Best Known As: Pop singer and actress who sang "Try Again"
Name at birth: Aaliyah Haughton
Aaliyah was an actress and pop singer on the verge of superstardom when she was killed in a 2001 plane crash. She sang professionally as a child and released her first album, Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number (1994), when she was 14. She released the album One in a Million in 1996, and by the end of the decade she was working in the movies as an actress and composer. She co-starred with Jet Li in Romeo Must Die (2000), and her song from the movie, "Try Again," was a hit single. At the time of her death she had released three albums and had agreed to appear in two more films: Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned (2001) and the sequel to the 1999 Keanu Reeves film The Matrix.
Aaliyah said her name means "highest, most exalted one" in Swahili... She was the niece of singer Gladys Knight, who married Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson... Aaliyah was discovered by hip-hop producer R. Kelly, who worked on Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number. The two were allegedly married in secret for a brief time in 1994, even though Aaliyah was underaged; Vibe magazine later published a marriage certificate for the two, but the parties involved have consistently refused to comment on whether the marriage took place... Aaliyah was one of nine people who died when their twin-engine Cessna crashed on takeoff from Marsh Harbour on Abaco Island in the Bahamas; the group was returning to the U.S. after filming a music video. An investigation revealed the plane was overloaded by several hundred pounds, and an autopsy showed traces of cocaine and alcohol in the pilot's bloodstream. Aaliyah's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Next:
Aaron (Biblical Figure / Religious Figure), Abigail Adams (U.S. First Lady)
Born Aaliyah Dani Haughton on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, NY; died on August 25, 2001, in Abaco, Bahamas; daughter of Diane Haughton (nee Hankerson) and Michael Haughton; Education: Detroit High School for the Performing Arts, graduate, 1997.
Career
Released Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, 1994; released One In A Million, 1996; sung "Journey To The Past," for Anastasia soundtrack, 1997; released "Are You That Somebody?" for Dr. Dolittle soundtrack, 1998; released "Try Again," for Romeo Must Die soundtrack, 2000; made film debut, Romeo Must Die, 2000; starred in Queen of the Damned, 2002.
Life's Work
When Aaliyah debuted in 1994, most thought she was just the latest teenage singer. But Aaliyah proved that she was a very capable and talented singer. She released two albums that reached platinum status, a slew of singles that graced the top ten lists and then switched gears and landed praise as an actress, all before turning 22.
Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 16, 1979, to Diane and Michael Haughton. The family, including older brother Rashaad, moved to Detroit, Michigan, when she was five years old. From an early age, Aaliyah knew she wanted to perform. "I've been singing all my life," she told Vibe. "I sang in my church, and school and my parents gave me vocal lessons," she continued. At the age of seven, Aaliyah started trying out for school plays. She credited her parents for supporting her interest in music.
Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, began managing her career when she was nine. A turning point came when she appeared on the show Star Search. "It was really, really cute," she told Detail. "I sang 'My Funny Valentine,'" she added. Although she lost, Aaliyah did not let this setback discourage her. At eleven years old, she performed for a week in Las Vegas with Gladys Knight, who, at the time, was Hankerson's wife. Aaliyah sung the song, "Home," halfway through the set, and, at the finale, she and Knight sang a duet together--"Believe in Yourself."
When Hankerson founded his record label, Blackground Enterprises, he signed Aaliyah when she was 14 as his first act. Also around that time Hankerson introduced his niece to R. Kelly, a famous R&B singer who was managed by Hankerson's Midwest Entertainment Group. Kelly took creative control of what would be Aaliyah's first album, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number.
Record Went Number One Amidst Controversy
Age's first single, "Back & Forth," spent three weeks at number one on the R&B charts. The record also broke the top five on the Billboard charts. Aaliyah's second single, "At Your Best (You Are Love)," also made the top ten on the R&B charts, peaking at number two. Around the time of her third single, the album's title cut, rumors began circulating that the 14-year-old and her producer, Kelly, had eloped. Rolling Stone even claimed that the Cook County Clerk's Office had a marriage license which proved Robert Kelly and Aaliyah Haughton, listed on the license to be 18, had been married in Rosemont, Illinois. According to Clickondetroit.com, the marriage was annulled because her parents had not given their permission. "I'm not married," she told Vibe, "that's all I want to say about it."
Aaliyah followed her debut album with nearly a year of touring that took her across the United States and around the world. While on the road, she maintained a 3.8 grade point average at the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts where she was a dance major. Aaliyah graduated from high school in 1997.
For her second album, One in a Million, Aaliyah chose to work with new producers Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Timbaland. She also switched distributors, from Jive Records to Atlantic. The record was released in the fall of 1996, and by year's end it was obvious that Aaliyah had scored another hit. Her first single, "If Your Girl Only Knew," zoomed to number one; a year later the album went double platinum and had surpassed the first record in sales.
Branched Out to Fashion and Soundtracks
In late 1997 Aaliyah recorded "Journey to the Past" for the Anastasia soundtrack, a song that is Disney pop rather than R&B. She performed the song during the televised Oscars broadcast, where it won for Best Song in a Motion Picture. Aaliyah also took part in Tommy Hilfiger's Tommy Jeans ad campaign. The ads, which included a number of celebrities, showed her sporting men's boxers under baggy jeans while wearing a tube top with the Hilfiger logo. "It created a whole new look. It was sexy but classic," Andy Hilfiger told Vibe. Aaliyah adopted this as her style along with covering her left eye with her hair, like the late actress Veronica Lake.
