[Veelyn]

Yesterday marked the 7th anniversary that R&B sensation Aaliyah had passed away. I thought a tribute to her would be nice!


Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), better known as Aaliyah was an Americansinger, dancer, actress, model, teen idol. Introduced to audiences by R&B/pop singer R. Kelly, Aaliyah became famous during the mid-1990s with several hit records from the songwriting/production team of Missy Elliott and Timbaland.
Despite her short career, she sold 32 million records worldwide. In addition to her commercial success, her collaborations with Timbaland helped shape the sound of R&B in the latter half of the 1990s. She also modeled for Tommy Hilfiger and starred in two motion pictures before being killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas. Following her death, singles like "Rock the Boat" and "Miss You" became Billboard hits.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, New York to Michael and Diane Haughton. Her maternal grandmother, Mintis L. Hicks Hankerson, gave her the middle name Dana. Her name means "Highest, Most Exalted, The Best" in Arabic. In Hebrew her name means ascent and is not used as a name. Aaliyah was of African American and Native American ancestry. Aaliyah was raised as a Roman Catholic with her older brother Rashad Haughton. Diane Haughton, Aaliyah's mother, also a vocalist, encouraging her daughter's career.
At age 5, Aaliyah and her family moved to a suburb in Detroit, Michigan. In 1989, she appeared on the TV talent show Star Search at age 10, singing her mother's favorite song, "My Funny Valentine". Although she did not win, she continued to perfect her skills. Aaliyah worked with an agent in New York and auditioned for TV shows, including Family Matters.
Aaliyah attended the Detroit School of Arts and graduated in 1997 with a 4.0 GPA.

[Veelyn]

In 1992, Hankerson introduced Aaliyah to rising R&B singer R. Kelly, who was also managed by Hankerson. Soon, R. Kelly began producing and writing songs for Aaliyah's debut album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album was released on June 14, 1994, with three worldwide singles, two European singles and one single exclusively released in the U.S..

Early in her career, she appeared on the Nickelodeon series All That performing "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number". She returned again in 1996 to perform her hit "One in a Million". She also appeared as herself on a 1994 episode of the gritty cop drama New York Undercover.
She also garnered much success from her songs being featured on movie soundtracks. In 1997, Aaliyah appeared on the soundtrack album for the Fox Animation Studios animated feature Anastasia, singing the pop version of "Journey to the Past". The song was nominated for an Academy Award, and Aaliyah performed the song at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony, becoming the youngest singer to perform at the ceremony.
In 2000, Aaliyah landed her first major movie role in Romeo Must Die, which debuted at number one at the box office. A loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. In addition to acting, Aaliyah and Timbaland executive produced the film's soundtrack album and she contributed four songs: "Are You Feelin' Me?", "I Don't Wanna", "Come Back in One Piece," a duet with DMX which landed at #2 on BET's "Notarized" Top 100 videos of 2000, and the international number one hit "Try Again."
Aaliyah made history when "Try Again" became the first song to ever reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on the strength of its radio airplay, without any single sales factored in. After the huge success of "Try Again" on radio, a 12" maxi single was released for consumer purchase. "Try Again" landed at #1 on BET's "Notarized" Top 100 Videos of 2000. The radio-only single, "I Don't Wanna", (which was also featured on the soundtrack for the film Next Friday) peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart. In 2001, Aaliyah went to Australia to co-star with Stuart Townsend in the vampire film The Queen of the Damned, an adaptation of the Anne Rice novel of the same name.
Looking ahead, Aaliyah had a supporting role in the two sequels to The Matrix as Zee, the wife of Harold Perrineau Jr.'s character, Link. The directors initially tried to find a way to incorporate her footage into the movies but decided against it due to lack of material available. The role was recast with Nona Gaye playing the role. In 2004, The Matrix was released to DVD, tributes and footage of Aaliyah were found inside the special features.
Other films in which Aaliyah was signed to appear were Honey (Jessica Alba was eventually cast as the main character), a role in the movie State Property 2(which was recast with Mariah Carey), and a Whitney Houston-produced remake of the 1976 film Sparkle which was canceled in 2007.

[Veelyn]

On August 25, 2001, at 6:50 pm (EST), just after finishing filming of the music video to "Rock the Boat", Aaliyah and various members of her record company boarded a twin engine Cessna 402B (N8097W) at Marsh Harbour, Abaco Island, Bahamas to travel to Opa-locka Airport near Miami, Florida. The crew had a flight scheduled the next day, but the video wrapped early. Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the US and took their heavy equipment from the shoot on the plane rather than leave it behind which resulted in the aircraft being well beyond the standard weight and balance tolerance provided by Cessna.


