Aaliyah Fan Page

Aaliyah Haughton was born on January 16, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of five, her family moved to Detroit where she started what seemed to be a promising career. Only time would tell if this upcoming star would live up to that aspiration and her name, which means "highest, most exalted one" Aaliyah's talent was recognized at a young age when her mom secured the services of a voice teacher before the young girl even enrolled in school. Young Haughton spent her pre-teen years between singing in school plays and auditioning for various TV projects.At the age of 9, she appeared on the television show Star Search where she sang My Funny Valentine as an homage to her mom. Just two years later, she went on a five-night stint singing with Gladys Knight's troupe in Las Vegas. At this early stage in her career, Aaliyah already had relative success and some good connections to continue her rise to the top of Hollywod's fame. Her uncle Barry Hankerson was the CEO of the artist management company Blackground Enterprises. In 1994, at the age of 14, Aaliyah released her first album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number. It was an instant success. The first single, “Back And Forth,” was a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a No. 1 R&B song. The follow up single, a remake of the Isley Brother’s “At Your Best (You Are Love),” reached Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was number 2 at R&B radio. “I still remember how nervous I was right before ‘Back And Forth’ came out,” she says. “I kept wondering if people would accept it. When it went gold, I had my answer, and it was just such an incredibly satisfying feeling.” The acceptance of her music inspired other female teen singers to follow in her footsteps. Her taste in fashion influences millions of her fans. Her trademark baggy pants and oversized shirts simply reflect the sense of style she developed as a child. She always loved wearing her father and brother’s In 1996 Aaliyah released her second record, One In A Million. The first single, “If Your Girl Only Knew,” went double platinum and contains Timbaland’s signature syncopated beats and Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot’s poignant lyrics. “4 Page Letter” and “Hot Like Fire” were also well received. “I love working with Timbaland,” Aaliyah says. “He understands what I can do and always wants to try new things. We have great chemistry; we’re musical soulmates.” Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins, J. Dibbs, Daryl Simmons, Kay-Gee, Vincent “V.H.” Herbert and Craig King were also involved with producing One In A Million. The album was multi-platinum and an international hit. Aaliyah performed throughout Europe, Japan and South Africa. In Tokyo, concertgoers sang the words to all of her songs. In Paris, eager fans chanted her name before she took the stage. In 1998 Aaliyah had a huge hit with “Are You That Somebody” from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. Produced by Timbaland, the song is infectious, known for its clever sampling of a baby crying. Fans particularly enjoy the classy Flamenco dance moves in the video. Also that year, Aaliyah performed “Journey To The Past” for the motion picture “Anastasia.” “Journey To The Past” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. Aaliyah performed it on The Academy Awards Show that year. Aaliyah’s motion picture debut in “Romeo Must Die,” produced by Joel Silver for Warner Brothers, is spectacular by any standards. Co-starring Jet Li, the film is a box office success and has led to Aaliyah’s huge hit record, “Try Again.” The “Romeo” soundtrack is expected to sell in the millions and has spent weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Chart. What makes this even more extraordinary is that she is the executive producer of the soundtrack! Aaliyah has three other cuts on the record including one with DMX. Currently, Aaliyah is working on her third studio album and selecting her next film roles from the many offers that she is receiving. She plans to continue her collaboration with Timbaland and is also hoping to work with other outstanding producers and artists. Aaliyah portrays Trish O’Day, a headstrong teen desperate to disassociate herself with the perils of her father’s life as an Oakland, California crime boss. A film highlight is her big fight scene in which she and Jet Li confront a female villainess. In this climatic struggle, Jet Li holds Aaliyah up and uses her as a weapon against their nemesis. Aaliyah is proud of the way the scene turned out, especially since she did not use a stunt double.“I studied for one month. My brother, Rashad, and I took some martial arts classes when we were younger. Jet Li is really amazing. He’s such a natural. He just came in and did his part. It only took three days to shoot. At the ‘MTV Movie Awards’ this year, a lot of media asked me if there were any categories I would like to see added to the awards. Actually, I would – ‘Best Hug’ and ‘Best Dance Scene.’ In the movie, Jet Li and I never have a kissing scene. But we do have a hot dance sequence.” 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. 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 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 4 others instantly. Four passnegers were pulled alive from the wreckage, and later died at a hospital in Nassau. 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.