History of Aaliyah in Timeline
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (1979-2001) was a highly influential American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop," she significantly impacted contemporary R&B, pop, and hip hop music. Her career, though tragically short, left a lasting legacy on music and popular culture.
1976: Sparkle Remake Mention
In 1976, the original film Sparkle was released, a film which Aaliyah was slated to star in a remake produced by Whitney Houston, before her death.
January 16, 1979: Aaliyah's Birth
On January 16, 1979, Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born. She would later become an influential American singer, actress, dancer, and model.
1989: Appearance on Star Search
In 1989, at the age of ten, Aaliyah appeared on Star Search, where she performed "My Funny Valentine", showcasing her early talent.
May 24, 1994: Release of Debut Album "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number"
On May 24, 1994, Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was released under the mononym "Aaliyah" by Jive and Blackground Records. It sold 38,000 copies in its first week.
August 31, 1994: Aaliyah and R. Kelly reportedly marry
On August 31, 1994, Aaliyah, then 15, reportedly married R. Kelly in Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois. A marriage certificate surfaced, listing Aaliyah as 18; R. Kelly was 27.
December 1994: Aaliyah comments on her relationship with R. Kelly
In December 1994, Aaliyah told the Chicago Sun-Times that she and R. Kelly were "close" and "people took it the wrong way" when asked about rumors of them being married, urging people not to believe "all that mess."
1994: Allegations of R. Kelly's Abuse between 1994 and 2018
Between 1994 and 2018, R.Kelly's trial involved allegedly abusing 11 girls and women with Aaliyah's marriage being featured in court.
1994: Release of "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number"
In 1994, Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, was released. It was produced by R. Kelly and sold three million copies in the United States.
1994: Release of "Back & Forth" and other singles
In 1994, Aaliyah's debut single, "Back & Forth", peaked at number 5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Other singles released included "At Your Best (You Are Love)" and "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number". She also released "The Thing I Like" for the film A Low Down Dirty Shame.
1994: Jamie Foster Brown reports on Aaliyah's relationship with R. Kelly
In 1994, Jamie Foster Brown wrote that R. Kelly told her he and Aaliyah got together and it was "just magic". Brown also reported hearing about a sexual relationship between them and that Aaliyah was seen walking Kelly's dog, 12 Play.
February 1995: Aaliyah's marriage to R. Kelly is annulled
In February 1995, Aaliyah's parents had her marriage to R. Kelly annulled. Both Aaliyah and R. Kelly denied the marriage allegations, claiming the certificate was a forgery.
1995: Career Beginnings in the Netherlands
In 1995, Aaliyah's career began to take off when she appeared in the Netherlands. This period was captured in previously unseen footage that later became part of the Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam documentary.
1995: Aaliyah's father becomes her manager
In 1995, Aaliyah's father, Michael Haughton, became her personal manager, with her mother assisting him, highlighting the significant role her family played in her career.
1995: Aaliyah states she is Catholic
In a 1995 interview with Honey magazine, Aaliyah stated that she was Catholic and attended church whenever she was at home.
1996: Signing with Atlantic Records and Production of "One in a Million"
In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive Records and signed with Atlantic Records. She began working with Timbaland and Missy Elliott on her second album, One in a Million.
1996: Release of "One in a Million" Album
In 1996, Aaliyah released her second album, One in a Million, working with producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott. The album sold three million copies in the United States.
1996: Vocal Styling on "Never Givin' Up"
In 1996, Aaliyah's vocal styling on "Never Givin' Up" showcased her ability to explore new vocal territories, as described by producer Craig King.
May 1997: Aaliyah files suit to expunge marriage records
In May 1997, Aaliyah filed suit in Cook County to have all records of her marriage with R. Kelly expunged, due to her being underage at the time of the marriage. Afterwards, she reportedly cut off all ties with R. Kelly.
June 16, 1997: "One in a Million" certified double platinum
On June 16, 1997, Aaliyah's album "One in a Million" was certified double platinum by the RIAA, signifying shipments of two million copies.
December 1997: Performance at Christmas in Washington
In December 1997, Aaliyah performed the Christmas carol "What Child Is This?" at the annual Christmas in Washington television special.
