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| Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash on a Saturday night, August 25, 2001, along with Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey, Aaliyah's product manager at Blackground Records; Blackground Records own Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, Virgin Records' director of video production; her bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Aaliyah's personal hair stylist Eric Forman, 29, of Los Angeles; hair stylist Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles; and makeup artist Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York; as well as the plane's pilot, identified only as L. Maradel. The Cessna 402 was departing from the Marsh Harbour airport bound for Opa-locka, Florida, when it crashed shortly after takeoff at approximately 6:50pm, police say. The plane is said to have crashed approximately 200 feet from the end of the runway killing six people instantly. Three others died later due to their injuries. Aaliyah had just completed filming of her video for "Rock The Boat", directed by Hype Williams, in which she took time off of her promotional tour to shoot. The cause of the crash isn't known yet, but authorities suspect engine failure because the plane took off in good weather conditions. CNN is reporting that Gloria Knowles, who works for Abaco Air Ltd. at Marsh Harbour airport, said baggage handlers reported the plane was overloaded with suitcases, yet the plane was still allowed to depart at the insistance of the passengers. Keep Aaliyah, all the others who died, and her family and friends in your prayers every day. Pray for their strength in their darkest hour and for Aaliyah's soul to rest in peace. |
| "She was like blood, and I lost blood. Me and her together had this chemistry. I kinda lost half of my creativity to her. It's hard for me to talk to the fans right now. Beyond the music, she was a brilliant person, the [most special] person I ever met." --Timbaland |
| "To the world and to the fans Aaliyah was known as Aaliyah, but to us, her extended family, was known as babygirl. And I think that what we got to learn out of this is to appreciate eachother while we're here on earth, and to never take for granted that someone will be here tomorrow. And we're going to keep Aaliyah's legacy alive, and I didn't write anything because I felt like I had to come from the heart. And I love you Aaliyah, you're forever missed. --Missy Elliott @ '01 MTV VMA's |
| "She was one of those individuals that would light up a room. She always greeted you with a smile. Her time was coming; [she] was just about to explode." --P. Diddy on TRL |
| "I remember speaking with Aaliyah shortly after her grandmother passed away. We talked about how much she loved her and how much she missed her grandmother. And as I listened to Aaliyah, I was very touched with her sincerety, by her strength, and her love. In this time of our loss, I draw in her example of faith, that one day we will be together again. --Janet Jackson @ '01 MTV VMA's |
| "Words can't express what I'm feeling, she was family, I will truly miss her." --Ginuwine |
| A billboard of the late singer/actress Aaliyah at Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles |
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| On August 31, 2001, A horse-drawn carriage carried R&B star Aaliyah's coffin to the funeral home like the princess was. People to attend the services were family and friends such as P.Diddy, Timbaland, Missy-Elliott, Damon Dash, Lil Kim, Busta Rhymes, Magoo, Playa, Ginuwine, Mike Tyson, Ananda Lewis, Delroy Lindo, Kidada Jones, and many others. After the funeral home reception was over, everyone stepped outside to watch Aaliyah's mom, Diane Haughton, release 22 doves into the air; each representing a year of Aaliyah's life. She was then taken to St. Ignatius Loyola Church for services in New York. |
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| This spray painted memorial for the late RandB singer Aaliyah Haughton, photographed on August 29, 2001, appears on the side of a building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York |
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| "The last time I stood on this stage, I was with my sister Aaliyah after she won the award for 'Best Female Video'. She graciously thanked everyone for supporting and acknowleding the work that was her love and her dream come true. On behalf of my family, I want to thank her friends and adoring fans that supported her throughout her career. Those in the music, television, and film industry for the flowers, cards, and immesurable wishes of condolence that have sustained us. We must also keep in our hearts those who were lost with her.... with every breath like it's the last, with every blink like it's a freeze frame of a precious moment, with every touch to record how we were once human, we are destined to be something more. Aaliyah, you have fulfilled that destiny. And in her own words "from the bottom of my heart, to the depths of my soul, I am truly happy" and we are all truly happy to be given a gift like you Aaliyah. We love you, I love you... thankyou. --Rashad Hauhgton (her brother) @ '01 MTV VMA's -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'd like Aaliyah to be remembered as a role model for young women who were out there trying to achieve their goals in life, to stay focused, and you don't have to compromise yourself as a woman to do what you want to do. And to always just follow your dreams, be true to yourself, and be humble and kind to other people because it reflets and it's a good thing. Aaliyah was a great person." --Fatima (her choreographer) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "If there's one thing I could say about Aaliyah, it's that she was consistent and never egotistical. She