Woman Crush Wednesday II

Aaliyah Dana Haughton

Her birthday is tomorrow on Thursday January 16, 2020

Aaliyah Dana Haughton born in Brooklyn, New York on January 16, 1978 and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Her name has been described as a female version of the Arabic “Ali”. However, the original Arabic and Jewish name “Aliya” derived from the Hebrew word “Aliyah” and meant “highest, most exalted one, the best”.

At a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled in voice lessons by her mother. She started performing at weddings, church choir and charity events. When she was 5 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 in the first grade, she received a part in a stage play Annie. From then on, she was determined to become an entertainer. Aaliyah first gained recognition at the age of 10, when 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 State 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 with Atlantic Records.

Throughout Aaliyah career she was able to produced hit music and star in multiple films. Aaliyah appeared in her first film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film’s soundtrack, which spawned her single “Try Again”. After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her role in Queen of the Damned, and released her third and final studio album, Aaliyah, in 2001.

Airplane after crashed that killed Aaliyah and others

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 toxicology tests revealed that he 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, and has sold an estimated 24 to 32 million alums worldwide.

On personal note: In her spare time, she was mostly a home person, which dated back to her younger years, but on occasion went out and played laser tag. She reasoned this was due to her liking "the simple things in life”. Despite having a prosperous career that allowed her to purchase the vehicle she wanted, Aaliyah revealed during her final interview on August 21, 2001 on 106 & Park that she had never owned a car due to living in New York City and hiring a car or driver on a regular basis