Aaliyah Biography and Profile
Aaliyah Profile
Name: Aaliyah
Birth Name: Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Height: 5' 7"
Sex: F
Nationality: American
Birth Date: January 16, 1979
Birth Place: Huntington, New York, USA
Profession: musician, actress
Education: Detroit High School of the Performing Arts (graduated with a 4.0 GPA)
Place of Death: August 25, 2001
Death Date: Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island, Bahamas
Death Cause: Plane crash
Husband/Wife: R. Kelly (musician; married in 1994; that marriage was annulled due to Aaliyah's status as a minor, 15 years old and Kelly was mid 20s)
Relationship: Damon Dash (record executive; born on May 3, 1971)
Father: Michael Haughton
Mother: Diane Haughton
Brother: Rashad Haughton (filmmaker; born August 6, 1977)
Uncle: Barry Hankerson (manager, record executive; divorced)
Aunt: Gladys Knight
Claim to fame: Album: Age Ain't Nothing But A Number (1994)
Aaliyah Biography
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16,1979 in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York to Michael and Diane Haughton.
At the age of five, she, her older brother Rashad, and parents moved to Detroit to be closer to family. Diane gave up school teaching to raise Rashad and Aaliyah full-time.
Aaliyah's mother would always play Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and other legends while she would clean around the house. Aaliyah soon learned all the words to all her parents records and started to sing along with her mother.
Aaliyah's mother realized Aaliyah could carry a tune at the tender age of 6. Aaliyah was soon enrolled to a private Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, and participated in all the school's musical productions. She had one little speaking part as an orphan in her first grade produdction of Annie that convinced her she wanted to be an entertainer. At the tender ages of only 8 and 9, Aaliyah would belt-out the very tunes that she would listen to at home in weddings around Michigan.
At 11 years old, she landed a spot on the nationally syndicated talent show, Star Search. She sang My Funny Valentine, lost, and was ripped up like any other child would have been; but her mother's encouraging words propped her up to get back to doing what she loved.
At that time Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, was married to soul Legend Gladys Knight when he took his then 11-year-old niece to perform with her for five nights at Bally's Las Vegas Casino. The two would duet on Believe In Yourself and Aaliyah would belt out solo Home. Being that Aaliyah was nervous and didn't move much the first night, Knight taught Aaliyah how to work a crowd and loosen them up.
A couple of years later, Barry Hankerson had R. Kelly, whom he was managing at the time, fly up to Detroit to hear Aaliyah sing. Kelly was impressed with what he heard so Barry signed her, at only 13-years-old, to his label, Blackground Enterprises. R. Kelly ended up writing and producing all the tracks on Aaliyah's first album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.
Hip-Hop historians and critics accredit Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, for paving the way for Brandy, Monica, and the plethora of other teen stars who go by one name. Aaliyah acquired the world's attention at the young age of 15 when her first single Back and Forth landed #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart; dethroning her then svengali, R.Kelly and his track Your Body's Callin. Shortly afterwards, her album was released under Jive records in 1994 and another top five gold single was spawned. Not only was this single a remake of an Isley Brothers classic, but it also flexed Aaliyah's octave range and vocal versatility. Her rendition of At Your Best (You Are Love) ripped the airwaves and its listeners with its tumultuous and sensuous harmonies.
A few other hit singles followed including the light hip-pop jam Down With The Clique and the adulterated title track. The album went sell onto platinum+ status but slowed down due to vicious rumors arising. The provocative nature of the album's title and lyrics, as well as the mystery of her true age sparked a media frenzy about an alleged marriage between Aaliyah and her then mentor. This frenzy blossomed into a barrage of media rumors threatening to thwart a prosperous career.
Till this day no one is certain if there was ever a union between the two parties, but those two parties involved. However, Aaliyah denies ever being married to R. Kelly and R. Kelly refuses to comment. In addition, Aaliyah states that the reason she kept her age on the low was because she wanted the world to accept her for her music and not based solely on her age. Despite the rumors, critics gushed and Entertainment Weekly had this to say (6/17/94) ...Imagine En Vogue packed into one teenage body and backed by hip-hop svengali R. Kelly, and you have Aaliyah... a promising start...
