Name	TLC
Background	group_or_band
Alias	2nd Nature
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genre	R&B;, Hip-hop, dance-pop,
Years active	1991–2003 2008–Present
Label	LaFace, Arista
Associated acts	Babyface, André 3000, Debra Killings, O'so Krispie, Missy Elliott
Current members	Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas
Past members	Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes

TLC is an American R&B; girl group, originally consisting of lead singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Although originally conceived as "2nd Nature", the group's name was later changed to "TLC" by their manager before they were signed to LaFace Records in 1991.

The group achieved commercial success following the release of their debut album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, which was certified quadruple-platinum by the RIAA and spawned the top-ten hits "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", "Baby-Baby-Baby", and "What About Your Friends?". Their second album, CrazySexyCool (1994), is the only album by a female group to be awarded diamond certification by the RIAA, for selling over 11 million copies in the United States alone. Two of the album's singles, "Creep" and "Waterfalls", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Their third studio album, FanMail reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, No Scrubs and Unpretty. Despite their success, the members of TLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1995.

In early 2002, just before the release of TLC's fourth album, 3D, Lopes was killed in a car accident in Honduras. Watkins and Thomas promoted 3D as a duo, and in 2005, hosted a reality television show, R U the Girl, with a grand prize of a chance to record a song and perform once in concert with the surviving group members, both of whom have released solo material and continued to collaborate occasionally. In October 2009, Thomas and Watkins announced plans to record new material to be released "sometime soon".

Billboard magazine ranked the group as one of the greatest musical trios of all time. They have had four #1 singles, including "Creep", "Waterfalls", "No Scrubs", and "Unpretty", and have won four Grammy Awards. The RIAA and Billboard cite that TLC has sold more than 60 million records world wide, making them the biggest selling R&B; female group of all time. In 2008, the group was inducted into the All Time Hot 100 Artist Hall of Fame by Billboard, at 56th place. They are listed on Top R&B;/Hip Hop artist in the last 25 years at #25.

History

In 1990, Atlanta, Georgia, teenager Crystal Jones put out a call for two more girls to join her in a trio to be called 2nd Nature. Her request was eventually answered by Tionne Watkins, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, who moved to Atlanta with her family at an early age, and Lisa Lopes, a rapper who had just moved to the city from her native Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with only a keyboard and US$750 ($}} in current dollar terms).

The group eventually managed to arrange an audition with R&B; singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid, who had started her own management and production company, Pebbitone. Impressed by the girls, Reid renamed the group "TLC" and arranged an audition for them with local record label LaFace Records, run by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Reid's then-husband, Antonio "L.A." Reid. The latter Reid saw potential in Watkins and Lopes but felt that Jones should be replaced; within a few days, part-time Damian Dame backup dancer Rozonda Thomas was brought in to replace Jones. The girls were signed to LaFace through a production deal with Pebbitone (with Perri Reid taking the role of the group's manager) (see artist development deal) and almost immediately went into the studio with producers Reid and Edmonds, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, and Marley Marl to produce their first album.

1991–92: Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip

The first TLC album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, was released on February 25, 1992 by LaFace. The songs on the album are a blend of funk (Watkins), hip-hop (Lopes), and R&B; (Thomas), similar to the "new jack swing" sound popularized by producer Teddy Riley in the late 1980s (and TLC's sound was sometimes cited as an example of the "new jill swing" genre). The album was a critical and commercial success, being certified quadruple-platinum within a year and launching a number of US Hot 100 top-ten singles with "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", "What About Your Friends", and "Baby-Baby-Baby" which reached #2 on the Hot 100.

TLC's lyrics, chiefly written by Lopes and Dallas Austin, were playful, female-empowering anthems characterized by Lopes's quirky, nasal-toned raps, Watkins's low-voiced lead vocals, and Thomas's powerful vocals and harmonization. The musical formula was augmented by the girls' brightly-colored videos and curious costuming: each girl wore wrapped condoms on their clothing (Lopes also wore one in a pair of glasses over her left eye).

During TLC's first national tour, as MC Hammer's opening act, Lopes and Thomas discovered that Watkins had sickle-cell disease, an ailment which she kept a closely-guarded secret until she became ill while TLC was touring the Southwest US. Watkins continued to battle her condition and eventually became a spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America in the late 1990s. At the conclusion of the tour, TLC decided to take more control of their careers and thus informed Perri Reid that they no longer wished her to be their manager. Reid released the group from its management deal, but they remained signed to Pebbitone, and Reid continued to receive a share of their earnings.

