Today the Princess of R&B known as Aaliyah Dana Haughton would have turned 32 years old. Sadly, she died August 25th, 2001 in a tragic airplane crash which also killed 8 other people in the Bahamas. Although, her life was taken at such an early age, 22, she still had the time to leave such an amazing mark on music. At the age of 12, she signed with Jive Records and began to put work in on her first album titled Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number which was released in 1994. This album included help from mentor R. Kelly who produced a few tracks on the album. This album featured two popular hits “Back and Forth” and “At your best (you are love).
Here’s the video for “Back and Forth”:
In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive and signed with Atlantic Records. This is where she met popular record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliot both of which helped with her second album One in a Million. This album included popular tracks such as “One in a Million,” “If your girl only knew,” “The one I gave my heart to,” and “4 page letter” just to name a few.
Here’s the video for “4 page letter”:
In addition to doing songs for her albums, she also worked with the soundtrack for the movie Dr. Dolittle. The song “Are you that somebody?” was released in 1998 and became a major hit all around the world. Aaliyah is also well known for being an amazing dancer which is showcased in the video for “Are you that somebody?” with choreography by Fatima Robinson.
Here’s the video for “Are you that somebody?”:
In July of 2001, Aaliyah released her third and final album self-titled Aaliyah. This album included popular songs such as “I care 4 U,” “More than a woman,” “Rock the boat,” and “We need a resolution.” The video for “Rock the boat” was filmed in the Bahamas and was the last video from Aaliyah. She and 8 others were involved in a fatal plane crash on the way back to the United States.
Here’s the video for “Rock the boat”:
Although Aaliyah has passed, her legacy and her music will live on for decades to come. She truly made a mark on music and has inspired so many artists in today’s society.
R.I.P. Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979-August 25, 2001)
