that someone would sign her and give her her first break. At age
ten, she got that break when she hit the famous Star Search stage performing her
own rendition of Chaka Khan's
My Funny Valentine. Although Aaliyah did not win the competition, she would look
back and remember it as a real learning experience. Her next big show was at the
age of 11, when young Aaliyah got an opportunity to sing with Gladys Knight's
troupe on a Las Vegas stage, an experience that Aaliyah will always remember
fondly of. Aaliyah's introduction to producer/singer R. Kelly marked a major
turning point in her career (R. Kelly was introduced to Aaliyah via her uncle,
Barry Hankerson, who was also R. Kelly's manager at the time). From there, R.
Kelly helped Aaliyah craft an impressive debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But a
Number. An album that would transpose the young unknown from Detroit to an
international star. Age,which yield two gold singles and a platinum album, set
record labels scrambling to find their versions of young, talented singers who
could captivated audiences, in other words, another Aaliyah.
Like any other superstar, Aaliyah was not immune to the backlashes of the press
and the haters out there in the world. Rumors began springing up of an alleged
relationship and marriage between R. Kelly and the young singer. Although Aaliyah denied it countless times,people are usually hard of hearing when it
comes to the truth. So, listen up people. The truth of the matter is that they
were NEVER married and Aaliyah is NOT pregnant nor has she ever been pregnant.Three quite years passed, with many wondering when the next Aaliyah project
would drop. Teasing the audience with numerous guest appearances and songs off
soundtracks, the world was more than ready for the return of the highest most
exalted one.In 1997, Aaliyah finally emerged through and came out strong with
the impressive and critically acclaimed album, One In a Million. This album,
which was a result of countless studio hours and numerous producers such as
Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Kay-Gee and Jermaine Dupri, showed Aaliyah's growth and
maturity, this time around. One In a Million, went double platinum silencing all
her critics as well as questions as to whether or not she was just a one hit
wonder. The first single off the album, If Your Girl Only Knew, went straight to
#1 on the Billboard Top R&B charts as well as hitting Top Ten on the Billboard
100 Chart.
Since then Aaliyah has been knocking down achievements left and right. Her song
on the Anastasia soundtrack led to an Oscar nomination as well as an opportunity
to perform the song on Oscar night. Are You That Somebody became the surprise
summer hit of 1998. And 1999, marked the year Aaliyah made her successful debut
movie, Romeo Must Die, alongside international superstar Jet Li.And her hit song
Try Again off the Romeo Must Die soundtrack, became the first song to hit #1 on
the Billboard 100 Singles Chart based on Airplay alone. No small job for just an
ordinary girl.
Then again, Aaliyah has never been just an ordinary girl and the world has
finally realized that she is an amazing blessing to us all.When considering
Aaliyah’s track record, it’s befitting that her name means “the highest, most
exalted one, the best.” Her parents,Diane and Michael, decided on this name long
before Aaliyah (Aah-Lee-Yah) was even conceived based on the high hopes and
expectations they had for their daughter. Her success as both a recording artist
and actress actually makes the name a self-fulfilling prophecy. Aaliyah has made
her parents’ dreams come true and has also fulfilled many of her own. At 21, she
not only has a very successful recording career and has established herself as a
motion picture actress but has also proven to be an accomplished business woman.
In July 2001, her unexpected, but final self-titled album was released. With Aaliyah's growing popularity, the album was a hit the day it was released, and
again proved her talent as an artist. Although everyone saw a bright future and
many more years of music, dance,movies, and fame for this young woman, she
suddenly died (August 25, 2001) in a small plane crash, along with 8 others
after takeoff from the Bahamas. The death of this multi-talented artist was
tragic, and she will be deeply missed by many. But, she will live on through her
music and the memories of her fans and those who were close to her.
Aaliyah created a great impact on the R'n'B industry and this is one of their
biggest losses. Aaliyah worked hard for her reputation and just started to show
her magic, she will be deeply remembered although she still lives on in our
hearts.
And remember the saying has changed: If at first you don't succeed try another
way, Aaliyah has now turned it to, If at first you don't succeed then dust
yourself off and try again.
Other Biography Two
Aaliyah Dana Haughton, 16 January 1979, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA,
d. 25 August 2001, Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island, Bahamas, West Indies. Although
she grew up in Detroit, Michigan, Aaliyah pronounced Ah-Lee-Yah ("highest, most
exalted one" in Swahili), initially came to attention as part of the "new jill
swing' movement in the mid-90s. Her early career was fostered by R. Kelly
(although rumours of a personal relationship are still disputed), and 1994"s
debut Age Ain't Nothing But A Number included the US Top 10 singles "Back &
Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)". She travelled to Kelly's home in
Chicago for the sessions while she was still a student at the Detroit High
School of the Performing Arts. She remained a "straight A's" student throughout
the first stage of her recording career, persevering with her education despite
commercial success.
