Aaliyah Dana Haughton Biography
Aaliyah, Biography of Aaliyah Dana Haughton (Wiki). Aaliyah: Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), who performed under the mononym Aaliyah (pronounced /əˈliːə/), was an American recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At an early age, she appeared on Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight (Biography or Wiki of Aaliyah Dana Haughton). At age 12, Aaliyah was signed to Jive Records and Blackground Records by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He 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 sold two 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 Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed to Atlantic Records.
Aaliyah Death: 8 Years Since Plane Crash Death of Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Aaliyah Dana Haughton Biography or Wiki: 1979–1991: Early life-
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Born of African American and Native American descent, she was the second and youngest child of Diane and Michael Haughton. At a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled in voice lessons by her mother. When she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad. 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 be an entertainer. Aaliyah’s mother was a vocalist, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who was previously married to Gladys Knight.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 appeared on Star Search at the age of nine. She then auditioned for several record labels and appeared in concert alongside Knight at age 11.
1992–1995: Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number: After Barry Hankerson signed a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12. Hankerson then introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly. He became Aaliyah’s mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of the album. They began recording her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, when she was 14. Released in June 1994, the album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and sold over two million copies in the United States. Aaliyah’s debut single, “Back & Forth”, topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The second single, a cover of The Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best (You Are Love)”, peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also certified Gold by the RIAA. The title track, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number”, peaked at number 75 on the Hot 100.
With the release of Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, rumors began to circulate of a relationship between Aaliyah and Kelly. Shortly after, rumors of a secret marriage began with the release of “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number” and the adult content that Kelly had written for Aaliyah. Vibe magazine later revealed a marriage certificate that listed the couple, where they were allegedly married on August 31, 1994, in Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois. Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time, was listed as 18 on the certificate; the illegal marriage was reportedly annulled by her parents. The pair continued to deny marriage allegations, stating that neither was married.
1996–1999: One in a Million: “If Your Girl Only Knew” (1996)
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In her second album, Aaliyah was noted for having “smoother, more seductive, and stronger” singing.
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In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive Records and signed to Atlantic Records. She worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott, who contributed to her second studio album, One in a Million. The album yielded “If Your Girl Only Knew”, which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for two weeks. It also generated the singles “Hot like Fire” and “4 Page Letter”; the following year, Aaliyah was featured on Timbaland & Magoo’s debut single, “Up Jumps da Boogie”. One in a Million peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200, selling over two million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide.
Aaliyah attended the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts, where she majored in drama and graduated in 1997 with a 4.0 grade point average. Aaliyah began her acting career that same year; she played herself in the police drama television series New York Undercover. She then released “The Thing I Like” from the soundtrack of A Low Down Dirty Shame; it peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. Aaliyah appeared on the soundtrack album for the Fox Animation Studios animated feature Anastasia, performing a cover version of “Journey to the Past”.The song was nominated for an Academy Award, where she performed the song at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony, becoming the youngest singer to perform at the ceremony.
2000–2001: Romeo Must Die and eponymous album: In 2000, Aaliyah landed her first major movie role in Romeo Must Die. A loose adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed $18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at the box office. In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, where she contributed four songs. “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 radio airplay; this led the song to be released in a 12″ vinyl and 7″ single. The video for the song earned Aaliyah Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. The soundtrack went on to sell 1.5 million copies in the United States.
After Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah began to film for her second film, Queen of the Damned. She had the role of an ancient vampire, Queen Akasha, which she described as a “manipulative, crazy, sexual being”. She was scheduled to film for the sequels of The Matrix as the character Zee. Aaliyah went on to release her eponymous album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. Produced primarily by Timbaland, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 187,000 copies in its first week. The first single from the album, “We Need a Resolution”, peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Plane crash, death and wrongful death lawsuit: On August 25, 2001, at 6:45 pm (EST), Aaliyah and various members of her record company boarded a twin engine Cessna 402B (N8097W) at Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas, to travel to an airport in Opa-locka, Florida, after they completed filming the music video for “Rock the Boat”. The crew had a flight scheduled the following day, but Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the United States due to the filming finishing early, so they demanded that their heavy equipment be loaded on the plane rather than left behind. It 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 (60 m) from the runway. Aaliyah, 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 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.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.” It also 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. Additionally, an autopsy performed on Morales revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system.
Source: Wikipedia (more read)
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