1997: Aaliyah co-writes "Death of a Playa"
In 1997, Aaliyah co-wrote the song "Death of a Playa" from the "Hot Like Fire" single with her brother Rashad Haughton, marking the only time she contributed to writing her own lyrics. The song is said to reflect Aaliyah's dark perspective on romance.
1997: Vocal Performance on "The One I Gave My Heart To"
In 1997, Aaliyah's vocal performance on "The One I Gave My Heart To" showcased her ability to hit higher notes and her vocal range, surprising many with her opera vocal warm-ups.
1998: Aaliyah starts exercising and dieting
In 1998, Aaliyah hired a personal trainer to keep in shape, exercising five days a week and eating diet foods as part of her evolving fashion choices.
1998: Academy Awards Performance and "Are You That Somebody?" Release
In 1998, Aaliyah performed "Journey to the Past" at the Academy Awards and released the song "Are You That Somebody?" for the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack, earning her first Grammy nomination.
1998: "Are You That Somebody?" cited as radical pop single
In 1998, music critic Simon Reynolds cited Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" as "the most radical pop single".
1999: Landing Role in "Romeo Must Die"
In 1999, Aaliyah landed her first big-screen acting role in Romeo Must Die, starring opposite Jet Li.
March 24, 2000: "Romeo Must Die" Movie Release
On March 24, 2000, the movie Romeo Must Die, starring Aaliyah, was released and grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at the box office.
October 2000: Album Release Date Disclosed
In October 2000, Aaliyah's publicist disclosed that her album's release date was most likely in October 2000.
2000: Acting Debut in "Romeo Must Die"
In 2000, Aaliyah made her acting debut in the film Romeo Must Die, alongside Jet Li, and contributed to the film's soundtrack, including the hit single "Try Again".
2000: "Try Again" Tops Billboard Hot 100
In 2000, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the Romeo Must Die soundtrack, contributing four songs. "Try Again" topped the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on airplay, leading to a physical release. The music video won multiple awards.
2000: Aaliyah avoids discussing R. Kelly
In 2000, a spokeswoman for Aaliyah said that when "R. Kelly comes up, she doesn't even speak his name, and nobody's allowed to ask about it at all."
2000: Aaliyah and Damon Dash form a friendship
In the summer of 2000, Aaliyah was introduced to Damon Dash and they formed a friendship. They began dating soon after.
March 2001: Album Recording Completed
In March 2001, Aaliyah finished recording her self-titled album, after a year of recording tracks that began in March of the previous year.
July 2001: Release of "Aaliyah" Album
In July 2001, Aaliyah released her self-titled third album, which topped the Billboard 200 chart and included the singles "We Need a Resolution", "Rock the Boat", and "More Than a Woman".
July 17, 2001: Release of Aaliyah's Third Album
On July 17, 2001, Aaliyah's third album, Aaliyah, was released five years after One in a Million. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 187,000 copies in its first week.
August 25, 2001: Aaliyah's Death
August 25, 2001, marked the untimely death of Aaliyah Dana Haughton, an American singer, actress, dancer, and model who had redefined contemporary R&B, pop, and hip hop.
October 9, 2001: "Rock the Boat" Music Video Premiere
On October 9, 2001, the music video for Aaliyah's song "Rock the Boat" premiered on BET's Access Granted. This release occurred shortly after Aaliyah's death and there was uncertainty if the video would ever air.
October 2001: Rashad Haughton discusses family's absence from "Rock the Boat" video shoot
In October 2001, Rashad Haughton stated that the filming of "Rock the Boat" was the only time her family was not present during a video shoot. Rashad noted how it bothered them that her mother couldn't fly due to eye surgery and he was visiting friends in Australia.
2001: Tribute at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, Aaliyah was honored by Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Ginuwine and her brother, Rashad, who all paid tribute to her memory.
2001: Aaliyah's death and innovative pop songs
By the time of Aaliyah's death in 2001, she had recorded some of the most innovative and influential pop songs of the last five years.
2001: Aaliyah describes her sound as "street but sweet"
In 2001, Aaliyah described her sound as "street but sweet," combining feminine vocals with urban rhythms. She also expressed her love for fusing different music genres, including R&B, pop, hip hop, funk, soul, and dance-pop, into her work.
