It's been nine years today since the untimely death of Aaliyah (Aaliyah Dana Haughton). With a voice of an angel, she played a big part in redefining R&B and Hip-Hop.
At age 12, Aaliyah signed with 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. The album sold three 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 worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single Try Again.
After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single Rock the Boat. Since then, Aaliyah's music has achieved commercial success with several posthumous releases, with album sales estimated to be between 24 to 32 million copies worldwide . R.I.P Aaliyah, you are forever in our hearts..