Aaliyah released several singles for various soundtracks. The single, "Are You That Somebody?", with its infectious hooks and beats, climbed the charts. It was also the biggest hit of her career. Aaliyah hit pay dirt again for the single, "Try Again" off the Romeo Must Die soundtrack. She even won two MTV awards for the song.
Not only did Aaliyah contribute a song for the film, but she made her acting debut. Romeo Must Die, which combined hip-hop and kung fu, was a marginal hit and the critics ripped the movie to shreds. But many praised Aaliyah's performance. Entertainment Weekly said her debut was "impressive." In 2001, she also starred in Queen of the Damned, a sequel to Interview With a Vampire. Michael Rymer, Queen's director, told Vibe, "There were two factors for casting Aaliyah. I was very keen that Akasha, an Egyptian queen, not look like Elizabeth Taylor, and not only did [Aaliyah] do a good job on Romeo Must Die, but people went to see her. " Aaliyah told Vibe, "I have to exude power and be regal....It was the dream role, so I worked very hard." None should be surprised that she conquered Hollywood. "Music was my first love, but acting is something I've always been interested in," she told the Dallas Morning News.
Released Third Album
Aaliyah filmed Queen in Australia where she also worked on her third self-titled album. It was released in July of 2001, five years after her last album. It showcased her broadening range as a vocalist. "I really wanted to show my versatility," she remarked to the Dallas Morning News. As she made the rounds promoting her album, Aaliyah signed up for a role in the upcoming sequels to The Matrix, where she hoped to get in on the action. "There's nothing like a strong woman who kicks butt," she exclaimed to Time magazine. She was also slated to star in the upcoming film, Some Kind of Blue and the Sparkle remake. However, this wasn't meant to be. After filming a video for her song, "Rock The Boat," in the Bahamian island of Abaco, Aaliyah and eight others boarded a plane for Miami. The plane took off and rose 200 feet before plunging and crashing. Aaliyah died instantly on August 25, 2001.
Aaliyah's death took many by surprise. Her record company, Virgin Records called her "one of the world's brightest and most talented stars," according to the Associated Press. Paul Allen, a Detroit producer who worked with Aaliyah on her second album, told the Detroit Free Press, "she was on the cusp of exploding." According to the Detroit News, Quincy Jones stated, "She was one of the sweetest girls in the world... .I loved her and respected her."
Aaliyah stepped on the scene as a 14-year-old ingenue and then found herself knee-deep in controversy. Not only did she rise above the situation and soon charted her biggest hits and made a dazzling film debut. Though her death may have cut short her rise to stardom, Aaliyah's impact will not be forgotten. Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, released this statement at www.aaliyah2001.com: "The example she showed young people will be sorely missed and we hope her short time on earth will be an inspiration to young people all over the world."
Awards
Two MTV Awards for "Try Again," 2000; Grammy nomination for "Try Again," 2001; "Journey to the Past," won Oscar, 2000.
Works
Selected works
(albums)
Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, Jive Records, 1994.
One In A Million, Atlantic Records, 1996.
Aaliyah, Atlantic Records, 2001.
(singles)
"Back & Forth," 1994.
"At Your Best (You Are Love)," 1994.
"Age Ain't Nothing But a Number," 1995.
"If Your Girl Only Knew," 1996.
"Journey to the Past," (from Anastasia soundtrack), 1997.
"Are You That Somebody?", (from Dr. Dolittle soundtrack), 1998.
"Try Again," (from Romeo Must Die soundtrack), 2000.
(films)
Romeo Must Die, 2000.
Queen of the Damned, 2002.
Further Reading
Books
Contemporary Musicians, Vol. 21, Gale Research, 1998.
Periodicals
Associated Press, August 27, 2001.
Billboard, May 14, 1994.
Dallas Morning News, July 22, 2001.
Detroit Free Press, August 27, 2001.
Detroit News, August 27, 2001.
Entertainment Weekly, August 4, 2000; October 27, 2000; July 27, 2001.
Essence, January 1997.
Hollywood Reporter, January 30, 2001; April 27, 2001.
Indianapolis Recorder, July 8, 1995.
Jet, September 25, 2000.
Music Week, March 14, 1998.
Newsday, September 12, 1997.
Seventeen, January 1997.
Time, April 3, 2000; July 30, 2001.
Vibe, September 1994; December 1996/January 1997; August 2001.
Online
AMG, http://www.allmusic.com and http://www.allmovie.com.
Born Aaliyah Dani Haughton on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, NY; died on August 25, 2001, in the Bahamas; daughter of Michael and Diane (Hankerson) Haughton.
Began actively auditioning as a singer at age nine, appearing on television talent show Star Search; shortly thereafter she won her first big professional job, appearing for a week in the Las Vegas show of Gladys Knight;first artist signed by Blackground Enterprises at age 14, 1994; released Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, 1994; toured the United States and a number of foreign countries in support of her first album; released One ina Million, 1996; performed songs for the soundtracks of several motion pictures, including Anastasia and Dr.Dolittle, and guested on tracks for albums of fellow performers Nas, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, and Ginuwine; took her first major acting job in film Romeo MustDie, 2000; released Aaliyah, 2001; posthumous release I Care 4 U, 2002.