2001: Simultaneous Filming and Recording
In 2001, Aaliyah filmed Queen of the Damned while simultaneously recording her third album. The filming of Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned had delayed the album's release.
2001: Aaliyah says she is a homebody
In 2001, Aaliyah told Vibe magazine that she was mostly a homebody and liked "the simple things in life."
2001: Original 'Aaliyah' album commercial release
In 2001, there was an original release of the album Aaliyah. In celebration of the reissue, Blackground released an animated commercial titled "It's Been A Long Time" (in a similar style to the album's original 2001 commercial), directed by Takahiro Tanaka, showing Aaliyah resurrecting her music from out of a large underground vault.
2001: Impact on R&B and Pop Music
In a 2001 review of her third album, Ernest Hardy from Rolling Stone professed that Aaliyah's impact on R&B and pop music has been enormous.
February 2002: Release of 'Queen of the Damned'
In February 2002, Aaliyah's second and final film, Queen of the Damned, was released. Before its release, Aaliyah's brother, Rashad, re-dubbed some of her lines during post-production after her passing. The movie ranked number one at the box office during its first weekend.
February 2002: Aaliyah Album Certified Double Platinum
In February 2002, Aaliyah's self-titled album was certified double Platinum by the RIAA, following her death.
December 2002: Posthumous Album 'I Care 4 U' Released
In December 2002, Aaliyah's first posthumous album, I Care 4 U, was released. It featured previously unreleased material and proceeds were donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, which benefits the Revlon UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program and Harlem's Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200.
2003: VH1's The Greatest Series Ranking
In 2003, Aaliyah was ranked as one of "The Top 40 Women of the Video Era" in VH1's The Greatest series. Also, in 2003 in memory of Aaliyah, the Entertainment Industry Foundation created the Aaliyah Memorial Fund to donate money raised to charities she supported.
2003: Jay-Z mentions Aaliyah and Dash in remix of "Miss You"
In 2003, Jay-Z mentioned Aaliyah and Damon Dash in the remix of her song "Miss You".
2004: Keith Harris comments on Aaliyah's lyrical content
In 2004, Keith Harris, writing in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, described Aaliyah's lyrical content as being between En Vogue and Tweet in terms of sexual availability, noting her lyrics carefully balanced adolescence and adulthood, portraying a woman exploring love, trust, and lust with playful innocence.
April 2005: Release of 'Ultimate Aaliyah' in the UK
In April 2005, Aaliyah's second posthumous album, a double CD+DVD box set titled Ultimate Aaliyah, was released in the United Kingdom by Blackground Records.
2008: BET's Top 25 Dancers of All Time Ranking
In 2008, Aaliyah was ranked at number 18 on BET's "Top 25 Dancers of All Time".
December 2009: Billboard's Top Artists of the Decade Ranking
In December 2009, Billboard ranked Aaliyah at number 70 on its Top Artists of the Decade. Her album, Aaliyah, was ranked at number 181 on the magazine's Top 200 Albums of the Decade in December 2009.
2010: Billboard's R&B Artist Ranking
In 2010, Billboard listed Aaliyah as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist overall.
2011: Demetrius Smith Sr. reveals Kelly married Aaliyah after she claimed she was pregnant
In 2011, Demetrius Smith Sr., R. Kelly's former tour manager, revealed in his book that Kelly married Aaliyah after she told him that she was pregnant.
2011: Essence's Most Influential R&B Stars List
In 2011, Essence ranked Aaliyah at number 14 on its 50 Most Influential R&B Starts list.
2011: Release of Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam documentary
In 2011, shortly before the tenth anniversary of Aaliyah's death, Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam, a documentary movie by Pogus Caesar, was released. The documentary contained previously unseen footage shot of Aaliyah's career beginnings in 1995 when she was appearing in the Netherlands.
March 2012: Announcement of Posthumous Album Inclusion
In March 2012, 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, though Aaliyah's brother Rashad denied Walker's claim.
August 5, 2012: Release of "Enough Said"
On August 5, 2012, Blackground Records released the track "Enough Said," produced by Noah "40" Shebib and featuring Canadian rapper Drake.
2012: VH1's Greatest Women in Music Ranking
In 2012, VH1 ranked Aaliyah number 48 on their "Greatest Women in Music".