After breaking her partnership with Kelly, Aaliyah released 1996's superior
follow-up, One In A Million, on which she worked with hotshot producer Timbaland.
Soundtrack work followed, with contributions to Anastasia ("Journey To The
Past") and Dr. Dolittle ("Are You That Somebody?").
Aaliyah also began filming
on her screen debut in Andrzej Bartkowiak's Romeo Must Die. "Try Again", taken
from the movie soundtrack, went to the top of the US singles chart in June 2000.
The following year's self-titled third album demonstrated a new maturity and
confidence, with Aaliyah publically bidding farewell to her teenage years and
fashioning a bold new sound with collaborator Timbaland.
Tragedy struck in August 2001 when, after filming a video in the Bahamas,
Aaliyah and various members of her record company attempted to fly home. The
small light aircraft crashed killing Aaliyah and her entourage. Her third album
posthumously climbed to the number 1 position in America, while in the UK "More
Than A Woman" reached the top of the singles chart in January 2002.
Other Biography Three
Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 16th, 1979 as Aaliyah Dana
Haughton. She was moved to Detroit when she was five years old. I think her
first acting role was as an orphan when her elementary school performed the
play, "Annie." she wasn't the main orphan. At 10 years old, she performed on
Star Search, which was a very popular talent show at the time. She lost. When
she was 11 years old, she performed with Gladys Knight. Aaliyah's uncle, Barry
Hankerson, was Gladys' ex-husband. It was at age 12 that the things happened,
which caused her music career to soar.
Barry was the manager for Robert Kelly, better known as R. Kelly. R. Kelly was a
popular singer and extraordinary producer then, as he is now. I probably need to
make a webpage about him. With guidance and guest vocals from R. Kelly,
Aaliyah's first album was formed. It was called, "Age Ain't Nothing But a
Number." This is when I got my first Aaliyah album.
Shortly after she became popular, rumors started. People were saying Aaliyah had
a relationship with R. Kelly. While the rumors were never publicly confirmed,
the stories were fueled by the title of her album, and the obviously close
relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly. I think the rumors peaked with people
saying there were a marriage license and an abortion. I don't know if any of
that is true.
The next album was, "One In A Million." I got that one too. Interestingly, R.
Kelly wasn't on this one. She met Timbaland though. Timbaland is another
extraordinary producer. Aaliyah's success grew even more. Her list of songs for
movie soundtracks was increasing too. This is the album with my favorite song,
"Hot Like Fire." I like the remix.
Her biggest contribution to a soundtrack was probably for the movie, "Romeo Must
Die." This was also her first movie role. Unlike her role in Annie, this time
Aaliyah was the star, and she was alongside Jet Li, a popular actor and martial
artist. Honestly, I did not like the movie because all of the Black people kept
getting beat up and the fight scenes were so fake. I still have it on tape
though because Aaliyah is in it. She played her role well, as DMX played his
well. They collaborated on the soundtrack. Timbaland was on the album too. If
you want to see DMX shine as an actor, then I suggest you watch "Exit Wounds."
We haven't seen the last of Aaliyah either. She has at least two movies that are
not released yet.
This brings us to Aaliyah's third album, "Aaliyah." Guess what. I got that one
too. Her first single, "We Need A Resolution," shows how she has grown as a
woman. At only 22 years old, Aaliyah had a successful movie, two successful
albums, and many fans behind her. She had an even more promising career in front
of her. Her last artistic work was the filming of the music video, "Rock The
Boat."
After the filming of the video, Aaliyah and those who worked with her were
returning home on a small plane. The plane crashed, killing everyone onboard. I
don't know exactly what to say about that. I think maybe we should use this to
help us understand what is really important, since even a person who has
"everything" can suddenly have it all taken away.
I am a
member of the African Methodist Church so I don't believe people just die. I believe God takes people home. My faith has been tested recently, as my
aunt has become sick. I found out today that she had a stroke. After first
hearing about Aaliyah, then hearing about terrorist attacks, and now hearing
about what my aunt is going through, it seems like things just get worse and
worse. I'm not going to let this hold me down and I have prayed for Aaliyah's
family as well as other people who are suffering in our country because I do not
want these tragedies to hold them down either.
Aaliyah's next video is Rock The Boat. She looks beautiful in that video and I
think the song is nice. After that, there will be a video for More Than A Woman,
and her movies to look forward to. As the intro says, the soul lives on.