Awards: MTV Video Music Award, Best Female Video, for "Try Again," 2000; MTV Video Music Award, Best Video from a Film, for "Try Again" from Romeo MustDie, 2000; American Music Awards, Favorite Soul/R& B Female Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Album for Aaliyah, 2001, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist, 2003; Source Award, Female R&B Artist of the Year, 2003.
Addresses:Office—Michael and Diane Haughton, Raliah Management, P.O. Box 21847, Detroit, MI 48221.
Singer
In Swahili, the language of East Africa, the name Aaliyah means "highest, most exalted one." Most parents might shy away from burdening their newborn with such a tough name to live up to, but it seems that Michael and Diane Haughton knew from the start that their baby daughter had the makings of a real star. While still a sophomore at Detroit's High School for Fine and Performing Arts, Aaliyah Haughton, known professionally by her first name alone, released her debut album, which created a minor sensation in the recording industry and in time went double-platinum. Her second album quickly went platinum as well, and she later broadened her horizons, adding acting to her resume. Aaliyah's star was burning bright when her life was unexpectedly cut short: Aaliyah and eight others died in a plane crash on August 25, 2001, while returning from a video shoot in the Bahamas.
Born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Aaliyah Dani Haughton seemed somehow preordained to get into music. She was practically weaned on rhythm and blues and soul, because the Haughton household was almost always filled with music from her mother's extensive collection of recordings. Aaliyah, showing early signs of a talent that would later blossom into a professional career, just couldn't resist singing along to the records of the Isley Brothers, Whitney Houston, and Marvin Gaye.
When Aaliyah was five years old, the Haughton family left Brooklyn behind and moved to a new home in Detroit. It was in the Motor City that Michael and Diane Haughton, impressed by their daughter's raw musical talent, decided to enroll her in vocal classes. When she wasn't learning singing in the classroom, Aaliyah was singing up a storm wherever possible, including school plays and the church choir. Around the age of nine, she began making the rounds, auditioning regularly for television productions and record companies. But the auditions were her idea, she told Vibe, not her parents's. "I pushed them. I would talk to my mother every day. After school I'd go to her job and be, like, 'Ma, did anybody call me? Anybody call about signing me?' I was into it." It was at about this time that her mother encouraged her to drop her surname and go with just Aaliyah as her stage name.
An Early Star While still only nine years old, she appeared on the national television talent show, Star Search. Interviewed by Details magazine, Aaliyah recalled her TV debut: "It was really, really cute. I sang 'My Funny Valentine,' and I had on a white dress my grandmother made with a little bolero jacket, and special curls in my hair." Unfortunately, Aaliyah didn't win first place, but she gained much-needed experience working in front of a large audience. That experience came in handy a couple of years later when she was signed to perform
for a week in Las Vegas with Gladys Knight. Although in the end it was Aaliyah's talent that won her the job with Knight, it didn't hurt that her uncle, Barry Hankerson, who was also her manager at that stage in her career, was Knight's ex-husband. During the week she performed with Knight, Aaliyah sang a solo midway through the show and closed the show in a duet with Knight on "Believe in Yourself."
At the age of 14, Aaliyah signed her first record contract when Hankerson founded his own recording company, Blackground Enterprises. She was the first act to sign with the Blackground label. At about the same time, her uncle introduced Aaliyah to R&B singer/songwriter R. Kelly, who was also managed by Hankerson's Midwest Entertainment Group. Kelly, impressed with Aaliyah's vocal ability, signed on to produce her debut album. Of her first meeting with Kelly, Aaliyah told Vibe: "He came to my house, and I sang for him, and from there we went into the studio." Her debut album, entitled Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, was released in 1994 and eventually went double platinum. Aaliyah was overjoyed at the success of her first recording venture but less pleased at widespread rumors that she and Kelly were secretly married. She consistently denied that she was married to Kelly, but the rumors persisted. Documents were revealed years later that confirmed the couple married when Aaliyah was 15 and had the marriage annulled shortly thereafter. Not surprisingly, the gossip helped to call attention to Aaliyah's debut recording and in the end gave sales an extra lift. "Back and Forth," the first single released from the album, spent three weeks at number one on the R&B charts, while her second single, "At Your Best (You Are Love)," managed to climb its way to number two.
In support of her first album, Aaliyah spent nearly a year touring in the United States as well as several foreign countries, including Japan, South Africa, and most of Western Europe. In the wake of her debut album's success, she received a number of movie soundtrack and video contracts, including Low Down Dirty Shame in 1995 and All That and Sunset Park in 1996. What was perhaps most amazing was teenaged Aaliyah's ability to juggle her new-found success, concert appearances all over the globe, and interviews while still maintaining a 3.8 grade point average at Detroit's High School for Fine and Performing Arts. Her mother, a school teacher herself, insisted that a tutor accompany Aaliyah whenever she traveled away from Detroit or was otherwise unable to attend school.