After the storm had settled, Aaliyah went back into the studio to knock out a second record. She left behind R. Kelly to show her growth as an artist and to prove that she can make it without him. The setting was 1996 and Aaliyah was gearing up for the release of her sophmore album appropriatly titled, One In A Million. She made a sonic breakthrough with One In A Million which proved that Aaliyah would forever make her mark on the ever-changing music industry by emphasizing the strength and maturity in her voice. Along with this maturity, Aaliyah carried the once underground producers Missy and Timbaland to new heights. The music they created on One In A Million took the music industry by storm, haveing every artist and producer try to imitate their unique sound. Hit after heart-pounding hit would follow, ultimately making her 1st sophomore single, the sexy, seductive, and taunt, If Your Girl Only Knew the #1 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart and the other singles radio heavy as well.
Before the close of '97, One In A Million (a #1 radio play single also) would rake up numerous nominations from various award shows, and hit double platinum+ status with the success of 4 Page Letter, Hot Like Fire, and "The One I Gave My Heart To (a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 singles chart); shaking away any worries of a sophomore slump.
In early 1998, Aaliyah made her first major impression on America during the Academy Awards when she performed the Best Song nominee, Journey to the Past, from the Anastasia soundtrack. In the summer of that year, she had continued to make a mark on the entertainment industry with the infectious, Gramy nominated, #1 hit song, Are You That Somebody, from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. With that track, she really got a taste of the mainstream.
Aaliyah soon took a hiatus from the music world and hooked-up with acting coach, Joanne Baron. Baron had worked with the likes of Tom Cruise and Matt Damon, with his lessons being very intricate and demanding in the scripts he chose. Baron recalls this memory of Aaliyah, "...before Queen of the Damned was shot, Aaliyah was going through an audition process. She came to the house, and she immediately blew my mind, because she had prepared a piece that Michael Rymer had asked her to do from a play called Salome'. She came in on her knees like a cat, growling, 'I'm the woman that you left.' And she did this with such physicality and vocality... We worked rigorously to get her this part. She put her heart, her time, her love, and her life into it. She just ripped it out."
In the summer of 1999, Aaliyah flew to Vancouver, Canada for 4 months to shoot Romeo Must Die, her debut starring role in a film. She co-starred alongside Jet-Li in this adrenalin-stoked/hip-hop action flick, in which she was executive producer of the film's soundtrack. She had the pleasure of releasing the first single, Try Again, from the movie's soundtrack; which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and wa the first single ever to reach #1 on airplay alone. The movie was released on March 24, 2000 and debuted at #1 on the box office. The film grossed over 58 million dollars and the soundtrack sold over a million copies.
Aaliyah garnered rave reviews for her acting skills and was soon sought through-out Hollywood. Movie producer Joel Silver was so impressed with her performance in Romeo Must Die, he decided to signed her up for the Matrix II and III. She soon signed a deal to remake Whitney Houston's production of Sparkle, film an Anne Rice novel-based movie Queen of the Damned, and star in a tv/movie, Some Kind of Blue.
Later in 2000, Aaliyah won two MTV Movie awards and a Grammy nomination for Try Again, and went to start filming Queen of the Damned deep in Melbourne, Australia. The film was Aaliyah's second starring role in only her second motion picture, showing that she was more than a cross-over singer/actress.
She simultaniously filmed the movie and recorded her highly anticipated 3rd album, AALIYAH, doubling her workload. After she filmed the movie, she took a small break to, as she would say, "rejuvenate and get my creative juices flowing."