June 2013: Aaliyah Featured on Chris Brown's Track
In June 2013, Aaliyah was featured on the track "Don't Think They Know" by Chris Brown, which appears on Brown's sixth studio album, X.
July 2013: Timbaland's Disapproval and Apology
In July 2013, Timbaland voiced his disapproval for "Enough Said" and "Don't Think They Know" but later apologized to Chris Brown, explaining that Aaliyah and her death were a "very sensitive subject".
July 18, 2014: Alexandra Shipp Replaced Zendaya for Aaliyah Biopic Role
On July 18, 2014, it was announced that Alexandra Shipp replaced Zendaya for the role of Aaliyah in the Lifetime TV biopic movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B.
August 9, 2014: Casting Announcement for Missy Elliott and Timbaland
On August 9, 2014, Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith were cast as Aaliyah's collaborators Missy Elliott and Timbaland in the biopic 'Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B'.
November 15, 2014: Premiere of 'Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B'
The Lifetime TV biopic movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, premiered on November 15, 2014.
2014: Jomo Hankerson discusses Aaliyah being "villainized" for her relationship with Kelly
In 2014, Aaliyah's cousin, Jomo Hankerson, stated that Aaliyah was "villainized" for her relationship with Kelly and that the scandal made it difficult to find producers for her second album.
2014: NME's Most Influential Artist List
In 2014, NME ranked Aaliyah at number 18 on its 100 most influential artist list.
2014: "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" estimated global sales
In 2014, Vibe magazine estimated that Aaliyah's debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number" had sold six million copies globally.
May 2015: Aaliyah Featured on Tink Track
In May 2015, Aaliyah was featured on the Tink track "Million", which contained samples from her song "One in a Million".
September 2015: Announcement of Aaliyah Tribute Fragrance
In September 2015, Aaliyah by Xyrena, an official tribute fragrance, was announced.
December 25, 2015: Timbaland Releases Mixtape with Unreleased Aaliyah Song
On December 25, 2015, Timbaland released the mixtape Kings Stay Kings which includes the unreleased Aaliyah song "Shakin" featuring rapper Strado.
2016: R. Kelly says he was in love with Aaliyah
In 2016, R. Kelly said that he was as in love with Aaliyah as he was with "anybody else."
June 2018: MAC Cosmetics Releases Aaliyah-Inspired Collection
In June 2018, MAC Cosmetics released a cosmetics collection inspired by Aaliyah, The Aaliyah for Mac collection, which was priced at $250 and sold out within minutes. MAC and i-D Magazine partnered up to release a short film titled "A-Z of Aaliyah" which coincided with the launch.
August 2018: Billboard Top 60 Female Artists Ranking
In August 2018, Billboard ranked Aaliyah at number 47 on their Top 60 Female Artists of All-Time list.
2018: Allegations of R. Kelly's Abuse between 1994 and 2018
Between 1994 and 2018, R.Kelly's trial involved allegedly abusing 11 girls and women with Aaliyah's marriage being featured in court.
January 2019: Surviving R. Kelly airs, leading to RCA Records dropping Kelly
In January 2019, after the documentary Surviving R. Kelly aired, public pressure escalated, leading to RCA Records dropping R. Kelly from the label.
February 2019: R. Kelly is indicted on ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse
In February 2019, R. Kelly was indicted on ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
July 2019: R. Kelly is arrested on federal charges
In July 2019, R. Kelly was arrested on federal charges of sex crimes, human trafficking, child pornography, racketeering, and obstruction of justice.
August 21, 2019: Aaliyah Wax Figure Unveiled at Madame Tussauds
On August 21, 2019, the Madame Tussauds museum unveiled a wax figure of Aaliyah at their Las Vegas location, modeled on her appearance in the "Try Again" music video.
2019: Damon Dash states Aaliyah refused to speak about her relationship with Kelly in private
In 2019, Damon Dash revealed that Aaliyah did not even speak of her relationship with R. Kelly in private; he tried multiple times to discuss it with her, but she would only say that Kelly was a "bad man".
2019: Details of Aaliyah's marriage to R. Kelly revealed in 'Surviving R. Kelly' documentary
In 2019, the documentary Surviving R. Kelly featured Demetrius Smith Sr. describing how he helped Aaliyah forge documents to marry Kelly. Additionally, Jovante Cunningham claimed to have witnessed Kelly having sex with Aaliyah on his tour bus.