One in a Million Back from nearly a year of touring, Aaliyah began to make plans for her second album. Like a lot of recording artists, she worried that unless she produced a strong follow-up, the public and—even more importantly—movers and shakers in the industry might write her off as nothing but a one-hit wonder. Perhaps still smarting from the media blitz over her relationship with Kelly, Aaliyah decided to work with a team of producers—eight in all—in putting together her second album. She switched distributors, dropping Jive Records to go with Atlantic, a distributor with proven strength in R&B circles. Of the nerve-wracking period leading up to the release of her second album, she later confided in an Atlantic press release: "I was a little anxious. You could even say I was a little afraid. I spoke with my family, and they helped me realize that it wasn't something I should worry about, that I shouldn't overthink the process." In the end, she took her family's advice and followed her instincts, which had proven more than reliable in the past. Although she worked with multiple producers and songwriters in putting together One in a Million, her
second album, her principal collaborator on the project was Tim "Timbaland" Mosely, one of the hottest producers in hip-hop music.
Any fears that she might be labeled a "one-hit wonder" quickly disappeared after the 1996 release of One in a Million, which, like her first album, eventually went double platinum. A number of hip-hop's hottest artists were featured on the album, including Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Slick Rick, and Naughty by Nature's Treach. The first single off the album, "If Your Girl Only Knew," rocketed to number one on the R&B charts. Other successful songs from the album included "Four-Page Letter," a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic "Got to Give It Up," and the title ballad. Her successful collaboration with Timbaland continued in 1997, when the two worked on the track "Are You That Somebody?" for the soundtrack of Eddie Murphy's remake of Dr. Dolittle.
Even after the success of her second album and nearly a decade of public appearances, frequently before audiences of thousands, Aaliyah continued to struggle against her basic shyness. So uncomfortable was she around others that she was rarely seen in public without her trademark sunglasses. Even in the recording studio, she felt uneasy being in the spotlight. Talking to an interviewer for Vibe, she said, "When I'm in the studio, I have to have the light off—you can't see me 'cause I'm very shy. I don't mind seeing you in the control room, but you can't see me."
In 1997 Aaliyah graduated from Detroit High School for Fine and Performing Arts but postponed plans for college because her career was occupying almost all of her time. For fellow artists Elliott, Ginuwine, and Nas, she contributed tracks on albums they recorded. She continued to work hard on her music but held off on a third album until she found the right combination of elements to make it a sure-fire winner. It was to be a five-year wait until her third album, Aaliyah, was released. The album, another collaboration with Timbaland, was scheduled to hit music stores in the summer of 2001.
Impressive Acting Debut At the end of the 1990s, Aaliyah's career broadened to include acting. She was signed for a starring role in the martial arts thriller Romeo Must Die, which was released in the spring of 2000. Costarring with Chinese action film star Jet Li, she made what one film critic termed "a creditable film debut." A single she recorded with producer Timbaland for Romeo Must Die, "Try Again," was a smash success, landing Aaliyah her first number one song on the pop charts. Her acting skills obviously made a positive impression on Hollywood's filmmakers, because in short order she was signed to appear in sequels to the wildly popular action film Matrix and to play Queen Akasha, "the original vampire," in the film version of Anne Rice's novel The Queen of the Damned.
For Aaliyah, her career, particularly the musical side of it, was very much a family affair. Although she was first managed by her uncle, that responsibility was later passed to her parents, who formed Detroit-based Raliah Management for just that purpose. However, Aaliyah still recorded for Blackground Enterprises. Her cousin, Jomo, played the role of executive producer on her second album, while her brother, Rashaad, was her creative consultant.
In an interview with Billboard early in 2001, Aaliyah talked a bit about the difficulties of juggling her work in both acting and singing: "I'd literally go from the movie studio to the recording studio. I'm like two different people. Once they say, 'Cut—it's a wrap for the day,' I leave the costumes on the set. I have two different facets to my career. I have to know how to turn it on and off."
With her third album's release, she seemed pleased with the ground she'd covered in just 22 years. She told Harper's Bazaar that she is "more controlling now. I have come into my own in the past year, and I really felt it making the new album. I would tell my producers, 'No, no, no. I don't want to do this' or 'Let's take this hook out.' It felt good to be so vocal." She described the third album as "a party album, with a few big, beautiful ballads," and assured the interviewer that her latest effort was definitely not "R&B lite." Timbaland likened their professional relationship to a "musical marriage," saying, "When you feel like someone is part of your family, the work comes naturally."
A Life Cut Short Aaliyah's promising life came to a halt when she was killed along with seven others on August 25, 2001, when the private plane in which they were traveling crashed after takeoff. She had been shooting a video for the song "Rock the Boat" in the Bahamas and was preparing to return to the United States. The cause of the crash was investigated by Bahamian aviation officials, who later reported that the pilot of the small Cessna plane had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, and that the crash was most likely caused by a pilot error. The plane was also overloaded by at least 700 pounds, most of it sound and video equipment used in the video shoot.
Posthumously, Aaliyah went on to even greater success than she had found in earlier years. In the month following her death, her most recent release, Aaliyah, went multiplatinum. Critics unanimously agreed it was her most accomplished work. All Music Guide critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine declared, "Aaliyah isn't just a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward, it is one of the strongest urban soul records of its time." Blackground Enterprises released ICare4U in 2002. The release contained most of Aaliyah's
greatest hits as well as six new, previously unreleased tracks, including the poignant first single, "Miss You."