was a beautiful spirit that is truly missed." --Angie Stone -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I think when you travel as much as we do on a day-to-day basis, there's always in the back of your mind that fear. When something tragic like this happens it just brings it from the back of your mind to the front for a time. I'm just praying every night for my family's well being as always. And praying for Aaliyah's family and the families of the people who were on that flight." --Eric Benet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I've been part of the so-called 'jet set' ever since I started in this business when I was 19. I'm always hopping on a plane. When anybody dies in a plane crash, you don't know what to feel. And next thing you know you're on a plane. It's a sad situation, but it's part of the business as well." --Slash -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It's a real tragedy. I think the world is better because she was around. She is definitely going to be missed. Somebody so young and so beautiful and so talented who was just about to show us how she can be a super, super, superduper star. It's time for us to re-examine ourselves and be able to show each other how much we love and appreciate each other every day so that we understand that anything can happen and we don't want to miss out on those opportunities. The way I was brought up to believe that God has a hand in everything and when it's your time, it's your time -- he decides that as far as I'm concerned. I travel every day. If it's my time, it's my time. I have to live my life today like tomorrow is a promise and try to be the best person I can be." --Brian McKnight -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I was very devastated when I heard about Aaliyah. I've never met her, but it touched home. I think it touched home with a lot of people in the industry; a lot of people everywhere, being that she was so young and so talented and so beautiful. I think the only thing I can say about something so tragic is that she will always be a very beautiful girl. That will never change." --Blu Cantrell -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "When it comes to airplanes, there's really nothing you can do about it. I was thinking what would I do if I were in that situation. But there was nothing they could do about it. It was so abrupt. It's just sad because she's supposed to be here. She's supposed to have her PR person standing right there introducing Aaliyah to come and talk to you all. It's just sad.'' --Tyrese -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "When we found out about about Aaliyah's death we were in dance rehearsal and we all just took the time to pray for traveling mercy and to ask Him to let us enjoy every day of our lives and be grateful and thankful for every day that we live; and live it like there's no tomorrow. We realized life is not guaranteed and it just makes us humble.'' --The girls of 3LW -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We just got offstage, someone paged us and we were praying it was a rumor. Then someone else paged us and we turned on the TV because we figured if it were true it would be on the news. We eventually saw it and the whole tour bus was all in tears. She was the first person to embrace Destiny's Child. She was so sweet always, and she was one of the most beautiful people I've ever known on the inside as well as on the out. She was so sweet and talented and it's just tragic. It's very sad. Our makeup artist was also on the plane. Every night we pray for her family and everyone else's family.'' --A teary-eyed Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You should never take life for granted. Don't take your job for granted, friends, family, relationships, do not take them for granted because you never known when you'll lose it. A lot of the times we assume that we'll see you tomorrow, or talk to you tomorrow, but no. You have to love yourself and love the people around you and for heaven's sake do not take God's mercy, from day to day, for granted.'' --Mary Mary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I was very shocked to hear about Aaliyah's plane crash. And to know that I was blessed today to be here and to accept the Lena Horne Award, which I know with her talent she would have one day accepted it. And that's what you're supposed to do, you're supposed to pass it on.'' I know we are all thinking about our friend Aaliyah. All of this happiness I'm getting tonight is sort of mixed because of something else that's real. Know that we can't take tonight for granted. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us." --Patti LaBelle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I had the privilege of meeting Aaliyah. I worked with her at Christmas in Washington. I think she was 19 years old at that time. But I just want to say to all of us: From the time we make up in the morning and take our showers, we never know how our day is going to end. This is why between A and B we've got to make sure we're right here (hand on her heart). It's tragic that such a powerful young woman with such a great future has exchanged time for eternity. You know people say, 'My prayers go out,' but they don't pray for the family. I'm literally praying every day for her family. Because to lose a child is like losing a leg or an arm.'' --Gospel legend Shirley Caesar -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It was a shock. 