Name: Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Occupation: Singer, Actress
DOB: 01/16/1979
Height: 5' 7.5"
Measurements: 32 - 24 - 34
Aaliyah Dana Haughton, 16 January 1979, Brooklyn, New
York City, New York, USA, d. 25 August 2001, Marsh Harbour,
Abaco Island, Bahamas, West Indies. Although she grew
up in Detroit, Michigan, Aaliyah pronounced Ah-Lee-Yah
("highest, most exalted one" in Swahili),
initially came to attention as part of the "new
jill swing" movement in the mid-90s. Her early
career was fostered by R. Kelly (although rumours of
a personal relationship were never substantiated), and
1994's debut Age Ain't Nothing But A Number included
the US Top 10 singles "Back & Forth" and
"At Your Best (You Are Love)". She travelled
to Kelly's home in Chicago for the sessions while she
was still a student at the Detroit High School of the
Performing Arts. She remained a "straight A's"
student throughout the first stage of her recording
career, persevering with her education despite commercial
success. After breaking her partnership with Kelly,
Aaliyah released 1996's superior follow-up, One In A
Million, on which she worked with hotshot producer Timbaland.
Soundtrack work followed, with contributions to Anastasia
("Journey To The Past") and Dr. Dolittle ("Are
You That Somebody?"). Aaliyah also began filming
on her screen debut in Andrzej Bartkowiak's Romeo Must
Die. "Try Again", taken from the movie soundtrack,
went to the top of the US singles chart in June 2000.
The following year's self-titled third album demonstrated
a new maturity and confidence, with Aaliyah publically
bidding farewell to her teenage years and fashioning
a bold new sound with collaborator Timbaland. Tragedy
struck in August 2001 when, after filming a video in
the Bahamas, Aaliyah and various members of her record
company attempted to fly home. The small light aircraft
crashed killing Aaliyah and her entourage. Her third
album posthumously climbed to the top of the US charts.