For Aaliyah Fans, August 25 is the Day that the Music Really Died

On February 3, 1959, a date immortalized by singer Don McLean, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, IA. All three men were young-Valens was just 17-and had popular songs on the charts. Their untimely deaths prompted McLean to write "American Pie," which referred to February 3 as "the day the music died."

For contemporary music fans, August 25, 2001 represents another tragic day in music history. Nine years ago, singer/actress Aaliyah was one of 9 people who perished in a plane crash. A popular singer and up-and-coming actress, Aaliyah, who had been filming a music video in the Bahamas, lost her life in the same manner as Holly, Valens and Richardson.

Aaliyah influenced by Gladys Knight and R. Kelly

Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn, NY, Aaliyah seemed destined for the music industry right from the start. Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, had been married to legendary performer Gladys Knight, and Aaliyah later toured with her. Hankerson also acted as her manager until Aaliyah's death in 2001.

At age 9, Aaliyah also appeared on "Star Search," a 1980's predecessor to "American Idol," but one that featured more acts than just singers and musicians. Aaliyah's "Star Search" appearance definitely put her on the radar for music fans.

Arguably, it was R. Kelly, a singer and record producer, who gave Aaliyah's career a boost when she was just 14. Acting as her mentor, Kelly wrote songs and produced Aaliyah's first album. "Vibe" magazine later produced a marriage license that showed R. Kelly and Aaliyah were married when the young singer was only 15. Because her age was incorrectly listed as 18, the marriage was considered invalid.

As she approached adulthood, Aaliyah started a second career in the movies, landing the title role in the vampire thriller Queen of the Damned. At the time of her death, Aaliyah also was scheduled to play the featured role of Zee in The Matrix: Reloaded.

Transforming from musician to legend

One of the more grisly facts of fame is that celebrities do become more famous after their deaths. No one disputes the musical talents of Buddy Holly, but, at the time of his death, he wasn't extremely well known. In a 2009 CNN.com article, "Austin City Limits" executive producer Terry Lickona is quoted as saying some people in Holly's hometown of Lubbock, TX were "embarrassed by him."

Yet, less than 20 years after his death, Holly became the subject of his own biopic; Valens was later immortalized in 1987's La Bamba. For the last 18 months, rumors of an Aaliyah biopic also have been circulating, with Dreamgirls director Bill Condon attached to the project.

Like Holly and Valens, Aaliyah will soon get the biopic treatment as well. According to BET.com, Canadian singer Keshia Chante has been preparing to play Aaliyah on the big screen. Rumors circulating about the film say that the relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly will be explored in detail as well.

Honoring the legacy of Aaliyah

Dedicated fans sometimes make pilgrimages on important dates, such as the day that Elvis Presley passed away. Buddy Holly fans even head to the crash site in Clear Lake on February 3 to honor his memory and music.

Yet, this kind of hoopla doesn't happen on August 25. There was a quiet elegance about Aaliyah and her legacy is just as classy as the lady herself. Each year, the Aaliyah Memorial Fund supports various charities that were important to the singer, including the 2010 Revlon Run/Walk, a charity devoted to finding cures for women's cancers.

Resources:

MTV.com, "Aaliyah Killed in Plane Crash," Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen

CNN.com, "'The day the music died?' Hardly," Todd Leopold

Bet.com, "Aaliyah Biopic To Be Released," Danielle Harling

MyLifetime.com, "R. Kelly and Aaliyah"

http://www.top40-charts.info/?title=Barry_Hankerson