We would like to send a special birthday shout out to one of the most talented, beautiful, R&B singers of all time: Aaliyah!
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Aaliyah’s untimely death shook the core of hip-hop and R&B, as well as many, many people who respected her work in music and film.
Celebrities worldwide have listed Aalyiah as one of the sweetest people to grace the earth with her presence. And to put it very simply, there really was no one quite like her.
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To celebrate an angel truly lost, who would’ve been 34 today, here are 10 things you may have not known about her life.
Check it out below:
Aaliyah Was Dating Damon Dash When She Died
Dame Dash and Aaliyah were one of hip-hop’s hottest couples before her untimely death in 2001. Dame was absolutely heartbroken when his girl passed away in a plane crash.
Say Hello Auntie!
The iconic Gladys Knight was Aaliyah’s aunt by marriage. Gladys was so supportive of her niece that she performed with Aaliyah when she was just 11-years-old.
The Triple Threat
Aaliyah was not only talented and beautiful, she was smart! She graduated from thr Detroit High School of Performing Arts with a 4.0 GPA. Perfection!
Did R. Kelly Seduce A Young Aaliyah?
At the age of 15, Aaliyah married R. Kelly, who was 27 at the time.
There was a lot of speculation about the nature of their relationship and years later, R. Kelly became known for other sexual stints with underage women.
Wow, Look At Her Perform!
At just 10 years old, an ambitious Aaliyah performed on Star Search.
Though she didn’t win, she always described the experience as amazing in her interviews.
Aaliyah Could Sing In Other Languages
In order to get accepted into the Detroit High School of Performing Arts, Aaliyah not only sang “Ave Maria” in its entirety, but she sang it in Latin!
Movie Over Honey Child!
As a result of Aaliyah’s death in the 2001 plane crash, her starring role in the movie Honey was given to Jessica Alba instead.
Because she was such a talented dancer and actress, the producers thought Aaliyah was the perfect fit and were saddened not to have her as a part of the film.
Aaliyah’s Death Pushed Mary J. To Straighten Out Her Life
Aaliyah’s death on August 25th was one of the major influences on Mary J. Blige quitting drug and alcohol abuse. Mary was paranoid that Aaliyah’s death was not a mistake, and believed she was next if she didn’t change her lifestyle.
Oscar Worthy!
Performing at just 19-years-old, Aaliyah is the youngest person to ever grace the Oscar stage. She was nominated for her song “Journey to the Past” in the movie Anastasia.
Surprise, Surprise!
Aaliyah’s hit single “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number” was entirely written and produced by R. Kelly. Due to the message of the song, that couldn’t really surprise anyone much, could it?
Photo Credit: GETTY/WENN
