Remembering Aaliyah

Remembering Aaliyah

The “Princess of R&B” tragically died in a plane crash 15 years ago on August 25, 2001. Today we remember and celebrate the life of Aaliyah.

Aaliyah achieved great success during her short time with us. She started as R. Kelly’s protege at the tender age of 15 but quickly achieved her own following as a solo artist and actress. Her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, went double platinum and sold three million copies in the United States. Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott on her second album, One In A Million, which sold a total of 11 million copies at the time of its release. In 2000, the R&B singer took her talents to the silver screen as Trish O’day in Romeo Must Die. The film spawned the single “Try Again”, which earned Aaliyah a Grammy nod and made her the first artist that topped the Billboard Hot 100 based on airplay only. Her third and final album, Aaliyah, was released in July 2001, just one month before her tragic death.

After wrapping a video shoot in the Bahamas for Aaliyah’s song “Rock The Boat”, the singer and eight others boarded a private jet back to the States. The plane never made it. All passengers onboard, including the pilot, died when the Cessna 402B crashed shortly after take off. This was not the plane that Aaliyah and her colleagues were originally supposed to board. The crew was eager to get back to the United States and decided to leave a day earlier than planned and so the party and all of their belongings were loaded onto a smaller plane. The aircraft was over its maximum takeoff weight by 700 pounds and was carrying one passenger too many. Additionally, it was later revealed that the pilot was not certified and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the crash.

Today, 15 years after Aaliyah’s sudden passing, the world of R&B continues to be influenced by the gifted young woman’s career. Her unique voice and infrequent musical releases cast a mysterious glow over her persona while her solo artist status ushered in an era of strong female singers during the girl group age. Aaliyah was a blessing to the R&B genre and the music industry as a whole. R.I.P., Baby Girl.

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