'It just came out of nowhere. And I said, 'How did she die?' and someone said, 'The plane crash'. There's so many ways to die and it's horrible that she had to go. The way that she went was the way that none of us want to leave. Aaliyah had a lot of bright plans for the future and she was on her way.' --Lisa "Lefteye" Lopes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "As a performer, she was one of the best I have ever seen do what she does." --Hype Williams -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "She was like my li'l sis, she'd come up and put her arm next to me like, 'Listen, we gonna make this song together. I don't want you to do just one verse and it's over. We gonna do the hook together." --Treach -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "She grew like crazy from the time I worked with her to the stuff she's doing now. She was trying to find herself before. But by the third album, she was more of a performer, she became more of an artist." --Rodney Jerkins -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I think it was fly that she took chances on her music. Just the softness of how she sang over them hard-ass beats, it was something different." --Jermaine Dupri -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "She does really great, different stuff that's dark. She skirts the goth edge. There's something cool and mysterious about her. I dug that. Just a dark little girl singing some cool-ass sh*t." --Jonathan Davis of Korn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Aaliyah and I devised a plan in which she would be the oldest, most powerful creature in the world, but she would play it like a child, like a kitten playing with a mouse. It could have been a complete joke and come off in an embarrassing way. We both knew we were taking a huge risk and that if we pulled it off, it would be much more exciting than if we approached it more conventionally. She was a young queen." --Michael Rymer-Director of Queen Of The Damned -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Aaliyah didn't want to do that. She reached down somewhere and found this place where she could be this incredible actress. She was a fantastic girl." --Joel Silver-Producer of The Matrix -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "There are no words to express the loss of Aaliyah, whose unique talent was just beginning to blossom." The world will never get to see how her gift could have developed, and that is truly a loss." --Ernie Isley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I heard of the devastating news and am deeply saddened that she is no longer with us. She was a wonderful and talented artist who will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched." --Jet Li -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "She was the best person I ever knew. ... I never met a person like her in my life. Every day that we were together, we cherished. Every memory -- every day was a special event, whether it was going to a store or going to a movie or just sitting in a house. Wherever we were was like our own little party, in our own little world." --Damon Dash -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "She was one of those individuals that would light up a room. She always greeted you with a smile. Her time was coming; [she] was just about to explode." --P. Diddy on TRL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Aaliyah was a beautiful person, with an exhilarating spirit and a relentless passion for life and art. Her memory and her artistic contributions will forever be with us. Our prayers go out to Aaliyah's family, and to the family and friends of those who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident." --Creative Artists Agency -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Aaliyah visited our morning show recently for an in-studio interview. Her warm and genuine spirit lit up the room. She was a talented, gorgeous, articulate, graceful and classy lady. I was horrified when I heard the news of her untimely death. I'm comforted by knowing that Aaliyah didn't suffer, and that her spirit is resting with God. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and the families of the other passengers who also lost their lives. We will truly miss Aaliyah, our beautiful fallen angel." --RUSS PARR, (Russ Parr Morning Show with Olivia Fox) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I am deeply saddened by the loss of Aaliyah and my fellow music industry colleagues. I just interviewed Aaliyah in-person two weeks ago on my radio show at 92-Q in Baltimore. She was a beautiful sista, both inside and out. Aaliyah was an exemplary role model and inspiration for young people around the world. Aaliyah truly raised the bar by setting a positive, new standard for women in the music industry. May she rest in eternal peace." --EGYPT, television/radio personality -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It�s always a tragedy when someone so young and gifted dies unexpectedly, but it�s especially sad when it�s someone who meant so much to so many people. Aaliyah inspired a lot of young people to work hard and be dedicated to what they love. She was smart, worked hard and didn�t give up who she was or what she believed in. She�s grown and developed before our eyes, blossoming from a teen superstar who used to hide herself behind dark glasses into this beautiful woman, a multi-platinum powerhouse. It�s like we got to witness as she watched her own dreams come true. Who knows what else she would�ve been able to contribute to music, film - and just life overall? My favorite album of hers was 'One In A Million' because it talked about being a strong person, overcoming relationship problems, finding self-confidence. That�s an album that helped me get through a lot of personal conflicts. She always kept her private life private, which is almost impossible today. In this celebrity-obsessed, scandal-soaked business, Aaliyah was not willing to give up her personal life to sell records or movie tickets. She never sold herself out. She stood her ground about being an artist and a real person at the same time. Even during the R. Kelly situation, Aaliyah managed to be in control. She maintained her dignity, and she still was able to command a certain respect and not have her career tainted. To see so many young people lose their lives is horrible and sad. It�s another sad day for hip-hop, the urban community and the music world =we�ve yet again lost one of our heroes.