Aaliyah's BiographyHer single Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994)
January 16, 1979(Brooklyn, New York, USA)
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Background:
On August 25, 2001, the R&B community was shocked by a plane crash that caused
the death of bright and rising R&B star, Aaliyah. Aaliyah and seven other
passengers were killed instantly with a ninth passenger passing away later at a
Nassau hospital. It was a small twin-engine Cessna plane, which was bringing a
team to film Aaliyah's video "Rock The Boat" to the Bahamas, that was involved
in the disaster. The over-loaded plane crashed shortly after takeoff, exploding
on impact.
It was obvious that the R&B community reacted with shock and sorrow. Aaliyah,
with a voice often compared to Toni Braxton and Janet Jackson, was a talented
singer. Eerie as it seems, just a month prior to the crash, Aaliyah told
Germany's Die Zeit newspaper, "It is dark in my favorite dream. Someone is
following me. I don't know why. I'm scared. Then suddenly I lift off, far away.
How do I feel? As if I am swimming in the air, free, weightless. Nobody can
reach me. Nobody can touch me. It's a wonderful feeling."
Early Recognition
Childhood and Family:
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Huntington, New York, to
parents Michael Haughton and Diane Haughton. Her name means "the most exalted
one" in Swahili. Diane her mother, who was also a singer, enrolled Aaliyah in
voice lessons before she entered school. Her talent was recognized.
Aaliyah and her family moved to Detroit when Aaliyah was five. She sang in
numerous school plays and auditioned for various TV projects including the TV
show Star Search. She participated in a five-night singing engagement with
Gladys Knight's group in Las Vegas when she was 11 years old. Gladys, who was
the ex-wife of Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, introduce Aaliyah to R&B's
rising star and extraordinary producer, Robert Kelly.
Soon after Aaliyah became famous, news would surface that R. Kelly and Aaliyah
had a relationship and they even married in 1994, but the marriage was voided
because Aaliyah was a minor. She was just 15 at the time the marriage took
place. Rumors hinted of a hushed abortion, but as the media buzz died down, the
two parted personally and creatively.
Loving What You Do
Career:
Producer Robert Kelly took Aaliyah under his wing and began to write and produce
songs for her. With his supervision and guest vocals, Aaliyah's first album,
"Age Ain't Nothing But a Number," was released in the summer of 1994. The album
went platinum with two smash singles, "Back & Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are
Love)," hitting pop's Top Ten and going gold. The single "Back & Forth" also
topped the R&B charts with "At Your Best" close behind.
Aaliyah's next album, "One in a Million", was released in 1996. In this album
Aaliyah showed such promising maturity that it raised her to the next level by
industry standards. With her single, "If Your Girl Only Knew," Aaliyah ranked
first on the R&B singles chart. The album, "One in a Million," was awarded
double platinum just ten months after its release which instantly placed Aaliyah
among superstars in the music industry.
After finishing high school in 1997, Aaliyah contributed several songs to film
soundtracks. The song "Journey to the Past," from Anastasia, was nominated for
an Oscar. Early 1998, she released a major hit with "Are You That Somebody?"
from Eddie Murphy's Dr. Dolittle, in which she also made a cameo appearance.
While preparing for her third album, Aaliyah began her acting career with Romeo
Must Die (2000) and her soundtrack single, "Try Again," which claimed the top
spot on the pop charts that summer. Soon after Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah starred
in the film Queen of the Damned.
Aaliyah was cast in two upcoming sequels to the blockbuster The Matrix and
shortly after, her third album "Aaliyah" was released in summer 2001. The album
received excellent reviews and the first single, "We Need a Resolution," hit the
top 20 R&B charts.
A month after the release of the album, Aaliyah traveled to the Bahamas to film
a video for the album's second single, "Rock the Boat." It was at this time the
plane crash tragedy and her untimely death occurred. Her character in The Matrix
sequels was replaced with actress Jada Pinkett Smith. "Rock the Boat" and "More
Than a Woman" scaled to the top of the R&B charts. The movie, Queen of the
Damned, gained success upon its release just months after Aaliyah's death,
topping the box office in its first week.
By the end of 2002, the album "I Care 4 U," gained her more posthumous fame,
ranking in at the charts as number three. The album showcased some of her
greatest hits with a selection of unreleased material. The title track roamed
within the top 20 pop charts and the single, "Miss You," went to the top of the
R&B charts.
Aaliyah was well on her way to her super-stardom. Aaliyah once stated,
"Everything is worth it. The hard work, the times when you're tired, the times
where 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."
Awards:
- American Music Awards: Favorite Female Soul Artist, 2002
- American Music Awards: Best Soul Album, 2002
- MTV Video Music: Best Female Video, Try Again, 2000
- MTV Video Music: Best Video from a Film, Try Again, 2000
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B/Soul Single, Rock The Boat, 2002
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best Solo, Rock The Boat, 2002
- Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year, Rock The Boat,
2002
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