2020: Damon Dash appears in 'Surviving R. Kelly, Part II'
In 2020, Damon Dash appeared in Surviving R. Kelly, Part II.
2020: Rolling Stone's Best Singers Ranking
In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Aaliyah at number 40 on their 200 Best Singers of All Time list.
March 2021: Aaliyah Funko Pop! Figurine Release
In March 2021, Funko Pop! released an Aaliyah figurine.
August 2021: Announcement of Aaliyah's Music Re-release and Estate's Denouncement
In August 2021, Blackground Records announced that Aaliyah's recorded works would be re-released on physical, digital, and streaming services. Aaliyah's estate issued a statement denouncing the "unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah's music without any transparency or full accounting to the estate".
August 2021: Damon Dash Reflects on Aaliyah's impact 20 Years After Her Death
In August 2021, Damon Dash told Entertainment Tonight that not a single day had passed in the 20 years since Aaliyah's death without him hearing her name, record, or seeing a picture of her, emphasizing her continued presence in his life.
August 2021: R. Kelly's trial begins
In August 2021, R. Kelly's trial began, where he faced 22 federal criminal charges involving allegedly abusing 11 girls and women between 1994 and 2018. Aaliyah's illegal marriage to Kelly was heavily featured in the court case.
August 17, 2021: Publication of Aaliyah Biography 'Baby Girl'
On August 17, 2021, Atria Books published Kathy Iandoli's Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah, a biography about Aaliyah that was not authorized by the Haughton family.
August 25, 2021: Announcement of Posthumous Album 'Unstoppable'
On August 25, 2021, Barry Hankerson revealed that a posthumous album titled Unstoppable would be released in "a matter of weeks". The album was set to feature Drake, Snoop Dogg, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Future and use previously unreleased vocals from before Aaliyah's passing.
September 10, 2021: Reissue of Aaliyah Album
Aaliyah was reissued on September 10, 2021. After the album's re-release, Aaliyah re-entered the UK Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40 at number seven and re-entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number 13.
September 27, 2021: R. Kelly found guilty on nine counts
On September 27, 2021, a federal court jury found R. Kelly guilty of nine counts including racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, sex trafficking, and a violation of the Mann Act. The judge ordered that Kelly remain in custody pending sentencing.
October 8, 2021: Reissue of 'I Care 4 U' and 'Ultimate Aaliyah' Compilation Albums
Compilation albums I Care 4 U and Ultimate Aaliyah were reissued October 8, 2021. Ultimate Aaliyah peaked at number 8 on the UK R&B Albums Chart Top 40 and charted for the first time in the US at number 41 on the Billboard 200.
December 17, 2021: Release of "Poison" Featuring The Weeknd
On December 17, 2021, Blackground Records released the posthumous Aaliyah single "Poison" featuring The Weeknd.
January 4, 2022: Claim of 'Unstoppable' Release Later That Month
On January 4, 2022, Hankerson claimed that Unstoppable would be released later that month, however, it did not see a release and there was no related announcement from the label.
May 4, 2022: R. Kelly's sentencing date
On May 4, 2022, R. Kelly's sentencing was set.
June 29, 2022: R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison
On June 29, 2022, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
August 5, 2022: Beyoncé Releases "The Queens Remix"
On August 5, 2022, Beyoncé released "The Queens Remix" to her single "Break My Soul", in which she name-drops Aaliyah, along with other cultural icons.
June 14, 2023: ABC Broadcasts Aaliyah Documentary
On June 14, 2023, Aaliyah was the subject of the documentary Superstar: Aaliyah, which was broadcast on ABC.
September 2023: Induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame
In September 2023, Aaliyah was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
January 2024: Hint of 'Unstoppable' Release
In January 2024, Blackground Records hinted in an Instagram post that the release of Unstoppable was "coming".
January 16, 2025: Mattel Releases Aaliyah Barbie Doll
On January 16, 2025, Mattel released an Aaliyah Barbie Doll modeled on her appearance in the "One in a Million" music video.
March 2025: Billboard Top 100 Women Artists Ranking
In March 2025, Billboard ranked Aaliyah at number 47 on its Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century list.
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