Aaliyah haughtons biography

Aaliyah had not intended for her albums to have such a gap between them. Then, when I was ready to start back up, "Romeo" happened, and so I had to take another break and do that film and then do the soundtrack, then promote it. The break turned into a longer break than I anticipated. Though she called music a "first" for her, she also had been acting since she was young and had wanted to begin acting "at some point in my career", but "wanted it to be the right time and the right vehicle" and felt Romeo Must Die "was it".

During the recording stages for the album, Aaliyah's publicist disclosed that the album's release date was most likely in October The music video premiered on BET 's Access Granted , and it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show. Aaliyah was signed to appear in several future films, including a romantic film titled Some Kind of Blue , [ 74 ] and a Whitney Houston —produced remake of the film Sparkle.

There's no shouting, screeching, wailing or jazz-style noodling. Everything is underplayed: Ms Haughton's range is displayed by the slightest high-octave backing and tiniest harmonies". Aaliyah herself said her vocal styling consisted of her singing softly while utilizing her falsetto. It's simple but I can ride a crazy track. It just blew my mind.

I thought, 'No, she'll be able to do that. From the very beginning, she opted "for an edgier, more mature sound", and her songs were often uptempo and at the same time often dark, revolving around "matters of the heart". Discussing her lyrical content in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide , Keith Harris said "When it came to sexual availability, she was between En Vogue maliciously taunting 'You're never gonna get it' and Tweet blankly cooing 'Oops, there goes my shirt.

I need the songs to reflect me in one way or another". Kelly—produced debut album, Aaliyah worked with Timbaland and Missy Elliott, whose productions were more electronic. Aaliyah's songs have been said to have "crisp production" and " staccato arrangements" that "extend genre boundaries" while containing "old-school" soul music. As her albums progressed, writers felt that Aaliyah matured, calling her progress a "near-flawless declaration of strength and independence".

She portrayed "unfamiliar sounds, styles and emotions", but managed to please critics with the contemporary sound it contained. As an artist, Aaliyah said she was inspired by a number of performers. She's a total performer I'd love to do a duet with Janet Jackson. That's what she was about. Her videos are usually lushly shot and infused with sexual tension, though not in overt and obvious ways".

Alisha Acquaye from Teen Vogue felt that, "There's much to gather while watching an Aaliyah music video" in fact, she thinks that watching them is "actually an understatement". Between a sequence of sensual, strong movements, infectious instrumentals, and intuitive lyrics that spark emotions of desire, sex, and empowerment, you are enraptured in Aaliyah's physical presence".

Most of Aaliyah's videos included dance routines. Aaliyah focused on her public image while protecting her private life. She felt that it was "important Being a little edgy and sexy is me. My image isn't a put-on. I'm happy to put over that dark edge in my videos, because it's always been there. I used to wear my sunglasses or have my hair over one eye a lot more when I was younger.

She often wore baggy clothes and sunglasses, stating that she wanted to be herself. And rather than bling-blinging her ice in a ghetto-fabulous manner befitting her Trumped-up surroundings, she blings on the down-low: A subtle bracelet here, a winking pendant there, offset by her simple black jeans and matching sweater. Aaliyah was often praised for her "clean-cut image" and "moral values".

And then her second album, One in a Million went double platinum. She had the leading role in Romeo Must Die , which was a box office success. She's won numerous awards, several MTV music video awards, and aside from her professional successes, many of her lyrics are very inspirational and uplifting. She also carried herself in a very professional manner.

She was well-spoken. She was beautiful, but she didn't use her beauty to sell her music. She used her talent. Many young hip-hop fans greatly admire her. She was also seen by others as a sex symbol and did not have a problem with being considered one. If you embrace it, it can be a very beautiful thing. I am totally cool with that. I see myself as sexy.

If you are comfortable with it, it can be very classy and it can be very appealing. Hilfiger's brother, Andy , called it "a whole new look" that was "classy but sexy". In an interview with Honey , Aaliyah stated that she was Catholic and she attended church whenever she was at home. Aaliyah's family played a major role in the course of her career.

Aaliyah's brother Rashad Haughton and her cousin Jomo Hankerson were with her when she worked. Aaliyah was known to have usually been accompanied by members of her family. Her brother Rashad stated that the filming of "Rock the Boat" was the only time her family was not present during a video shoot. In October , Rashad said: "It really boggles everyone [that] from Day One, every single video she ever shot there's always been myself or my mother or my father there.

The circumstances surrounding this last video were really strange because my mother had eye surgery and couldn't fly. That really bothered her because she always traveled. My dad had to take care of my mom at that time. And I went to Australia to visit some friends. We really couldn't understand why we weren't there. You ask yourself maybe we could have stopped it.