Five years had passed since she released One In A Million so she was aware of her prescence, or lack there-of, in the music world. She released the dark, sassy, first single, We Need A Resolution, which had a luke-warm response from music-goers. A couple of months later on July 17, she finally released the eagerly anticapted, AALIYAH. The album debuted at #2 on the charts and sold over 200,000 copies it's first week. Rock the Boat and More Than A Woman were getting heavy rotational airplay, so Blackground planned to release them as back-to-back singles. Aaliyah took time out of her promotional tour to film a funky, club-like, dance video for More Than A Woman, and Rock the Boat a couple of weeks later. Little did anyone know, Rock the Boat would be her very last video shoot.
It was August 25, the set was laid-back, and everyone was laughing and having a care free time. Aaliyah had just completed filming her video for the island themed "Rock The Boat", directed by Hype Williams, and felt it was time to go home a day early to be with her boyfriend, Rock-A-Fella CEO owner Damon Dash, and her family before heading back to promoting the album.
The entourage of 8 aboarded the small Cessna 402 which was departing from the Marsh Harbour airport bound for Opa-locka, Florida, when it crashed shortly after takeoff at approximately 6:50pm, police say. The plane is said to have crashed approximately 200 feet from the end of the runway killing six people instantly. Three others died later due to their injuries.
The people who were killed along with Aaliyah were: Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey, Aaliyah's product manager at Blackground Records; Blackground Records own Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, Virgin Records' director of video production; her bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Aaliyah's personal hair stylist Eric Forman, 29, of Los Angeles; hair stylist Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles; and makeup artist Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York; as well as the plane's pilot, identified only as L. Maradel.
Her funeral and a public memorial service was held in honor of Aaliyah on Friday, August 31st, 2001 in New York City. A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos, performances and music ran throughout the day. Fans were encouraged and invited to attend, pay tribute to Aaliyah's life and career and mourn this great loss. Her white casket was transported from Campbell Funeral Home to St. Ignatius Church - where her funeral was held - in a white carriage pulled by two white horses. Dozens of white and pink roses lay on the top of the carriage. Her boyfriend, Damon Dash, and one of her "Romeo Must Die" co-stars, Delroy Lindo, were among the loved ones who walked the streets behind the carriage en route to the private service. Aaliyah's mom released 22 white doves in the air, each symbolizing a year in Aaliyah's great-lived life.
Fans converged at the funeral home as early as 6:30 a.m. to pay their respects to this remarkable human being. They wrote messages in the home's condolence books and followed the procession. Police estimated 1,000 fans were there.
Six months later, Queen of the Damned hit movie stands on Febrary 22, 2002, debuting at #1 in the box office; it racked in over $14 million it's opening weekend. With the 2 films and timeless music, she left her legacy for us to still enjoy.
I'm sure many of Aaliyah�s fans would like Aaliyah to be remembered most as a good person. She was the symbol of a hard-working, Black female who never compromised herself to get what she wanted. She proved that there were still humble, down-to-earth, gracious entertainers left in an industry filled with gossip and grime. She taught us through her life that there will be setbacks, but not to let it bring you down; instead just "dust yourself off and try again." She's showed everyone how to be strong through her adversity with the whole R. Kelly marriage scandal. She made music that stood out from everyone elses, had a style all her own, the most angelic voice, fluid dance moves, and an air of mystery that has always surounded her. These are just some of the reasons why we love her.
With so much potential and tenacity shown by the craft she loved to make and perform; the singer, dancer, actress, and ENTERTAINER, that we've grown to love lived up to the true meaning of her name;
Aaliyah Gossip, News and Trivia
* ROMEO MUST DIE (2000): When Trish dumps her bodyguard at the record store and hides in the cab, the bodyguard comes out and yells, Trish! I'm gonna find your Aaliyah-lookin' ass! The character Trish is played by Aaliyah. At the time of her death, she and her boyfriend, Roc-A-Fella co-CEO Damon Dash, had plans to wed.
* Her third and final album has been called her best work. Rolling Stone gave it four stars.
* Was a great singer and deemed a role model.
* Majored in dance.
* Starred as Queen Akasha in 2002's THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED.
* Modeled for Tommy Hilfiger clothing.
* Sang with Gladys Knight on stage at age 11.