Selected discography Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, Blackground/Jive, 1994. (Contributor) Low Down Dirty Shame (soundtrack), Hollywood, 1995. One in a Million, Blackground/Atlantic, 1996.
(Contributor) Anastasia (soundtrack), Atlantic, 1997.
(Contributor) Dr. Dolittle (soundtrack), Atlantic, 1998.
(Contributor) Music of the Heart (soundtrack), Sony/Epic, 1999. (Contributor) Next Friday (soundtrack), Priority, 1999.
(Contributor) The Nutty Professor II (soundtrack), Uni/Def Jam, 2000.
(Contributor) Romeo Must Die (soundtrack), Blackground/Virgin, 2000. Aaliyah, Virgin, 2001. ICare4U, Universal/Blackground, 2002.
Sources Periodicals America's Intelligence Wire, November 19, 2003. Billboard, July 20, 1996, p. 15. Harper's Bazaar, April 1, 2001, p. 153. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, July 16, 2002. People, June 23, 1997, p. 130. Time, April 3, 2000, p. 80
A star in the R&B world before she was even out of her teens, Aaliyah's promising career was tragically cut short by her death in a plane crash at age 22. Even with only three albums under her belt, she'd already earned a place as a talented trendsetter among the R&B elite. Following a successful transition to a more mature image, Aaliyah played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s. Her work with Timbaland, especially, was some of the most forward-looking R&B of its time, even while the competing neo-soul movement was gaining prominence. Aaliyah's death came on the heels of her third and most accomplished album, making it especially unfortunate that she was robbed of a chance to continue her creative development.
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, and named after a Swahili word meaning "most exalted one." Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was a manager and entertainment lawyer who was married to Gladys Knight for a time, and her mother, also a singer, enrolled Aaliyah in voice lessons before she'd even started school. Still very young, she moved with her family to Detroit, where she sang in several school plays. At age nine, she successfully auditioned for the TV show Star Search, where she performed "My Funny Valentine" (and lost). Two years later, thanks to her uncle Hankerson's connections, she spent five nights in Las Vegas performing as part of Gladys Knight's revue. In addition to his niece, Hankerson was also managing a rising R&B star named R. Kelly, and introduced the two in 1992. Kelly soon took Aaliyah under his wing and began writing and producing songs for her.
Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was released in the summer of 1994 and quickly became a platinum-selling hit on the strength of two smash singles, "Back & Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)" (the latter an Isley Brothers cover). Both songs hit the pop Top Ten and went gold, and "Back & Forth" went all the way to number one on the R&B charts, while "At Your Best" fell one spot short. Late in the year, Aaliyah found herself at the center of controversy when rumors spread that the 15-year-old singer had married Kelly, who was more than ten years her senior. Although both camps were resolutely tight-lipped, documents later confirmed that the two had wed in the state of Illinois that August and gotten an annulment shortly thereafter. By the time the media buzz died down, the two had parted ways both personally and creatively.
In 1996, Aaliyah released her follow-up album, One in a Million, which signaled a newly emerging maturity. She worked with several different producers, most notably Timbaland, who co-wrote several tracks with his songwriting partner, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (soon to become a solo star in her own right). Several of these -- "If Your Girl Only Knew," "One in a Million," "4 Page Letter" -- became hits, with "If Your Girl Only Knew" going all the way to the top of the R&B charts. The Diane Warren-penned ballad "The One I Gave My Heart To" was also a Top Ten R&B hit, and One in a Million wound up going double platinum. In the meantime, Aaliyah graduated from high school (in 1997) and contributed several songs to film soundtracks. "Journey to the Past," from Anastasia, was nominated for an Oscar, and in early 1998 she had a major hit with "Are You That Somebody?" from Eddie Murphy's Dr. Dolittle (in which she also made a cameo appearance).
Aaliyah took her time recording a follow-up, and put the process completely on hold to start an acting career. She co-starred with martial-arts master Jet Li and rapper DMX in 2000's urban Shakespeare adaptation Romeo Must Die, and her accompanying soundtrack single, "Try Again," became her first number one hit on the pop charts that summer. Aaliyah subsequently completed filming on the Anne Rice vampire flick Queen of the Damned, playing the title role as a vampire queen, and was cast in a prominent role in the two sequels to The Matrix. Plus, she finally finished her long-awaited third album, with Timbaland again handling the most prominent tracks. Released in the summer of 2001, Aaliyah completed the singer's image overhaul into a sensual yet sensitive adult. The record received excellent reviews, and the first single, "We Need a Resolution," was a Top 20 R&B hit.