BIOGRAPHY
Together they started various business
projects. Aaliyah and her brother Rashad were best friends, even though they
sometimes fought like many brothers and little sisters. Rashad said,"She would
come to me and say I'm sorry and give me a kiss on the cheek she was always an
angel from the first day since she was born. She was my everything. "growing up
with her was amazing." She would run around the house and sing and it was never
annoying because she had a beautiful voice. "Aaliyah was always singing around
the house her family has videos of her singing her favorite songs, and she and
her mother would often sing together. She also loved animals growing up she had
so many pets around her house from dogs, ducks, and cats to snakes and iguanas. Aaliyah attended a Catholic School called Gesu Elementary in Detroit, a school
known for its elaborate theater productions. When Aaliyah was in the first
grade, she won her first stage role as one of the orphans in the musical Annie.
From that point on, she wanted to perform her spirit in show business. She also
went on to win larger roles at Gesu Elementary, productions such as 42nd Street
and Hello, Dolly which set her on a path to stardom. Aaliyah was an shy little
girl, but on stage, she just came alive. She just liked everything about
theater, the singing, the acting and dancing everything was worth it. Aaliyah's
parents completely supported her decision to want to become a divine influential
singer in the entertainment business. Pretty soon Aaliyah's parents began to
manage her career, at the age of eight Aaliyah's angelic vocals began to get
great recognition outside of family get together. She started to perform at
school functions and talent shows around the Detroit area, She was just amazing
that she began to land singing gigs at weddings. At the age of ten Aaliyah got
her first big break and suffered her bigest setback. She was selected to be on
Star Search the syndicated television show hosted by Ed MaMahon. A talent show
that had new, entertainers compete in categories like acting, singing, and
comedy. Aaliyah sang "My Funny Valentine," a famous song that was sang by many
talented legends such as Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald to name an few and
also she had heard hear mother sing the song many times before, so it was a
dream come true to perform it on Star Search. When the decision was announced,
that she did not win she cried but despite her lost Aaliyah was about to take
the entertainment world by storm. Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson, was then
married to R&B star Gladys Knight. Knight had been an R&B singer since the
1950's, Her group Gladys Knight and the pips had a classic soul sound, and their
popularity had spanned decades. Knight though it would be a good idea to take 11
year old Aaliyah with her on the road to see how she would like performing. For
a week Aaliyah appeared in the show, singing both solos and duets with her aunt
Gladys. "She loved everything about it", said Knight. In 1993 Aaliyah's uncle
Barry Hankerson formed his own record label, call Blackground Records, and he
brought the company his first signing: Aaliyah. He then made a deal for Aaliyah
to work with R. Kelly a hot R&B star who Writes and produce his own songs. R.
Kelly wrote and produced the songs for her album. The album was released in
1994, it was called Age Ain't Nothing But A Number and even though it
was her
first album it became a great success. Aaliyah's recording career started when
she was 15 and still in school which was the Detroit High School for the
Performing Arts. DSA, as it was called, the school was for students who were
serious about both school and entertainment careers. Aaliyah chose to major in
singing, acting, and dance when she auditioned to be admitted to the school, she
sang "Ave Maria" in Latin. During the time of the first Album rumors started to
spark that Aaliyah and her long time mentor R. Kelly was romantically involved,
at the time Kelly was 27, and Aaliyah was 15, but both sides denied the Rumors
and Aaliyah spoke out to clear her name. In the end Aaliyah and R. Kelly parted
ways. In the year of 1996 for her second album One in a Million she hooked up
with a new producer name Timbaland who loved to create innovative rhythms. She
also chose Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot to write and produce with Timbaland. With
their Beats and writing skills put over Aaliyah's Angelic vocals a new age of
music was born a sound no one had ever heard before. The critics liked One in a
Million, and the public loved it- They bought two million copies. Even though Aaliyah was a mega star she continued to stay grounded, she was still a serious
student in high school she wanted to make sure she got her school work done.
