TIME LINE

             

1979    

Aaliyah was Born January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, Aaliyah (Haughton) now makes Detroit her home. Aaliyah began her performing at the young age of 11 when she sang on-stage with Gladys Knight's troupe in Las Vegas. Nicknamed, "Liyah," Aaliyah just graduated from the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts (June, '97). With 2 hit LPs by the time she was 18 years old, Aaliyah has already established herself as an up-and-coming R&B force. After a childhood of intermittent performances including Star Search and TV pilots, Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson (Gladys Knight's ex-husband) introduced Aaliyah to a performer he was managing, R. Kelly. The meeting resulted in Kelly producing (and writing most songs on) Aaliyah's debut LP, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.

1994    

button.gif (123 bytes) Entertainment Weekly said of Aaliyah: "...imagine En Vogue packed into one teenage body and backed by hip-hop svengali R. Kelly and you have Aaliyah..."
button.gif (123 bytes) As Aaliyah's star began to rise, rumors surfaced about a possible marriage between 15 year-old Aaliyah and 25+ Kelly. The rumor was never confirmed or denied.
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "Back And Forth" was certified gold.

MAY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "Back And Forth."
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the Billboard R&B Singles chart for 3 weeks and the R&B Singles Sales chart for 5 weeks with "Back And Forth."

JUNE
button.gif (123 bytes) Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was released and gave Aaliyah 2 Top 5 pop hits: "Back And Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)." R. Kelly wrote all the songs on the LP (except "At Your Best (You Are Love)).
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "Back And Forth."
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the Billboard R&B Airplay chart for a week with "Back And Forth."

JULY
button.gif (123 bytes) Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was certified gold.

SEPTEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "At Your Best (You Are Love)."
button.gif (123 bytes) Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was certified platinum.

OCTOBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "At Your Best (You Are Love)."
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "At Your Best" was certified gold.

1995    

JANUARY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for an American Music Award for Favourite Soul/R&B New Artist.

NOVEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah appeared on the soundtrack for Low Down Dirty Shame with "The Thing I Like."

1996    

APRIL
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah could be heard on the soundtrack for Sunset Park with "Are You Ready."

AUGUST
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah's alliance with Kelly was not present on her 2nd LP released - One In A Million. The LP gave Aaliyah another Top 10 pop hit with "If Your Girl Only Knew" as well as the hits "One In A Million" and "4 Page Letter." Another track on the LP was a remake of Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up." Aaliyah extended her reputation for sultry, street-wise sounds and videos. The Source proclaimed: "...Aaliyah is ready to showcase her mature side..."

SEPTEMBER
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "If Your Girl Only Knew."
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart for 2 weeks and the Hot R&B Singles Sales chart for a week with "If Your Girl Only Knew."

OCTOBER
button.gif (123 bytes) One In A Million was certified gold.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "If Your Girl Only Knew."

1997    

JANUARY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "One In A Million."
button.gif (123 bytes) "One In A Million" topped the Billboard R&B Singles Airplay chart for 6 weeks.

FEBRUARY
button.gif (123 bytes) One In A Million was certified platinum.

JUNE
button.gif (123 bytes) One In A Million was certified 2x platinum.

JULY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "4 Page Letter."

OCTOBER
button.gif (123 bytes) A good start with getting into movies came with Aaliyah's contribution to the Anastasia soundtrack with the track "Journey To The Past."
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "The One I Gave My Heart To."
button.gif (123 bytes) The single "The One I Gave My Heart To" was certified gold.

NOVEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "The One I Gave My Heart To."

1998    

JUNE
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah could be heard on the Dr. Doolittle soundtrack with the Top 5 hit "Are You That Somebody?" (and seen in the film with a cameo appearance).
button.gif (123 bytes) As for her next LP, Aaliyah told MTV: "I haven't really started anything just yet... I do have some ideas... I'm gonna keep them a secret... but definitely I will be working with my family (including Missy Elliott and Ginuwine)... but as far as other ideas, I haven't really decided a lot of things just yet."
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for a Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female ("One In A Million").

AUGUST
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "Are You That Somebody?"
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the Billboard R&B Singles Airplay chart with "Are You That Somebody?" for 8 weeks.

SEPTEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "Are You That Somebody?"

1999    

JANUARY
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.

FEBRUARY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance - Female ("Are You That Somebody?").
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video (all for "Are You That Somebody?").

AUGUST
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for 2 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Song and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video ("Are You That Somebody?").

SEPTEMBER
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Best R&B Video and Best Video from a Film ("Are You That Somebody?").
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah could be heard on the soundtrack for Music Of The Heart with "Turn The Page."

DECEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah showed up on the soundtrack for Next Friday with "I Don't Wanna."