About a month after the album's release, Aaliyah traveled to the Bahamas to film a video for its second single, "Rock the Boat." On August 25, she and several members of the crew boarded a small twin-engine Cessna plane returning to the mainland. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, exploding on impact; Aaliyah and seven other passengers were killed instantly, and the ninth later died at a Nassau hospital. Investigations into the crash showed that the plane had been loaded far past its weight capacity, and that pilot Luis Morales had recently been arrested for crack cocaine possession (traces of which, along with alcohol, were found in his system); furthermore, the charter company, Blackhawk International Airways, had not authorized him to pilot the craft in question. Naturally, the R&B community reacted with an outpouring of shock and sorrow, and Aaliyah became the singer's only chart-topping album, eventually going double platinum. "Rock the Boat" and "More Than a Woman" were both posthumous Top Ten hits on the R&B chart, and Queen of the Damned was a commercial success upon its release in early 2002, topping the box office in its first week. As details continued to emerge from the plane crash investigation, Aaliyah's parents filed suit against Blackhawk Airways, Virgin Records, and several other companies. At the end of 2002, the posthumous album I Care 4 U entered the charts at number three; it mixed some of the singer's biggest hits with a selection of unreleased material. The title track was a Top 20 pop hit, and "Miss You" topped the R&B charts early the next year. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), who performed under the mononymAaliyah (/ɑːˈliːə/), was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records. Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R.Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.
Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single "Try Again". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. "Try Again" earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.
After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Since then, Aaliyah's music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah recorded several number one R&B hits and five top ten Billboard Hot 100 singles. Aaliyah sold 32 million albums worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop, earning her the nicknames "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop". She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist overall.[1]
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York.[2] Born of African American descent, with Native American heritage from her grandmother,[3][4] she was the second and younger child of Diane and Michael Haughton.[3] At a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled in voice lessons by her mother,[2] and she would perform at weddings, church choir and charity events.[5] When she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad.[6][7] She attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where she received a part in the stage play Annie in first grade. From then on, she was determined to become an entertainer.[8] Aaliyah's mother was a vocalist, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight.[7] As a child, Aaliyah traveled with Knight and worked with an agent in New York to audition for commercials and television programs, including Family Matters; she went on to appear on Star Search at the age of nine.[2][9] She then auditioned for several record labels and appeared in concerts alongside Knight at age 11.[7][10]
The first single released from her second studio album, "If Your Girl Only Knew" was described as a sassy, organ-infused song.[18] Aaliyah was noted for having "smoother, more seductive, and stronger" singing.[19]
In 2000, Aaliyah landed her first major movie role in Romeo Must Die. Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at the box office.[30] In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, where she contributed four songs.[31] "Try Again" was released as a single from the soundtrack; the song topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Aaliyah the first artist to top the chart based solely on airplay; this led the song to be released in a 12" vinyl and 7" single.[1][32] The music video won the Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film awards at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.[33] It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.[34] The soundtrack went on to sell 1.5 million copies in the United States.[35]
After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah began to work on her second film, Queen of the Damned. She played the role of an ancient vampire, Queen Akasha, which she described as a "manipulative, crazy, sexual being".[12] She was scheduled to film for the sequels of The Matrix as the character Zee.[10][36] Aaliyah went on to release her eponymous album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. Produced by Timbaland,[2] the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 187,000 copies in its first week.[37] The first single from the album, "We Need a Resolution", peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
Aaliyah had a vocal range of a dramatic soprano.[10] With the release of her debut single "Back & Forth", Dimitri Ehrlich of Entertainment Weekly expressed that Aaliyah's "silky vocals are more agile than those of self-proclaimed queen of hip-hop soul Mary J. Blige."[39] Aaliyah described her sound as "street but sweet", which featured her "gentle" vocals over a "hard" beat.[40] Though Aaliyah did not write any of her own material,[10] her lyrics were described as in-depth.[41][42] She incorporated R&B, pop and hip hop into her music.[7][43] Her songs were often uptempo and melancholy, revolving around "matters of the heart".[44] Her songs have been said to have "crisp production" and "staccato arrangements" that "extend genre boundaries" while containing "old-school" soul music. When she experimented with other genres, such as Latin pop and heavy metal, writers panned the attempt.[44] As her albums progressed, writers felt that Aaliyah matured, calling her progress a "declaration of strength and independence".[38][42]Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described her eponymous album, Aaliyah, as "a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward" and called it one of the strongest urban soul records of its time.[42] She portrayed "unfamiliar sounds, styles and emotions", but managed to please critics with the contemporary sound it contained.[42] Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone felt that Aaliyah reflected a stronger technique, where she gave her best vocal performance.[45] Others felt that she was "satisfying rather than extraordinary", stating that she added little to modern R&B.[46][47]
