Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was a singer and actress from the United States. She has been credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop, and hip hop, earning her the moniker “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop”.
She rose to prominence at the age of ten after appearing on the television show Star Search and performing in concert with Gladys Knight. She was born in Brooklyn but raised in Detroit. Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson’s Blackground Records when she was 12 years old. R. Kelly, whom Hankerson introduced her to, became her mentor as well as the lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America after selling three million copies in the United States (RIAA). Following allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah left Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.
Aaliyah’s parents: Meet Diane Haughton, and Michael Haughton
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, as the younger child of Diane and warehouse worker Michael “Miguel” Haughton.