* Was Homecoming and Prom Queen in her senior year.
* Wanted to perform a musical duet with Janet Jackson.
* Her first soundtrack song was from the movie ANASTASIA.
* Her middle name is Dana, not Dani.
* Was only 15 when she released Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.
* Her biggest single was Try Again.
* Was good at acting.
* Her self titled album hit #1 in the USA after her death.
* Her third album, Aaliyah, is dedicated to the memory of her grandmother, Mintis L. Hicks Hankerson.
* The tattoo on her lower back is a dove representing her deceased grandmother.
* Her career started at age 15.
* R&B singer R.Kelly discovered her at age 12.
* Completed filming of Anne Rice's QUEEN OF THE DAMNED.
* Her real name is Aeliyatt.
* Her favorite stuffed animal was named Lina because it was the one her grandmother gave to her. She took it everywhere.
* At age 9 sang My Funny Valentine on Star Search, in dedication to her mom Diane.
* Her first kiss was a disaster because she threw up in the guy's mouth!
* Her favorite color was pink.
* Drove a red viper.
* Wore size 6 shoes.
* Was very close to her grandmother.
* Played in a school production of ANNIE.
* Would sing in the bathroom with a brush.
* Favorite breakfast: French toast, waffles and pancakes.
* Favorite films: SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.
* Has a pet boa, her cousin bought it and her mom kept it.
* Her grandmother died of breast cancer.
* Had the double platinum selling One In A Million album as well as a production credit on the five times platinum ROMEO MUST DIE soundtrack, and has the #1 album in the U.S in 2001.
* Her best friend was Kidada Jones.
* Was the youngest child.
* Has weave in her hair.
* Favorite Athlete team: Giants.
* Favorite color: Black, Red, and White.
* Nicknamed Li Li, Baby Girl, Liyah.
* Started noticing she could sing at age 6.
* Favorite basketball team: Chicago Bulls
* Favorite jewelry: silver
* Favorite singer: Sade
* Was 25% Indian; her grandmother was full blood Indian.
* Although she was an adult she still relied on the approval and opinion of her mother Diane and brother Rashad.
* Her mom was also her friend.
* Her favorite song on the Aaliyah CD was I Care For You.
* Favorite junk food: Doritos
* Favorite author: Stephen King
* Favorite drinks: Surge and Pepsi
* Favorite animals: horses
* A few days before her death she told her mother she was having frequent dreams about flying in a dark place all alone, and crashing down to her death.
* Nominated for Best Villain at MTV Movie Award for QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (2002)
* Nominated for Best Female Performance at MTV Movie Award for ROMEO MUST DIE (2000)
* Nominated for Breakthrough Female Performance at MTV Movie Award for ROMEO MUST DIE (2000)
* Loved vanilla ice cream.
* Her dress size was 4.
* Was addicted to kozmo.com
* Only wore clothes that she knew her mom would like; she never wore shorts cause her mom didn’t like her to expose her body.
* Had a major thing for sweets.
* Had two Vipers, a black and a red one.
* Liked to collect sunglasses and stuffed animals, and also has a black out light in her apartment.
* Had 2 pets, one snake named Boots and a pet pug named Tour.
* Her grandmother gave her a toy orangutan.
* Wore contacts instead of glasses.
* Her birthday is a day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s
* Loved horror films.
* Her favorite track on her last album was the unreleased track.
* At an autograph signing in Texas, a fan fainted when Aaliyah kissed him on the cheek.
* Favorite place to eat: Roscos Chicken and Waffles.
* Had a pillow named Wilson.
* Had a personal trainer to keep in shape and gave up cheese and pork.
* Thinks martial arts and men who can fight are sexy.
* Said she loved her career and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
* What made her happy was knowing her fans went out and bought her albums.
* Favorite girl group: En Vogue
* Was a David Hasselhoff fan; one of her favorite shows as a child was KNIGHT RIDER which starred Hasselhoff.
* Loved beautiful but simple things.
