I have never known pop star Aaliyah Haughton who at the pinnacle of her success, died tragically in a plane crash just outside of the Bahamas on August 25, 2001.
It might seem odd that I would speak about a young pop sensation for a publication that supposedly caters to an older demographic, but the Chronicle throughout its history has made it their business to report on those who are gifted, influential and Black. Aaliyah, who died at age 22, should be no exception.
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Aaliyah Dana Haughton 1979-2001 Granted, we both grew up in Detroit (she was from the westside and I was from the eastside) and are both products of the Detroit Public School system (she attended the Detroit Academy for Performing Arts, I attended Denby High School).
We were six months apart in age and even though I wasn’t her biggest fan, I did like her music, was proud of her success as a girl from the D, and was sad when she died.
Actually I was distraught.
Being that we were so close in age, I thought about my own mortality. I thought here was a young woman from Detroit like me and really putting herself out there professionally. She had just released an eponymous titled album, starred in a music video directed by Hype Williams (Rock the Boat) and was set to star in “Queen of the Damned,” a film adaptation of one of Anne Rice’s best-selling books and then – poof – she was gone.
Detroit will always have love in its heart for Aaliyah. People associate the city with Berry Gordy’s Motown, which is wonderful but on the other hand, it can be limiting and difficult for artists of different genres to come out from under that Hitsville shadow.
Detroit is known for more than just R&B. We have a strong reputation and international following in rap, hip hop, techno, house, jazz and gospel music. Artists like Aaliyah have helped to make a way for other artists to reach their levels of greatness. She may not have been on that famed Motown celebrity roster like Diana Ross or even Martha Reeves, but she made good music, made good money, and influenced people along the way.
In the end, that is what any good entertainer deserves.
Rest in Peace
Aaliyah
(1979-2001)
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