2000    

MARCH
 button.gif (123 bytes) New material by Aaliyah could be found on the soundtrack for Romeo Must Die including a track with DMX, "Come Back In One Piece" and the tracks "Try Again" and "Are You Feelin' Me?" Aaliyah also starred in the film. She also talked with MTV about the movie and her next LP: "I had to stop the album to do the movie and then stop it again to do the soundtrack."

APRIL
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "Try Again."

MAY
 button.gif (123 bytes) The Romeo Must Die soundtrack was certified platinum.

JUNE
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "Try Again" which also hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week (the first song without a commercial single release to ever do so).

AUGUST
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for 2 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Single - Solo and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video ("Try Again").

SEPTEMBER
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah took home 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film ("Try Again") and the video was also nominated for Best Choreography (Fatima Robinson). The video was also nominated for 2 Billboard Music Video Awards for Maximum Vision Video and Best R&B Clip of the Year.

2001    

FEBUARY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance - Female ("Try Again").

JULY
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah released Aaliyah. Aaliyah said of her new LP to Billboard: "There is always a bit of pressure to do a good album... to do good work, period. I really put a lot of pressure on myself, more so than other people. But I try not to let that overwhelm me to the point where I can't even do good work. I just put it aside and do the best that I know I can."
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "We Need A Resolution."

AUGUST
 button.gif (123 bytes) Tragedy struck on August 25th, when Aaliyah and 8 others were killed when their plane crashed in the Bahamas shortly after take off on route toward Miami. Aaliyah had just finished shooting a new music video for the single "Rock The Boat" and was returning to Florida. Reports about the plane crash cause vary from engine failure to the plane being overloaded with baggage. Aaliyah had been set to start filming her role in the sequel to The Matrix. Aaliyah did finish her work with the film Queen Of The Damned which was released in 2002. Aaliyah had also planned to work on a remake of the film Sparkle which was to be produced by Whitney Houston.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was certified platinum.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year ("Try Again").

button.gif (123 bytes) Remembrances: Gladys Knight: "...Her star had just begun to shine so brightly. Though she was ours for only a short time, what a time it was. I love Aaliyah, and I will miss her for the rest of my life." "Quincy Jones: "She was like one of my daughters, she was one of the sweetest girls in the world." Timbaland: "She was like blood, and I lost blood." DMX: "(she was a)... down-to-earth sister with enough energy to put anyone on a cloud." Puff Daddy: "She was one of those individuals that would light up a room. She always greeted you with a smile."

SEPTEMBER
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah, topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart for a week - selling over 300,000 copies in the US during the week after her death.
button.gif (123 bytes) "Rock The Boat" hit the Top 40.

OCTOBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was certified 2x platinum.

DECEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah's brother, Rashad, helped with the finished product of Aaliyah's film Queen Of The Damned by adding dialogue touch-ups.
button.gif (123 bytes) Critics in Rolling Stone voted Aaliyah as Best R&B Artist of the Year.

2002    

JANUARY
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was awarded 2 American Music Awards for Favourite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the UK Singles chart for a week with "More Than A Woman."

FEBRUARY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Vocal Performance - Female ("Rock The Boat") and Best R&B Album (Aaliyah).
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah's film Queen Of The Damned was released and was the #1 movie in its opening week.

MARCH
 button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "More Than A Woman."
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah won a Soul Train Award for Female R&B/Soul Single ("Rock The Boat").

MAY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit against Virgin Records and Blackhawk International Airways accusing them of negligence and contributing to the death of their daughter.

JULY
 button.gif (123 bytes) Reports serviced that cocaine and alcohol were found in the system of the pilot flying that plane that crashed with Aaliyah. The pilot had also been sentenced to probation for 3 years for possession of crack cocaine only 2 weeks before the flight.

AUGUST
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah's "Rock The Boat" won the Best R&B/Soul Single, Solo award and R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah's video for "Rock The Boat" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video.

SEPTEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah ranked # 36 on VH1: 100 Sexiest Artists.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "I Care 4 U."

OCTOBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was certified 2x platinum.

DECEMBER
 button.gif (123 bytes) I Care 4 U was released. The LP included 6 new tracks Aaliyah had been working on before her death along with some previously released hits.
button.gif (123 bytes) I Care 4 U topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for 7 weeks.

2003    

JANUARY
 button.gif (123 bytes) "Miss You" hit the Top 40.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart for 3 weeks and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for 3 weeks with "Miss You."
button.gif (123 bytes) I Care 4 U was certified platinum.

FEBRUARY
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah was nominated for a Grammy Award for BestBest R&B Vocal Performance - Female ("More Than A Woman").

MARCH
button.gif (123 bytes) "Miss You" hit the Top 10.

MAY
 button.gif (123 bytes) "Miss You" topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart.
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart for 2 weeks with "Miss You."

AUGUST
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah's video for "Miss You" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video.

NOVEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.

DECEMBER
button.gif (123 bytes) Aaliyah topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist - Female (singles & albums), Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist - Female, and Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Artist - Female.

             

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