As an artist, Aaliyah often voiced that she was inspired by a number of performers. These include Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Sade, En Vogue, Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Prince, Naughty by Nature, Johnny Mathis and Janet Jackson.[48] Aaliyah expressed that Michael Jackson's Thriller was her "favorite album" and that "nothing will ever top Thriller."[48] She stated that she admired Sade because "she stays true to her style no matter what... she's an amazing artist, an amazing performer... and I absolutely love her."[48] Aaliyah expressed she had always desired to work with Janet Jackson—whom she had drawn frequent comparison to over the course of her career, stating "I admire her a great deal. She's a total performer... I'd love to do a duet with Janet Jackson."[48][49][50][51] Jackson reciprocated Aaliyah's affections, commenting "I've loved her from the beginning because she always comes out and does something different, musically." Jackson also stated she would have enjoyed collaborating with Aaliyah.[48]
Aaliyah focused on her public image throughout her career. She often wore baggy clothes and sunglasses, stating that she wanted to be herself.[52] She described her image as being "important… to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack".[53] She often wore black clothing, starting a trend for similar fashion among women in United States and Japan.[10][54] Aaliyah participated in fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger's All America Tour and was featured in Tommy Jean ads, which depicted her in boxer shorts, baggy jeans and a tube top. Hilfiger's brother, Andy, called it "a whole new look" that was "classy but sexy".[54] When she changed her hairstyle, Aaliyah took her mother's advice to cover her left eye, much like Veronica Lake.[55] In 1998, she hired a personal trainer to keep in shape, and exercised five days a week and ate diet foods.[56] Aaliyah was praised for her "clean-cut image" and "moral values".[57]
Personal life
With the release of Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, rumors circulated of a relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly.[10][58] Shortly after, there was speculation about a secret marriage with the release of "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" and the adult content that Kelly had written for Aaliyah.[59]Vibe magazine later revealed a marriage certificate that listed the couple married on August 31, 1994, in Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois.[10][59] Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time, was listed as 18 on the certificate; the illegal marriage was annulled in February 1995 by her parents.[13][59][60] The pair continued to deny marriage allegations, stating that neither was married.[58] Aaliyah was engaged to co-founder of Roc-A-Fella RecordsDamon Dash at the time of her death and had plans to marry him after the premiere of The Matrix.[61]
Death, funeral and wrongful death lawsuit
On August 25, 2001, at 6:45 pm (EST), Aaliyah and various members of the record company boarded a twin-engine Cessna 402B (registration N8097W) at Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas, to travel to the airport in Opa-locka, Florida, after they completed filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat".[62] They had a flight scheduled the following day, but with filming finishing early, Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the United States and made the decision to leave immediately. The designated airplane was smaller than the Cessna 404 in which they had originally flown. The whole party and all of the equipment were accommodated on board.[63] As a result, when the aircraft attempted to depart, it was over its maximum takeoff weight by 700 pounds (320 kg) and was carrying one excess passenger, according to its certification.[64]
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from the runway.[62] Aaliyah and the eight others on board, pilot Luis Morales III, hair stylist Eric Forman, Anthony Dodd, security guard Scott Gallin, video producer Douglas Kratz, stylist Christopher Maldonado, and Blackground Records employees Keith Wallace and Gina Smith, were all killed.[65]
According to findings from an inquest, conducted by the coroner's office in The Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from "severe burns and a blow to the head", in addition to severe shock and a weak heart.[66] The coroner theorized that, even if Aaliyah had survived the crash, her recovery would have been virtually impossible given the severity of her injuries.[67] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report stated that "the airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27 and then exploding in flames."[68] It indicated that the pilot was not approved to pilot the plane he was attempting to fly. Morales falsely obtained his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license by showing hundreds of hours never flown, and he may also have falsified how many hours he had flown in order to get a job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways.[69] Additionally, an autopsy performed on Morales revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system.[70] The NTSB reported that the maximum allowed gross weight of the plane was "substantially exceeded" and that the center of gravity was positioned beyond its rear limit.[68] John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association stated that the plane was "definitely overloaded".[71]
The entrance to Ferncliff Cemetery, where Aaliyah is interred in a crypt
Aaliyah's funeral was held on August 31, 2001, at the Saint Ignatius Loyola Church in New York. Her body was set in a silver casket, which was carried in a glass hearse and was drawn by horse.[72] An estimated 800 mourners were in attendance of the procession.[13][73] Among those in attendance at the private ceremony were Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Gladys Knight, Lil' Kim and Sean Combs.[72][74][75] After the service, 22 white doves were released to symbolize each year of Aaliyah's life.[76] She was interred in a crypt in a private room in the Rosewood Mausoleum at the Ferncliff Cemetery.[77]
The day of the crash was Morales' first official day with Blackhawk International Airways, an FAA Part 135 single-pilot operation. Morales was not registered with the FAA to fly for Blackhawk. As a result of the accident, Aaliyah's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.[78] Barry & Sons, Inc., a corporation formed in 1992 to develop, promote and capitalize Aaliyah and to oversee the production and distribution of her records and music videos, brought an unsuccessful lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Instinct Productions LLC, the company that was hired in August 2001 to produce the music video for "Rock the Boat". The case was dismissed because of New York's wrongful death statute only permitting certain people to recover damages for wrongful death.[79][80]
Aftermath and posthumous recognition