But you can't really answer the question. There's always gonna be that question of why. Aaliyah reportedly developed an intimate relationship with Kelly during the recording of her debut album. She told Vibe magazine in that she and Kelly would "go watch a movie" and "go eat" when she got tired and would then "come back and work". She described the relationship between her and Kelly as "rather close.

Kelly, [ 21 ] [ ] including the allegation that they had secretly married without her parents' knowledge. Kelly was The marriage was annulled by her parents in February , but the pair denied the allegations, saying that neither was married and that the certificate was a forgery. Kelly told me that he and Aaliyah got together, and it was just magic.

Or that she was coming and going in and out of his house. People would see her walking his dog, 12 Play, with her basketball cap and sunglasses on. Every time I asked the label, they said it was platonic. But I kept hearing complaints from people about her being in the studio with all those men.

Aaliyah haughtons biography

Kelly , Smith described how he helped Aaliyah forge the necessary documents to show she was 18 to marry Kelly. Aaliyah admitted in court documents that she had lied about her age. In May , she filed suit in Cook County seeking to have all records of the marriage expunged because she was not old enough under state law to get married without her parents' consent.

It was reported that she cut off all professional and personal ties with Kelly after the marriage was annulled and ceased contact with him. Aaliyah was known to avoid answering questions about Kelly after the professional split. During an interview with Christopher John Farley, she was asked whether she was still in contact with him and would ever work with him again.

Farley said Aaliyah responded with a "firm, frosty 'no ' " to both questions. Kelly comes up, she doesn't even speak his name, and nobody's allowed to ask about it at all. Kelly because its interviews with visibly traumatized girls struggling to discuss their encounters with Kelly reminded him of how Aaliyah behaved when trying to recount her relationship with Kelly.

Kelly, Part II in Other allegations were made about Kelly regarding underage girls in the years after Aaliyah's death, and their marriage was used as an example of his involvement with them. That was a whole other situation, a whole other time, it was a whole other thing, and I'm sure that people also know that. After the documentary Surviving R.

Kelly aired in January , pressure from the public using the Mute R. The judge ordered that Kelly remain in custody pending sentencing, which was set for May 4, Although they were not formally engaged, Dash claimed the couple had planned to marry in interviews given after Aaliyah's death. Every single day she's present in my life and I feel lucky for that.

On August 25, , at p. The designated airplane was smaller than the Cessna on which they had originally arrived, but the whole party and all the equipment were accommodated on board. The passengers had grown impatient because the Cessna was supposed to arrive at pm. EDT, but did not arrive until pm. Key added: "He tried to convince them the plane was overloaded, but they insisted they had chartered the plane and they had to be in Miami Saturday night.

According to findings from an inquest conducted by the coroner's office in the Bahamas, Aaliyah had "severe burns and a blow to the head" in addition to severe shock and a weak heart. Some of them were badly burned. As the subsequent investigation determined, the aircraft was overloaded by pounds kg when it attempted to take off, and was carrying one more passenger than it was certified for.

Morales falsely obtained his FAA license by showing hundreds of hours never flown, and he may also have falsified how many hours he had flown to get a job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways. Aaliyah's private funeral Mass was held on August 31, , at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan , following a procession from the Frank E.

Campbell Funeral Chapel. Aaliyah's brother Rashad delivered the eulogy and described his sister as giving him strength: "Aaliyah, you left, but I'll see you always next to me and I can see you smiling through the sunshine. When our life is over, our book is done. I hope God keeps me strong until I see her again. Immediately after Aaliyah's death, there was uncertainty over whether the music video for "Rock the Boat" would ever air.

Before its release, Aaliyah's brother, Rashad, re-dubbed some of her lines during post-production. The documentary, by Pogus Caesar , contained previously unseen footage shot of her career beginnings in when she was appearing in the Netherlands. In March , music producer Jeffrey "J-Dub" Walker announced that the song "Steady Ground", which he produced for Aaliyah's third album, would be included in a posthumous Aaliyah album.

Aaliyah's brother Rashad denied Walker's claim. In May , Aaliyah was featured on the Tink track "Million", which contained samples from her song "One in a Million". In March , Funko Pop! There has been continuing belief that Aaliyah would have achieved greater career success had it not been for her death. Emil Wilbekin mentioned the deaths of The Notorious B.

Nothing was gonna step in her way. No ego, no nervousness, no manipulation. There was nothing to stop her. Her cousin Jomo Hankerson stated the family would prefer a "major studio release along the lines" of What's Love Got to Do with It , the biopic based on the life of Tina Turner. Aaliyah's family has consulted a lawyer to stop Lifetime from using "any of the music, or any of the photographs and videos" they own and Jomo Hankerson claimed the TV network "didn't reach out.