The plane crashed shortly after takeoff about 200 feet (70 m) from the runway. Aaliyah, pilot Luis Morales III and the seven other passengers, including her hair stylist Eric Foreman, Anthony Dodd, her security guard Scott Gallin, Douglas Kratz (a director of video production for Virgin Records), stylist Christopher Maldonado, Keith Wallace and Gina Smith (both employees of the Blackground label) were killed.
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. The coroner theorized that, even if Aaliyah had survived the crash, her recovery would have been virtually impossible given the severity of her injuries.
Aaliyah's funeral was held on August 31, 2001 at Saint Ignatius Loyola Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan, New York City. She was interred at the Rosewood Mausoleum in Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York.

Grammy Award
1999, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Are You That Somebody?"; Nominated
2001, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Try Again"; Nominated
2002, Best R&B Album: "Aaliyah"; Nominated
2002, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Rock The Boat"; Nominated
2003, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "More Than A Woman"; Nominated


MTV Video Music Awards
1999, Best R&B Video: "Are You That Somebody?"; Nominated
1999, Best Video from a Film: "Are You That Somebody?"; Nominated
2000, Best Female Video: "Try Again"; Winner
2000, Best Video From Film: "Try Again"; Winner
2002, Best R&B Video: "Rock The Boat"; Nominated
2003, Best R&B Video: "Miss You"; Nominated

MOBO Awards
2002, Best Video: "More Than a Woman"; Winner
2002, Best Dance Video: "More Than a Woman"; Winner
2002, Best International Act; Winner

BET Awards
2002, Best Actress: "Queen of The Damned"; Nominated
2002, Best Female R&B Artist; Nominated
2002, Video of The Year: " Rock The Boat"; Nominated
2002, Viewer Choice Awards; Nominated

Image Awards
2002, Outstanding Female Artist; Winner
2003, Best female video: "Miss You"; Winner

Soul Train Awards
1998, Female R&B/Soul Single: "One In A Million"; Winner
2002 Female R&B/Soul Single: "Rock The Boat"; Winner

Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
1999, Best R&B/Soul Song: "Are You That Somebody?"; Nominated
1999, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video: "Are You That Somebody?"; Nominated
2000, Best R&B/Soul Single - Solo: "Try Again"; Nominated
2000, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video : "Try Again" (Winner)
2001, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year: "Try Again"; Winner
2002, Best R&B/Soul Solo Single: "Rock the Boat"; Winner
2002, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year: "Rock the Boat"; Winner

American Music Awards
1999, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist ; Nominated
2002, Favorite Female R&B Artist; Winner
2002, Favorite R&B/Soul Album: Aaliyah; Winner
2003, Favorite Female R&B Artist; Winner

Source Awards
2000, R&B Artist of the Year, Female: Aaliyah; Winner

World Music Awards
1997, World's Best Selling Female R&B Artist; Winner
1998, World's Best Selling R&B Artist; Winner
1998, World's Best Selling Single: Are You that Somebody; Nominated
1998, Entertainer Of The Year; Winner
2000, World's Best Selling R&B Artist; Nominated
2000, Female Entertainer Of The Year; Winner
2002 World's Best Selling Female R&B Artist; Nominated
2002 World's Best Selling Female Pop Artist; Nominated

Brit Awards
2003, Best International Female Artist; Winner

Juno Awards
2002, Best Selling Album By International Artist: Aaliyah; Nominated
2003, Best Selling Album By International Artist: I Care 4 U; Nominated

New Musical Express, UK (NME)
2002, Record of The Year: "More Than a Woman"; Winner

International Dance Music Awards, World
2000, Best International R&B Artist; Winner
2000, Best International Female Artist; Winner
2002, Best International Female Artist; Winner
2002, Record Of The Year "More Than a Woman"; Winner

Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica
2002, Best R&B Artist; Winner
2002, Best Song: "More Than a Woman"; Nominated

MTV Europe Music Awards
2002, Best R&B Artist; Winner
2002, Best Song: "More Than a Woman"; Nominated

Icon Israeli Musical Artist Award
2004, Best Selling International Female Artist of All-Time; Honorary Award

www.wikipedia.com

RIP Baby Girl!

[MissTiss]

Wow. I can't believe it's been 7 years. She was a gorgeous person and a beautiful singer.

RIP

[Veelyn]

[Veelyn]

[Jahpson]

still cant believe it! she was so nice, gorgeous and talented. what a shame


she was only 22, can you believe it?

[Veelyn]

^ I know

[karo]

Originally Posted by MissTiss

Wow. I can't believe it's been 7 years. She was a gorgeous person and a beautiful singer.

RIP

I can't believe it either. She was such a beautiful young and talented girl. Such a tragic loss.

[lv-lover]

I can't believe it's been that long. I still remember the day I found out quite clearly.

[sara999]

i can't believe it's been 7 years. i remember it so clearly. and left eye too

[Jahpson]

ya know, the longer i look at her...she resembles my cousin! scary

[LadyLouboutin08]

I can't believe she's gone, she was the most beautiful person inside and out.

[FijiBuni]

I still remember what I was doing when I heard she passed... So sad, she was so talented... RIP

[Veelyn]

I remember the day very clearly too..