* Wants her legacy to live on.
Name: Aaliyah
Birth Name: Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Height: 5' 7"
Sex: F
Nationality: American
Birth Date: January 16, 1979
Birth Place: Huntington, New York, USA
Profession: musician, actress
Education: Detroit High School of the Performing Arts (graduated with a 4.0 GPA)
Place of Death: August 25, 2001
Death Date: Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island, Bahamas
Death Cause: Plane crash
Husband/Wife: R. Kelly (musician; married in 1994; that marriage was annulled due to Aaliyah's status as a minor, 15 years old and Kelly was mid 20s)
Relationship: Damon Dash (record executive; born on May 3, 1971)
Father: Michael Haughton
Mother: Diane Haughton
Brother: Rashad Haughton (filmmaker; born August 6, 1977)
Uncle: Barry Hankerson (manager, record executive; divorced)
Aunt: Gladys Knight
Claim to fame: Album: Age Ain't Nothing But A Number (1994)
Aaliyah Biography
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16,1979 in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York to Michael and Diane Haughton.
At the age of five, she, her older brother Rashad, and parents moved to Detroit to be closer to family. Diane gave up school teaching to raise Rashad and Aaliyah full-time.
Aaliyah's mother would always play Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and other legends while she would clean around the house. Aaliyah soon learned all the words to all her parents records and started to sing along with her mother.
Aaliyah's mother realized Aaliyah could carry a tune at the tender age of 6. Aaliyah was soon enrolled to a private Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, and participated in all the school's musical productions. She had one little speaking part as an orphan in her first grade produdction of Annie that convinced her she wanted to be an entertainer. At the tender ages of only 8 and 9, Aaliyah would belt-out the very tunes that she would listen to at home in weddings around Michigan.
At 11 years old, she landed a spot on the nationally syndicated talent show, Star Search. She sang My Funny Valentine, lost, and was ripped up like any other child would have been; but her mother's encouraging words propped her up to get back to doing what she loved.
At that time Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, was married to soul Legend Gladys Knight when he took his then 11-year-old niece to perform with her for five nights at Bally's Las Vegas Casino. The two would duet on Believe In Yourself and Aaliyah would belt out solo Home. Being that Aaliyah was nervous and didn't move much the first night, Knight taught Aaliyah how to work a crowd and loosen them up.
A couple of years later, Barry Hankerson had R. Kelly, whom he was managing at the time, fly up to Detroit to hear Aaliyah sing. Kelly was impressed with what he heard so Barry signed her, at only 13-years-old, to his label, Blackground Enterprises. R. Kelly ended up writing and producing all the tracks on Aaliyah's first album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.
Hip-Hop historians and critics accredit Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, for paving the way for Brandy, Monica, and the plethora of other teen stars who go by one name. Aaliyah acquired the world's attention at the young age of 15 when her first single Back and Forth landed #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart; dethroning her then svengali, R.Kelly and his track Your Body's Callin. Shortly afterwards, her album was released under Jive records in 1994 and another top five gold single was spawned. Not only was this single a remake of an Isley Brothers classic, but it also flexed Aaliyah's octave range and vocal versatility. Her rendition of At Your Best (You Are Love) ripped the airwaves and its listeners with its tumultuous and sensuous harmonies.
A few other hit singles followed including the light hip-pop jam Down With The Clique and the adulterated title track. The album went sell onto platinum+ status but slowed down due to vicious rumors arising. The provocative nature of the album's title and lyrics, as well as the mystery of her true age sparked a media frenzy about an alleged marriage between Aaliyah and her then mentor. This frenzy blossomed into a barrage of media rumors threatening to thwart a prosperous career.
Till this day no one is certain if there was ever a union between the two parties, but those two parties involved. However, Aaliyah denies ever being married to R. Kelly and R. Kelly refuses to comment. In addition, Aaliyah states that the reason she kept her age on the low was because she wanted the world to accept her for her music and not based solely on her age. Despite the rumors, critics gushed and Entertainment Weekly had this to say (6/17/94) ...Imagine En Vogue packed into one teenage body and backed by hip-hop svengali R. Kelly, and you have Aaliyah... a promising start...
