August 25, 2001 is the day when Aaliyah died in a plane crash. 14 years ago.
- Many celebrities pay tribute to Aaliyah taken to social media on Tuesday to honor the late singer.
- Janet Jackson took to the site to pay her respects, sharing a heartfelt, handwritten note to the performer.
Aaliyah was just 22 when she died while traveling on a private plane that crashed shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas. The cause of the crash was later reported to be as a result of the weight on board exceeding what the small aircraft could handle. Eight other people, including members of Aaliyah’s entourage, also died in the tragic accident.
Among are the celebrities pay tribute to Aaliyah on social media:
P. Diddy posted an old photo of himself with the R&B star, along with the caption, “#RIPAaliyah.”
Janet Jackson tweeted, “I know u r there shining down on me,” and included a photo of a handwritten letter she wrote in Aaliyah’s honor. The note includes, “I love you Aaliyah #RIP.”
Missy Elliot wrote “RIP Baby Girl,” along with a link to an old article in which the rapper referred to Aaliyah as an “angel,” and “sweet person with great, incredible talent.” In preparation of his radio show for which he’ll be playing Aaliyah’s music all day.
D.L. Hughley tweeted, “Remembering Aaliyah today, what’s your favorite song? Find out what DL & the crew have to say.”
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson’s Blackground Records. Hankerson 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 R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.
Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film’s soundtrack, which spawned the single “Try Again”. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this goal “Try Again” earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her role in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001.
On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for the single “Rock the Boat”. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Aaliyah’s music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah sold 52 million records worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B and hip hop, earning her the nicknames “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop”. She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years and 27th most successful R&B artist in history. In remembering her death many celebrities pay tribute to Aaliyah.IMAGE/twitter
