| Name | Aaliyah |
| Net Worth | $8.8 Million |
| Date of Birth | January 16, 1979 |
| Date of Death | August 25, 2001 (22 Years Old) |
| Profession | Singer, Actress |
| Nationality | American |
Early Life
Aaliyah Dana Haughton, known mononymously as Aaliyah, entered the world on January 16, 1979. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, although her formative years were spent in Detroit.
Detroit is where her celebrity aspirations started to come true. Her mother introduced her to voice lessons. Aaliyah took on every musical opportunity she came across. Whether it were events for charity, weddings, or even church choirs.
She attended the Catholic school Gesu Elementary. Here, her passion for performing was increased even further. During first grade, she was cast in the play Annie. An early influence in her life was her uncle Barry Henkerson, who was married to the famous performer Gladys Knight. Aaliyah usually toured with Knight and this helped her ambitions to grow.
During her childhood, propelling her dreams of stardom, Aaliyah started working with an agent in New York. She auditioned for TV ads and roles in shows. At only the age of ten, she made an important appearance in the series Star Search. By the age of eleven, she had already stood in front of concert crowds alongside Gladys Knight. She also began discussions with multiple record labels, and this was only the beginning of her journey towards becoming a household name in the entertainment industry.
Musical Career
Her uncle Barry Henkerson owned the label Blackground Labels. Aaliyah joined the company at the mere age of twelve. A distribution deal with Jive Records was formed.
She then met and got mentored by legendary singer-songwriter and producer, R. Kelly. He served as the main songwriter for her debut record Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, which she had started recording at fourteen.
Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 1994. It received Double Platinum status for sales in America and Canada. The 1994 movie A Love Down Dirty Shame featured one of the album’s songs on its soundtrack namely The Thing I Like.
Aaliyah said goodbye to Jive Records in 1996, and signed on to Atlantic Records in the same year. Her sophomore album, One in a Million, was produced by star producers Timbaland and Missy Elliot. The record achieved mainstream success upon its release in 1996. For two consecutive weeks, the album’s single If Your Girl Only Knew, ran atop the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.
Nevertheless, her success was met with controversy. A lawsuit of plagiarism was filed against her by publisher Windswept Pacific. It claimed that she had unlawfully copied Bobby Caldwell’s single What You Won’t Do For Love on her track Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number.
The next year she was featured on Timbaland and Magoo’s debut single Up Jumps da Boogie.
Acting Career
Graduating from the Fine and Performing Arts section at Detroit High School in 1997, Aaliyah seriously ventured into acting that same year. She landed a spot in the police procedural, New York Undercover.
1999’s Romeo Must Die proved to be the magnum opus of her acting career. This was only her first feature film role, and her co-star, the movie’s male lead, was none other than legendary martial artist Jet Li. The flick proved to be a blockbuster grossing $91 million against a budget of $25 million.
Not only was she allowed to prove her aptitude for acting, but she also contributed to the film’s soundtrack, as both singer and producer. The track, Try Again, debuted atop the Billboard 100. She gained a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. The music video for Try Again earned an award at the 2000 MTV Music Video Awards.
Aaliyah continued her on-screen dominance with the horror production Queen of the Damned (2002) which grossed $45 million at the box office.
She earned around $1.5 million for Romeo Must Die, and a whopping $5 million for Queen of the Damned.
Death
Aaliyah’s road to music and acting glory was cut short when her plane crashed on August 25, 2001. She was only 22 years of age.
Conclusion
Aaliyah might have been only 22 years old when she tragically passed away. But her talents as a singer, actress, and producer cemented her position as one of the most sought after artists of the early 21st century.