After the storm had settled, Aaliyah went back into the studio to knock out a second record. She left behind R. Kelly to show her growth as an artist and to prove that she can make it without him. The setting was 1996 and Aaliyah was gearing up for the release of her sophmore album appropriatly titled, One In A Million. She made a sonic breakthrough with One In A Million which proved that Aaliyah would forever make her mark on the ever-changing music industry by emphasizing the strength and maturity in her voice. Along with this maturity, Aaliyah carried the once underground producers Missy and Timbaland to new heights. The music they created on One In A Million took the music industry by storm, haveing every artist and producer try to imitate their unique sound. Hit after heart-pounding hit would follow, ultimately making her 1st sophomore single, the sexy, seductive, and taunt, If Your Girl Only Knew the #1 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart and the other singles radio heavy as well.
Before the close of '97, One In A Million (a #1 radio play single also) would rake up numerous nominations from various award shows, and hit double platinum+ status with the success of 4 Page Letter, Hot Like Fire, and "The One I Gave My Heart To (a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 singles chart); shaking away any worries of a sophomore slump.
In early 1998, Aaliyah made her first major impression on America during the Academy Awards when she performed the Best Song nominee, Journey to the Past, from the Anastasia soundtrack. In the summer of that year, she had continued to make a mark on the entertainment industry with the infectious, Gramy nominated, #1 hit song, Are You That Somebody, from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. With that track, she really got a taste of the mainstream.
Aaliyah soon took a hiatus from the music world and hooked-up with acting coach, Joanne Baron. Baron had worked with the likes of Tom Cruise and Matt Damon, with his lessons being very intricate and demanding in the scripts he chose. Baron recalls this memory of Aaliyah, "...before Queen of the Damned was shot, Aaliyah was going through an audition process. She came to the house, and she immediately blew my mind, because she had prepared a piece that Michael Rymer had asked her to do from a play called Salome'. She came in on her knees like a cat, growling, 'I'm the woman that you left.' And she did this with such physicality and vocality... We worked rigorously to get her this part. She put her heart, her time, her love, and her life into it. She just ripped it out."
In the summer of 1999, Aaliyah flew to Vancouver, Canada for 4 months to shoot Romeo Must Die, her debut starring role in a film. She co-starred alongside Jet-Li in this adrenalin-stoked/hip-hop action flick, in which she was executive producer of the film's soundtrack. She had the pleasure of releasing the first single, Try Again, from the movie's soundtrack; which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and wa the first single ever to reach #1 on airplay alone. The movie was released on March 24, 2000 and debuted at #1 on the box office. The film grossed over 58 million dollars and the soundtrack sold over a million copies.
Aaliyah garnered rave reviews for her acting skills and was soon sought through-out Hollywood. Movie producer Joel Silver was so impressed with her performance in Romeo Must Die, he decided to signed her up for the Matrix II and III. She soon signed a deal to remake Whitney Houston's production of Sparkle, film an Anne Rice novel-based movie Queen of the Damned, and star in a tv/movie, Some Kind of Blue.
Later in 2000, Aaliyah won two MTV Movie awards and a Grammy nomination for Try Again, and went to start filming Queen of the Damned deep in Melbourne, Australia. The film was Aaliyah's second starring role in only her second motion picture, showing that she was more than a cross-over singer/actress.
She simultaniously filmed the movie and recorded her highly anticipated 3rd album, AALIYAH, doubling her workload. After she filmed the movie, she took a small break to, as she would say, "rejuvenate and get my creative juices flowing."