= --EMIL WILBEKIN, editor-in-chief, VIBE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I remember the first time I got to know Aaliyah. Justin and I did a photo shoot with her for Teen People. She was so stunningly beautiful that I was nervous to even talk to her. But, she was so down to earth and so full of humor I felt immediately like I had known her for years. She was one of the few that made me feel good about this business. She stood up for what she believed in and did not let anything get to her and make her jaded. She will be truly missed and will always have a place in my heart." --Lance Bass, *NSYNC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Aaliyah had the most beautiful energy of any artist I�ve ever worked with. She was such a blessing. I just thank God that I knew her. Her heart was just so - beautiful. She was an angel. She never complained, never got mad and she always was in great spirits. She loved what she did, and worked hard at it." "I took her around to radio during that time -- to WBLS, KISS and all the R&B stations -- and she was very mature for her age. One of her parents was always with her. I remember meeting her father the Saturday night she played The Apollo, opening for Blackstreet. They were all so nice. Then one other time, we had just done Hot 97, and we went to McDonald�s to eat. Who was there but MC Lyte, and Lyte kept telling her, 'You�re dope!' Of course, Aaliyah was saying the same to her. They were so happy to meet each other." "My favorite song of hers was 'Let Me Know.' I used to run that record all the time. She just sounds so beautiful, so sweet, and that�s what she was." --ERIC SKINNER, former promotion exec at Jive Records -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Aaliyah had gone from a household name in the urban world to crossing over successfully through her music and recent film roles. We were just getting to know her as this funny, engaging person, a star in the truest sense of the word." "Also, there aren't that many strong, making-it-happen females for young women to look up to, so she was fabulous role model. She was dynamic, smart, sexy and respected herself, making it on more than just her looks alone. Early in her career, in fact, Aaliyah took pains to not be considered a sex object, hiding under baggy clothes and behind shades. It's only recently that she's revealed her sexy side, and not because she needed to." --AMY DUBOIS BARNETT, editor-in-chief, Honey Magazine -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "There's a thing that you see when somebody walks out on the stage. I call it the fire. They got that inner fire, which has nothing to do with the schooling, nothing to do with the teacher, nothing to do with the parents. There is a desire in that person to please the audience. You see enough of it to recognize it. And that's what I saw with Aaliyah." --ED MCMAHON -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I think she showed how to overcome early adversity and mistakes that were made by people taking advantage of her willingness to succeed and be a star." --ERIC HARRIELD, artist manager -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "In hip hop there are so many stupid people who toy with the idea of death, it's a painful awakening when real life intrudes and removes someone of genuine heart and worth." --ROBERT MORALES, journalist/editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Her death won't seem real for a while. It's mind-boggling to imagine someone who was so full of life, always smiling, being suddenly ... dead. This is definitely the end of something; and not just the life of one individual. This is a deep moment to ponder." --STACY GUERASEVA, former editor-in-chief, One World -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "As I often wait for the phone to ring to hear, God forbid which rapper has been locked down or gunned down over petty beefs spawning from egos and money, I never expected this. Life is beautiful. It�s the shit in it that�s fucked up." --AMBASSADOR BONZ MALONE, writer/actor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It was painful expriencing her death. Just knowing her music made her a part of our lives. She will be greatly missed. She was a great example to young women. One lesson she taught was whatever life hands you - don't stop, try again. Our prayers and kind thoughts go out to all the family members that were on that plane." --Debelah Morgan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Profyle: Good Morning, My name is Randy and I'm a representative for the R&B Group "PROFYLE" Motown Records. When "Profyle" heard of the accident Saturday evening about 12:30 am, we were in shock. "Hershey", a member of the group stated that he prayed that news wasn't true. -The next day "Face" also a member of the group "Profyle" called about 7am and confirmed the news was true. "Face" began to cry and as he cried he stated that the group met her and she was the sweetest, most down to earth person he had ever met. He continued to express that although they were new comers to the industry, in passing she would always say kind words. "Face" stated he would never forget her kind words. He stated, meeting her made him understand why they choose this lifestyle. On be half of "Profyle" and Myself, I would like to express our deepest prayers to Aaliyah's family and to all the families that lost precious lives on that homecoming day. They will stay in our prayers and in our hearts! God Bless, PROFYLE |
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