Remembering Aaliyah Nine Years Later

The death of Aaliyah shocked the nation. Well wishers continue to honor her memory on the anniversary of her passing. Born on January 16, 1979, Aaliyah Dana Haughton signed her first contract with Jive Records at the age of 12. Aaliyah was then introduced to R & B singer R. Kelly shortly after singing the record deal that set her amazing career in motion. In the early 90's, the young singer quickly rose to "princess of R&B" status.

Under R.Kelly's mentorship, Aaliyah begin to develop a unique R & B sound that was distinctively her own. Kelly wrote and produced her first album titled Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album was an incredible success that sold well over two and a half million copies. By the time the album sales hit the $3 million mark, it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Ending her contract with Jive Records, Aaliyah signed with Atlantic Records and further propelled her career as well as record sales. Successful music collaborations with Missy Elliott and Timbaland created the sounds and rhythms for Aaliyah's second album titled One in a Million. The album sold eight million worldwide. As her chart topping hit albums continued to rise, Aaliyah begun to work with R & B's most talent singers and producers in the industry.

After an decade in the music industry, Aaliyah turned her attention to a career on the silver screen. She appeared in the film entitled Romeo Must Die. Her contribution to the soundtrack for the film, "Try Again" landed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 before it was even released. This amazing achievement set an industry record and earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.

Aaliyah followed her film debut with a dark portrayal of Queen Akasha in the Queen of the Damned. In 2001, she released her third, Aaliyah. Sadly, the third album was also her last. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas on August 25, 2001. She and eight others aboard the aircraft were killed in the crash. Millions of tributes are sent to her family, fan based websites and record company annually.

August 25, 2010, marks the anniversary of her passing. Nine year after her death, Missy Elliot is just one of the celebrities remembering Aaliyah. 'I miss her every day,' Miss Elliot said to MTV News. This sentiment is shared by her family, friends and fans around the world. Read more.

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/08/25/aaliyah-death/