Five years had passed since she released One In A Million so she was aware of her prescence, or lack there-of, in the music world. She released the dark, sassy, first single, We Need A Resolution, which had a luke-warm response from music-goers. A couple of months later on July 17, she finally released the eagerly anticapted, AALIYAH. The album debuted at #2 on the charts and sold over 200,000 copies it's first week. Rock the Boat and More Than A Woman were getting heavy rotational airplay, so Blackground planned to release them as back-to-back singles. Aaliyah took time out of her promotional tour to film a funky, club-like, dance video for More Than A Woman, and Rock the Boat a couple of weeks later. Little did anyone know, Rock the Boat would be her very last video shoot.
It was August 25, the set was laid-back, and everyone was laughing and having a care free time. Aaliyah had just completed filming her video for the island themed "Rock The Boat", directed by Hype Williams, and felt it was time to go home a day early to be with her boyfriend, Rock-A-Fella CEO owner Damon Dash, and her family before heading back to promoting the album.
The entourage of 8 aboarded the small Cessna 402 which was departing from the Marsh Harbour airport bound for Opa-locka, Florida, when it crashed shortly after takeoff at approximately 6:50pm, police say. The plane is said to have crashed approximately 200 feet from the end of the runway killing six people instantly. Three others died later due to their injuries.
The people who were killed along with Aaliyah were: Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey, Aaliyah's product manager at Blackground Records; Blackground Records own Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, Virgin Records' director of video production; her bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Aaliyah's personal hair stylist Eric Forman, 29, of Los Angeles; hair stylist Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles; and makeup artist Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York; as well as the plane's pilot, identified only as L. Maradel.
Her funeral and a public memorial service was held in honor of Aaliyah on Friday, August 31st, 2001 in New York City. A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos, performances and music ran throughout the day. Fans were encouraged and invited to attend, pay tribute to Aaliyah's life and career and mourn this great loss. Her white casket was transported from Campbell Funeral Home to St. Ignatius Church - where her funeral was held - in a white carriage pulled by two white horses. Dozens of white and pink roses lay on the top of the carriage. Her boyfriend, Damon Dash, and one of her "Romeo Must Die" co-stars, Delroy Lindo, were among the loved ones who walked the streets behind the carriage en route to the private service. Aaliyah's mom released 22 white doves in the air, each symbolizing a year in Aaliyah's great-lived life.
Fans converged at the funeral home as early as 6:30 a.m. to pay their respects to this remarkable human being. They wrote messages in the home's condolence books and followed the procession. Police estimated 1,000 fans were there.
Six months later, Queen of the Damned hit movie stands on Febrary 22, 2002, debuting at #1 in the box office; it racked in over $14 million it's opening weekend. With the 2 films and timeless music, she left her legacy for us to still enjoy.
I'm sure many of Aaliyah�s fans would like Aaliyah to be remembered most as a good person. She was the symbol of a hard-working, Black female who never compromised herself to get what she wanted. She proved that there were still humble, down-to-earth, gracious entertainers left in an industry filled with gossip and grime. She taught us through her life that there will be setbacks, but not to let it bring you down; instead just "dust yourself off and try again." She's showed everyone how to be strong through her adversity with the whole R. Kelly marriage scandal. She made music that stood out from everyone elses, had a style all her own, the most angelic voice, fluid dance moves, and an air of mystery that has always surounded her. These are just some of the reasons why we love her.
With so much potential and tenacity shown by the craft she loved to make and perform; the singer, dancer, actress, and ENTERTAINER, that we've grown to love lived up to the true meaning of her name;
Aaliyah Gossip, News and Trivia
* ROMEO MUST DIE (2000): When Trish dumps her bodyguard at the record store and hides in the cab, the bodyguard comes out and yells, Trish! I'm gonna find your Aaliyah-lookin' ass! The character Trish is played by Aaliyah. At the time of her death, she and her boyfriend, Roc-A-Fella co-CEO Damon Dash, had plans to wed.
* Her third and final album has been called her best work. Rolling Stone gave it four stars.
* Was a great singer and deemed a role model.
* Majored in dance.
* Starred as Queen Akasha in 2002's THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED.
* Modeled for Tommy Hilfiger clothing.
* Sang with Gladys Knight on stage at age 11.
* Was Homecoming and Prom Queen in her senior year.