Aaliyah graduated in 1997 with a pefect 4.0 GPA. She even talked about going on
to earn a doctorate (Ph.D.) in music history. She was a perfectionist and a very
hard worker at anything she did. Aaliyah also began to branch out to movie
music. She began with the song "The Thing I Like" for Keenan Ivory Waynans's
1995 movie A Low Dirty Shame. She recorded a song for the Disney movie
Anastasia. The song was nominated for a Academy Award in 1998, She also
performed the song at the Oscar award ceremony. She then went on to record "Are
You That Somebody?" for the Eddie Murphy hit, Dr. Dolittle. The song was such a
big hit that it went all the way to top of the R&B charts, and also did well in
the pop music market, and was nominated for a grammy award. This single,
considered a musical milestone, was called "the most radical pop single" of the
year by critic Simon Reynolds. In 1999, she recorded "Turn The Page" for the
film Music of the Heart, and she was also a singer and executive producer for
the music in her first movie, Romeo Must Die. Aaliyah had always wanted to
achieve being a entertainer to the fullest. Longevity was a main part of
Aaliyah's growth. Singing, acting, and dancing was all part of her dreams. Now
that her music career was firmly established, she was ready to work on her
acting career. Filming started in 2000 with the release of her first movie Romeo
Must Die. The plot is loosely based on Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. In
this action film, Aaliyah played Trish O'Day the Juliet character and Jet-Li
played Han, the Romeo character. The movie was a suprised hit with moviegoers,
even though many critics were not that impressed with it overall. Aaliyah's
performance was considered excellent, especially for a new actress, She also
recorded music for the movie and won MTV awards for Best Video, both for "Try
Again." In July 2001, Aaliyah's third Album, which was self titled Aaliyah,
debuted at number two on the billboard charts, it had been five years since her
last album immediately began to recieve positive reviews from music critics at
Time, Vibe, Spin, and Rolling Stone and fuller, with her trademark soft vocal
over hard beats. According to Kelefa Sanneh in the New York Times, "She was only
22, but she had recorded some of the most innovative and influential pop songs
of the last five years." Aaliyah's promising young life and career, was about to
sky rocket to the very top until an tragic accident claimed her life on August
25, 2001, Aaliyah was in location in the Bahamas shooting a video for her second
single "Rock the Boat," off her successful third album, Aaliyah. She had finish
shooting the video and was perparing to return back to the states on a small
Cessna 402B aircraft from Abaco Island to Opa-Locka Airport near Miami when just
200 feet after takeoff, the plane crashed. Killing 22 year old Aaliyah and her
crew. Her personal hairstylist, Eric Forman, 29;
makeup artist Christopher
Maldonado, 32; bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Virgin Records executive Douglas
Kratz, 28; hairstylist Anthony Dodd, 34; Gina Smith, 29, and Keith Wallace, 49,
of Black ground Records; and pilot Luis Morales III, 30. Reports say that the
plane was too overloaded with baggage and other equipment but the cause of the
accident is still under investigation by Bahamian authorities. Aaliyah's funeral
was held on August 31, 2001 in New York City, at St. Ignatius Loyola Roman
Catholic Church. Hundred's of fans lined up outside waiting as her casket
arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, chosen by her family because she loved
horses. There was a private service that was attended by her shocked and
devastated friends, family, and recording industry associates, after the
service, Aaliyah's mother Diane released 22 white doves in honor of her 22
years. Her third album was just released in July and doing well. Her movie Queen
of the Damned was set to released several months later. She also had other film
projects under her belt like the sequals to The Matrix's, the remake of the
movie Sparkle and another movie that was being talked about call Something Kind
of Blue. But even though she didn't get to finish these wonderful projects that
she loved so dearly within her heart. We know within our own hearts that she was
and still is the most amazing talented young entertainer of all time. A
entertainer who never give up on her purpose to touch other people's lives. And
just like she said in her own words," Everything is worth it. The hard work, the
times when you're tired, the times when you're a bit sad...In the end, it's all
worth it because it really makes me happy. There's nothing better than loving
what you do." R.I.P Babygirl
not realize
her full potential until the age of six years old, when she auditioned for a
role in her elementary school play of Annie.
Although Aaliyah only played a small role (she was a young orphan) this event
did spark her interest in becoming a singer and set her on her road to stardom.
But this road was tough, and like many other young artist starting out, Aaliyah
had to first pay her dues. She began auditioning and performing all over
Detroit, hoping that someone would sign her and give her her first break. At age
ten, she got that break when she hit the famous Star Search stage performing her
own rendition of Chaka Khan's
My Funny Valentine. Although Aaliyah did not win the competition, she would look
back and remember it as a real learning experience. Her next big show was at the
age of 11, when young Aaliyah got an opportunity to sing with Gladys Knight's
troupe on a Las Vegas stage, an experience that Aaliyah will always remember
fondly of. Aaliyah's introduction to producer/singer R. Kelly marked a major
turning point in her career (R. Kelly was introduced to Aaliyah via her uncle,
Barry Hankerson, who was also R. Kelly's manager at the time). From there, R.
Kelly helped Aaliyah craft an impressive debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But a
Number. An album that would transpose the young unknown from Detroit to an
international star. Age,which yield two gold singles and a platinum album, set
record labels scrambling to find their versions of young, talented singers who
could captivated audiences, in other words, another Aaliyah.