The week after Aaliyah's death, her third studio album, Aaliyah, rose from number 19 to number one on the Billboard 200.[81] "Rock the Boat" was released as a posthumous single. The music video premiered on Black Entertainment Television's Access Granted; it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show.[82] The song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[83] It was also included on the Now That's What I Call Music! 8 compilation series; a portion of the album's profits was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund.[84] The following two singles from Aaliyah, "More than a Woman" and "I Care 4 U", peaked within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100.[83] The album was certified double Platinum by the RIAA and sold 2.95 million copies in the United States.[16][85][86]"More than a Woman" reached number one in the UK singles chart making Aaliyah the first deceased artist to reach number one in the UK single chart, with their first UK release. The song "More than a Woman" was replaced by George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" which is the only time in the UK singles chart history where a dead artist has replaced another dead artist at number one.[87]
She won two posthumous awards at the American Music Awards of 2002; Favorite Female R&B Artist and Favorite R&B/Soul Album for Aaliyah.[88] Her second and final film, Queen of the Damned, was released in February 2002. Before its release, Aaliyah's brother, Rashad, re-dubbed some of her lines during post-production.[89][90] It grossed US$15.2 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office.[91] On the first anniversary of Aaliyah's death, a candlelight vigil was held in Times Square, where millions of fans observed a moment of silence. Throughout the United States, radio stations played her music in remembrance.[92] In December 2002, a collection of previously unreleased material was released as Aaliyah's first posthumous album, I Care 4 U. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, a program that benefits the Revlon UCLA Women Cancer Research Program and Harlem's Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.[93] It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 280,000 copies in its first week.[94] The album's lead single, "Miss You", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[83] In August of the following year, clothing retailer Christian Dior donated profits from sales in honor of Aaliyah.[95]
Aaliyah was signed to appear in several future films, including Honey (recast to Jessica Alba).[96]Some Kind of Blue and a Whitney Houston-produced remake of the 1976 film Sparkle were canceled due to Aaliyah's death.[4][97] Before her death, Aaliyah had filmed part of her role in The Matrix Reloaded and was scheduled to appear in The Matrix Revolutions as Zee.[20] The role was later recast to Nona Gaye.[36] Aaliyah's scenes were later included in the tribute section of the Matrix Ultimate Collection series.[98] In 2005, Aaliyah's second compilation album, Ultimate Aaliyah was released in the UK by Blackground Records.[99]Ultimate Aaliyah is a three disc set, which included a greatest hits audio CD and a DVD.[99] Andy Kellman of Allmusic remarked "Ultimate Aaliyah adequately represents the shortened career of a tremendous talent who benefited from some of the best songwriting and production work by Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and R. Kelly."[99]
A documentary movie Aaliyah Live In Amsterdam was released in 2011. The documentary, by Pogus Caesar, contained previously unseen footage shot at the start of her career in 1995 when the then 16-year-old was appearing in the Netherlands.
Legacy
Aaliyah has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop in the 1990s, "leaving an indelible imprint on the music industry as a whole."[41][100] Steve Huey of Allmusic wrote Aaliyah ranks among the "elite" artists of the R&B genre, as she "played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s."[101] Described as one of "R&B's most important artists" during the 1990s,[102] her second studio album, One in a Million, became one of the most influential R&B albums of the decade.[18] According to Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine, Aaliyah provided a "missing link" between hip hop and electronica.[103] With sales of 8.1 million albums in the United States and an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide,[104][105][106] Aaliyah has been named the "Princess of R&B" and "Queen Of Urban Pop" [107][108] and "proved she was a muse in her own right".[109] Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone dubbed her as the "undisputed queen of the midtempo come-on".[12] Japanese pop singer Hikaru Utada has said several times that "It was when I heard Aaliyah's "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number" that I got hooked on R&B.", after which Utada released her debut album First Love with heavy R&B influences.[110]
Aaliyah was honored at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards by Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Ginuwine and her brother, Rashad, who all paid tribute to her.[111] In the same year, the United States Social Security Administration ranked the name Aaliyah one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls.[112] Aaliyah was ranked as one of "The Top 40 Women of the Video Era" in VH1's 2003 The Greatest series.[113][114] She was also ranked at number 18 on BET's "Top 25 Dancers of All Time".[115] Aaliyah has also appeared on both 2000 and 2001 list of Maxim Hot 100 in position 41 and the latter at 14.[116][117] In memory of Aaliyah, the Entertainment Industry Foundation created the Aaliyah Memorial Fund to donate money raised to charities she supported.[118][119] In December 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Aaliyah at number 70 on its Top Artists of the Decade,[120] while her eponymous album was ranked at number 181 on the magazine's Top 200 Albums of the Decade.[121]
^Drennen, Eileen M.; Murray, Sonia; Hamilton, Doug; Dollar, Steve; Henry, Derrick; Janich, Kathy; DeVault, Russ (August 9, 1996). "Home Entertainment The Latest In Music, Videos And Books New Music Mini Reviews Review". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Cox Enterprises): p. G.06. "Actually, she's a streetwise Jackson with a far more soulful song selection. The gritty beats just don't stop on 'One in a Million,' which, a la Jackson, has one track after another aching for sensual choreography."
^Johnson, Connie (September 28, 1996). "Aaliyah's Spirit Sounds Like a 'Million'". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company): p. 8. ISSN0458-3035. "Kelly, who produced Aaliyah's 1994 hits 'Back and Forth' and 'At Your Best (You Are Love),' took a girl with admittedly thin vocal chops—but a truckload of poise and precocity—and turned her into the most convincing studio-produced marvel this side of 'Control'-era Janet Jackson."
^Wiltz, Teresa (July 22, 2001). "Aaliyah's Peek Performance". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. G.02. ISSN0190-8286. "Aaliyah is a contemporary of those other barely post-adolescent R&B crooners, from Mya to Monica to Brandy et al. But with her edge and attitude—not to mention dance skills—the 21-year-old actually has more in common with Janet Jackson."
^Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon & Schuster. p. 1. ISBN0-7432-0169-8.
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