* Wanted to perform a musical duet with Janet Jackson.
* Her first soundtrack song was from the movie ANASTASIA.
* Her middle name is Dana, not Dani.
* Was only 15 when she released Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.
* Her biggest single was Try Again.
* Was good at acting.
* Her self titled album hit #1 in the USA after her death.
* Her third album, Aaliyah, is dedicated to the memory of her grandmother, Mintis L. Hicks Hankerson.
* The tattoo on her lower back is a dove representing her deceased grandmother.
* Her career started at age 15.
* R&B singer R.Kelly discovered her at age 12.
* Completed filming of Anne Rice's QUEEN OF THE DAMNED.
* Her real name is Aeliyatt.
* Her favorite stuffed animal was named Lina because it was the one her grandmother gave to her. She took it everywhere.
* At age 9 sang My Funny Valentine on Star Search, in dedication to her mom Diane.
* Her first kiss was a disaster because she threw up in the guy's mouth!
* Her favorite color was pink.
* Drove a red viper.
* Wore size 6 shoes.
* Was very close to her grandmother.
* Played in a school production of ANNIE.
* Would sing in the bathroom with a brush.
* Favorite breakfast: French toast, waffles and pancakes.
* Favorite films: SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.
* Has a pet boa, her cousin bought it and her mom kept it.
* Her grandmother died of breast cancer.
* Had the double platinum selling One In A Million album as well as a production credit on the five times platinum ROMEO MUST DIE soundtrack, and has the #1 album in the U.S in 2001.
* Her best friend was Kidada Jones.
* Was the youngest child.
* Has weave in her hair.
* Favorite Athlete team: Giants.
* Favorite color: Black, Red, and White.
* Nicknamed Li Li, Baby Girl, Liyah.
* Started noticing she could sing at age 6.
* Favorite basketball team: Chicago Bulls
* Favorite jewelry: silver
* Favorite singer: Sade
* Was 25% Indian; her grandmother was full blood Indian.
* Although she was an adult she still relied on the approval and opinion of her mother Diane and brother Rashad.
* Her mom was also her friend.
* Her favorite song on the Aaliyah CD was I Care For You.
* Favorite junk food: Doritos
* Favorite author: Stephen King
* Favorite drinks: Surge and Pepsi
* Favorite animals: horses
* A few days before her death she told her mother she was having frequent dreams about flying in a dark place all alone, and crashing down to her death.
* Nominated for Best Villain at MTV Movie Award for QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (2002)
* Nominated for Best Female Performance at MTV Movie Award for ROMEO MUST DIE (2000)
* Nominated for Breakthrough Female Performance at MTV Movie Award for ROMEO MUST DIE (2000)
* Loved vanilla ice cream.
* Her dress size was 4.
* Was addicted to kozmo.com
* Only wore clothes that she knew her mom would like; she never wore shorts cause her mom didn’t like her to expose her body.
* Had a major thing for sweets.
* Had two Vipers, a black and a red one.
* Liked to collect sunglasses and stuffed animals, and also has a black out light in her apartment.
* Had 2 pets, one snake named Boots and a pet pug named Tour.
* Her grandmother gave her a toy orangutan.
* Wore contacts instead of glasses.
* Her birthday is a day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s
* Loved horror films.
* Her favorite track on her last album was the unreleased track.
* At an autograph signing in Texas, a fan fainted when Aaliyah kissed him on the cheek.
* Favorite place to eat: Roscos Chicken and Waffles.
* Had a pillow named Wilson.
* Had a personal trainer to keep in shape and gave up cheese and pork.
* Thinks martial arts and men who can fight are sexy.
* Said she loved her career and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
* What made her happy was knowing her fans went out and bought her albums.
* Favorite girl group: En Vogue
* Was a David Hasselhoff fan; one of her favorite shows as a child was KNIGHT RIDER which starred Hasselhoff.
* Loved beautiful but simple things.
* Wants her legacy to live on.
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11:50 PM
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