Teen sensation Aaliyah (1979–2001) brought a passion for life to millions with her singing and dancing. “Music was my first love,” she once said.

Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn, New York, she grew up in Detroit. “I've been singing all my life,” she explained. “I sang in my church and school and my parents gave me vocal lessons.”

Her name means “the highest, most exalted one” in Swahili. At age 11, she performed in Las Vegas with soul legend Gladys Knight.

“Keep working hard and you can get anything that you want. If God gave you the talent, you should go for it,” she said. “But don't think it's going to be easy. It's hard!”

Her debut album Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number (1994) gained international fame. Follow-up album One in a Million went platinum. Two #1 singles before high school graduation.

“I want people to remember me as a full-on entertainer and a good person,” she said.

She starred in the films Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned. While wrapping a video in the Bahamas, a tragic plane crash ended her life—but not her music.

“I don’t think about my success. I’m happy that the work I've done has been successful. All I can do is leave it in God's hands and hope my fans feel where I'm coming from.”

Producer Quincy Jones said, “She was like one of my daughters… one of the sweetest girls in the world.”