Aaliyah

[Jarek]

Talented. Beautiful. Modest. These three words described R&B singer-turned-actress Aaliyah perfectly. Born in Brooklyn, New York but raised in Detroit, Aaliyah got her first major exposure appearing on the syndicated television series "Star Search" (1983) where she awed the audience with her amazing voice and talent. Withdrawing from the celebrity scene for a few years, Aaliyah lived the life of a normal teenage girl, attending Detroit's Performing Arts High School where she majored in dance. It was around this same time that Aaliyah met singer/composer R. Kelly. Kelly assisted Aaliyah with the production of her debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But A number" which scored several number hits, specifically "Back and Forth." The album's title was a brief reference to her short-lived marriage to R. Kelly (she was 15 years of age at the time, and he was in his 20s). Thir marriage was annulled due to her status as a minor. During her senior year, Aaliyah went on to record "One In A Million" which featured the songwriting talents of major R&B producers/writers 'Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott' and Tim Mosley. That album was a major success and sealed Aaliyah's fame forever. After seeing her at an awards show and in the video for her hit song "Are You that Somebody?" (from the Eddie Murphy film Doctor Dolittle (199, film producer Joel Silver (producer of The Matrix (1999) and other major actor films) asked Aaliyah to audition for a role in an upcoming romance/action film called Romeo Must Die (2000). With her determination and sex appeal, Aaliyah won Silver over and was cast in her first major film role. Romeo Must Die (2000) was a hit at the box office. This film led to her being cast as one of the stars of the film based on Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned (2002) and in the two sequels to the major box office hit, The Matrix (1999). During the busy schedule of her film career, Aaliyah took time to record her third album, the self-titled "Aaliyah". July 2001 was a busy time for Aaliyah. After the sucess of her song "Try Again" for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award and won several MTV Video Awards, Aaliyah finally released her "Aaliyah" album. Debuting at number two on the Billboard charts, "Aaliyah" was a sales success despite many lack-lustre reviews it received. In August 2001, Aaliyah took time off from her busy album promotional tour to fly to the Bahamas to film a video for the song "Rock the Boat". The video, filmed on Abaco Island, was directed by Hype Williams, a major music video director known for his style and wit. On August 25, 2001, after filming the video, Aaliyah and about 9-11 of her entourage took off from Marsh Harbour airport at 6:50pm EDT in a small Cessna 404 en route to Opa-Locka, Florida. A few minutes after take-off, the plane crashed about 200 feet from the runaway killing Aaliyah and many others instantly. Four passnegers were pulled alive from the wreckage, and one later died at a hospital in Nassau. Aaliyah was only 22 years old. Aaliyah's short-lived, but brillant career was a true success story for a young African-American woman who went against all odds to be herself in an industry where originality is scarce. Truly missed by her family, friends, and fans, her music and film contributions will live forever.
IMDb

Mini Biography

On January 16th 1979 the world was blessed with the birth of Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn, New York. Aaliyah was raised by her father, mother and brother Rashad Haughton in Detroit. At age 9 she appeared on "Star Search" (1983), the TV program and sang "My Funny Valentine", a song which her mother had sung years earlier. At age 11, she sang with Gladys Knight in a five-night stint in Las Vegas. In 1992, she began to work on her debut album with the help of singer R. Kelly. The album, "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" was released in 1994 and received heavy praise. Aaliyah came under attack shortly after when reports suggested she was married to R. Kelly. At the time, she was 15, he was 27. The marriage was apparently annulled. In 1995, she began to work on her 2nd album, alongside Jermaine Dupri, Tim Mosley, Slick Rick and Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott'. The album, titled 'One In A Million' was released on August 27th 1996. In 1998 she released the single, 'Are you that somebody?' from the Doctor Dolittle (199 soundtrack, it was produced by her friends Tim Mosley. Later that year she released the single 'Journey to the past', from the Anastasia (1997) soundtrack. In 2000, she made her film acting debut and starred as Trish O'Day in the smash hit, hip-hop, kung fu film, Romeo Must Die (2000) alongside Jet Li. The producer was so impressed by her performance she got parts in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003). She made numerous records for the soundtrack and released 'Try Again', for which she was nominated with 'Best female video' and 'Best Video in a film' with MTV. In 2001 she was nominated with 2 awards for MTV, the 'Breakthrough female' and 'best performing female'. In July 2001 she released her third album, the self-titled, 'Aaliyah'. In early August of the same year she filmed the video for the single 'More Than a woman', taken off the album and on the 23rd August she started filming for 'Rock The Boat', on Abaco Island, in the Bahamas. On 25th August, filming was completed and her and eight of her crew members including her hair stylist and bodyguard boarded a small plane. Shortly after take off, the plane crashed and exploded, Aaliyah and all on board, perished. Aaliyah's funeral was held on Friday August 31st in New York, and 22 white doves were flown to celebrate each year of her life. Soon after her death, the hit singles 'More Than a woman' and 'Rock The Boat' were released from her third album. In 2002, the film Queen of the Damned (2002) by Anne Rice was released in which Aaliyah played the lead, Queen Akasha. She was nominated for best Villain at the MTV movie awards 2002. Looking back at her biography, it's no wonder her name means 'Highest, most exhalted one; the best', she had achieved so much in her short life of 22 years.