It has not been authorized by the Haughton family. Aaliyah has sold 8. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. American singer — Not to be confused with Aliyah. This article is about the singer.

For the album, see Aaliyah album. For other uses, see Aaliyah disambiguation. New York City , US. Marsh Harbour , Abaco Islands , Bahamas. Rashad Haughton brother Barry Hankerson uncle Tek cousin [ 1 ]. Blackground Jive Atlantic Virgin. Musical artist. The first single released from her second studio album, " If Your Girl Only Knew " was described as a sassy, organ-infused song.

Problems playing this file? See media help. Main article: Aaliyah album. Timbaland 's stuttering, idiosyncratic productions challenged Aaliyah to reveal her artistic personality more than she had on R. Kelly's smoother musical settings. Relationship with Damon Dash. Further information: Marsh Harbour Cessna crash. Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Aaliyah.

Main article: Aaliyah discography. See also: List of songs recorded by Aaliyah. Archived from the original on November 16, Retrieved November 16, — via YouTube. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 12, Retrieved December 14, Archived from the original on October 13, Retrieved November 8, February 24, Aaliyah 16 Jan. However, Aaliyah still recorded for Blackground Enterprises.

Her cousin, Jomo, played the role of executive producer on her second album, while her brother, Rashaad, was her creative consultant. In an interview with Billboard early in , Aaliyah talked a bit about the difficulties of juggling her work in both acting and singing: "I'd literally go from the movie studio to the recording studio. I'm like two different people.

Once they say, 'Cut--it's a wrap for the day,' I leave the costumes on the set. I have two different facets to my career. I have to know how to turn it on and off. With her third album's release, she seemed pleased with the ground she'd covered in just 22 years. She told Harper's Bazaar that she is "more controlling now. I have come into my own in the past year, and I really felt it making the new album.

I would tell my producers, 'No, no, no. I don't want to do this' or 'Let's take this hook out. Aaliyah's promising life came to a halt when she was killed along with seven others on August 25, , when the private plane in which they were traveling crashed after takeoff. She had been shooting a video for the song "Rock the Boat" in the Bahamas and was preparing to return to the United States.

The cause of the crash was investigated by Bahamian aviation officials, who later reported that the pilot of the small Cessna plane had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, and that the crash was most likely caused by a pilot error. The plane was also overloaded by at least pounds, most of it sound and video equipment used in the video shoot.

Posthumously, Aaliyah went on to even greater success than she had found in earlier years. In the month following her death, her most recent release, Aaliyah, went multiplatinum. Critics unanimously agreed it was her most accomplished work. All Music Guide critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine declared, " Aaliyah isn't just a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward, it is one of the strongest urban soul records of its time.

The release contained most of Aaliyah's greatest hits as well as six new, previously unreleased tracks, including the poignant first single, "Miss You. Began actively auditioning as a singer at age nine, appearing on television talent show Star Search ; shortly thereafter she won her first big professional job, appearing for a week in the Las Vegas show of Gladys Knight; first artist signed by Blackground Enterprises at age 14, ; released Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, ; toured the United States and a number of foreign countries in support of her first album; released One in a Million, ; performed songs for the soundtracks of several motion pictures, including Anastasia and Dr.

Dolittle, and guested on tracks for albums of fellow performers Nas, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, and Ginuwine; took her first major acting job in film Romeo Must Die, ; released Aaliyah, ; posthumous release I Care 4 U, She showcased her talent by performing in church and school events. At the age of nine, she gained professional recognition when she participated in the popular talent competition, Star Search.

It was during this time that she caught the attention of R. Kelly's manager. During this time, rumors began circulating about a possible marriage between the fifteen-year-old Aaliyah and R. Kelly, who was over 25 years old. Brooklyn-born Aaliyah Dana Haughton started voice lessons shortly after she learned to talk. Determined to be a star, she signed a contract with Jive Records at the age of 12 and came to popular acclaim in On her way home from a music video shoot in , a plane crash killed Aaliyah and eight members of her film crew.

She was 22 years old at the time of her death. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, the young singer competed unsuccessfully on the television program Star Search at age Produced by the successful singer R. Kelly , the album quickly sold a million copies and eventually earned platinum status based largely on the success of two hit singles, "Back and Forth" and "At Your Best You Are Love.

While a student in the dance program at Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts she graduated in , Aaliyah released her sophomore album, One in a Million Helmed by the well-known pop producer Timbaland and featuring rap performer Missy Elliott , One in a Million portrayed the year-old singer as a sultry hip-hop chanteuse with a self-confidence well beyond her years.