Like any other superstar, Aaliyah was not immune to the backlashes of the press
and the haters out there in the world. Rumors began springing up of an alleged
relationship and marriage between R. Kelly and the young singer. Although Aaliyah denied it countless times,people are usually hard of hearing when it
comes to the truth. So, listen up people. The truth of the matter is that they
were NEVER married and Aaliyah is NOT pregnant nor has she ever been pregnant.Three quite years passed, with many wondering when the next Aaliyah project
would drop. Teasing the audience with numerous guest appearances and songs off
soundtracks, the world was more than ready for the return of the highest most
exalted one.In 1997, Aaliyah finally emerged through and came out strong with
the impressive and critically acclaimed album, One In a Million. This album,
which was a result of countless studio hours and numerous producers such as
Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Kay-Gee and Jermaine Dupri, showed Aaliyah's growth and
maturity, this time around. One In a Million, went double platinum silencing all
her critics as well as questions as to whether or not she was just a one hit
wonder. The first single off the album, If Your Girl Only Knew, went straight to
#1 on the Billboard Top R&B charts as well as hitting Top Ten on the Billboard
100 Chart.
Since then Aaliyah has been knocking down achievements left and right. Her song
on the Anastasia soundtrack led to an Oscar nomination as well as an opportunity
to perform the song on Oscar night. Are You That Somebody became the surprise
summer hit of 1998. And 1999, marked the year Aaliyah made her successful debut
movie, Romeo Must Die, alongside international superstar Jet Li.And her hit song
Try Again off the Romeo Must Die soundtrack, became the first song to hit #1 on
the Billboard 100 Singles Chart based on Airplay alone. No small job for just an
ordinary girl.
Then again, Aaliyah has never been just an ordinary girl and the world has
finally realized that she is an amazing blessing to us all.When considering
Aaliyah’s track record, it’s befitting that her name means “the highest, most
exalted one, the best.” Her parents,Diane and Michael, decided on this name long
before Aaliyah (Aah-Lee-Yah) was even conceived based on the high hopes and
expectations they had for their daughter. Her success as both a recording artist
and actress actually makes the name a self-fulfilling prophecy. Aaliyah has made
her parents’ dreams come true and has also fulfilled many of her own. At 21, she
not only has a very successful recording career and has established herself as a
motion picture actress but has also proven to be an accomplished business woman.
In July 2001, her unexpected, but final self-titled album was released. With
Aaliyah's growing popularity, the album was a hit the day it was released, and
again proved her talent as an artist. Although everyone saw a bright future and
many more years of music, dance,movies, and fame for this young woman, she
suddenly died (August 25, 2001) in a small plane crash, along with 8 others
after takeoff from the Bahamas. The death of this multi-talented artist was
tragic, and she will be deeply missed by many. But, she will live on through her
music and the memories of her fans and those who were close to her.
Aaliyah created a great impact on the R'n'B industry and this is one of their
biggest losses. Aaliyah worked hard for her reputation and just started to show
her magic, she will be deeply remembered although she still lives on in our
hearts.
And remember the saying has changed: If at first you don't succeed try another
way, Aaliyah has now turned it to, If at first you don't succeed then dust
yourself off and try again.
Aaliyah also began filming
on her screen debut in Andrzej Bartkowiak's Romeo Must Die. "Try Again", taken
from the movie soundtrack, went to the top of the US singles chart in June 2000.
The following year's self-titled third album demonstrated a new maturity and
confidence, with Aaliyah publically bidding farewell to her teenage years and
fashioning a bold new sound with collaborator Timbaland.
Tragedy struck in August 2001 when, after filming a video in the Bahamas,
Aaliyah and various members of her record company attempted to fly home. The
small light aircraft crashed killing Aaliyah and her entourage. Her third album
posthumously climbed to the number 1 position in America, while in the UK "More
Than A Woman" reached the top of the singles chart in January 2002.
member of the African Methodist Church so I don't believe people just die. I believe God takes people home. My faith has been tested recently, as my
aunt has become sick. I found out today that she had a stroke. After first
hearing about Aaliyah, then hearing about terrorist attacks, and now hearing
about what my aunt is going through, it seems like things just get worse and
worse. I'm not going to let this hold me down and I have prayed for Aaliyah's
family as well as other people who are suffering in our country because I do not
want these tragedies to hold them down either.
Aaliyah's next video is Rock The Boat. She looks beautiful in that video and I
think the song is nice. After that, there will be a video for More Than A Woman,
and her movies to look forward to. As the intro says, the soul lives on.