1994: CrazySexyCool

Lopes began dating Atlanta Falcons American football player Andre Rison shortly after the release of Oooohhh... On the TLC Tip, and by 1994 the two were living together in Rison's upscale double-story home. Their relationship was allegedly filled with violent moments, and Lopes filed an assault charge against Rison on September 2, 1993. Rison denied battering her. Lopes was also battling alcoholism at the time. She had been a heavy drinker since the age of fifteen. After another fight between the couple in the early morning hours of June 9, 1994, Lopes tossed numerous pairs of Rison's newly purchased shoes into a bathtub, doused them with lighter fluid, and lit them on fire. The plexiglas bathtub quickly melted and set the structural frame of the house on fire. Lopes was arrested and indicted on charges of first-degree arson; she was sentenced to five years of probation and a $10,000 fine. Rison eventually reconciled with Lopes, and they continued dating on-and-off for around three and a half years.

During early 1994, TLC re-entered the studio with Dallas Austin, Tim & Bob, Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, Organized Noize, and Sean "Puffy" Combs to record their second album, CrazySexyCool. Lopes was released from rehab to attend the recording sessions, but the finished album featured significantly less of her raps and vocals. The album instead focused more on the contributions from Watkins and Thomas, and had a smoother, more fluid sound, similar to the most successful single from the first album, the US #2 hit "Baby-Baby-Baby". All four singles from CrazySexyCool reached the top 5 of the US Hot 100, while "Creep" and "Waterfalls" peaked at no. 1, while Red Light Special reached no. 2 and "Diggin' on You" reached no. 5. "Waterfalls",

They declared debts totaling 3.5 million dollars, much of it because of Lopes's insurance payments arising from the arson incident and Watkins's medical bills, but the primary reason being that each member of the group was taking home less than $35,000 a year after paying managers, producers, expenses, and taxes. They sought to renegotiate their 1991 contract with LaFace, under which they only received seven percent of the revenues from their album sales, and to dissolve their association with Pebbitone. Both Pebbitone and LaFace countered that TLC simply wanted more money and were in no real financial danger, resulting in two years of legal debates before the cases were finally settled in late 1996. TLC's contract was renegotiated, their production deal with Pebbitone and Perri Reid (who had separated from her husband by this time) was rescinded, and the group appeared on the with "This Is How It Works" and was set to re-enter the recording studio in 1997 after signing a new contract with LaFace.

1999–00: FanMail

Preliminary work on TLC's third album, FanMail, was delayed when friction arose between the group and their main producer Dallas Austin, who was by this time dating Thomas and helping to raise their young son Tron. Austin wanted $4.2 million and creative control to work on the project, resulting in a stand-off between the producer and the artists. During this period, Thomas appeared in the independent film HavPlenty, and Watkins co-starred in Hype Williams' 1998 film Belly with rappers Nas and DMX. Watkins made a solo song in late 1996 called "Touch Myself". Lopes started her own Lopes Productions artist development company and signed Blaque, a TLC-like female R&B; trio. She also appeared on the "Not Tonight" remix with fellow female rappers Lil' Kim, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Da Brat and Angie Martinez, which garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo, Band, or Group in 1998.

TLC eventually began working with other producers for the FanMail album, until finally negotiating with Austin, who produced the bulk of FanMail and gave the album a futuristic, more pop-based feel. FanMail was another success for TLC, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart and selling over 7 million copies in the U.S. The album featured the number-one hit "No Scrubs", produced by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, and the single "Unpretty", an alternative rock-styled song about self-love written by Watkins and Dallas Austin (another version of it sampled Dennis Edwards' 1984 hit "Don't Look Any Further"), that also reached #1 on the Billboard chart.

The videos for both songs were heavily featured on MTV and BET, and three more singles received decent radio play: "Silly Ho", "I'm Good at Being Bad", and Edmonds-written ballad, "Dear Lie". Like CrazySexyCool, FanMail won the Grammy for Best R&B; Album of 2000 and Grammy Award for Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "No Scrubs". The group went on a worldwide tour simply named FanMail Tour. While the first leg of the tour sold poorly and made the group lose 500,000 dollars, most of the second leg of the tour was sold out. The group had a PayPerView special of their tour which at the time became PayPerView's highest grossing televised special. The tour went on to gross more than $72.8 million dollars according to Billboard which became the highest grossing tour by a female group.

During and after the release of FanMail, Lopes made it known to the press on multiple occasions that she felt that she was unable to fully express herself working with TLC and Austin. Her contributions to the songs had been reduced to periodic eight-bar raps, and studio session singers such as Debra Killings often took her place on the background vocals for the groups' songs. In its November 28, 1999 issue, Entertainment Weekly ran a letter from Lopes that challenged her group mates to record solo albums and let the fans judge which of the three was the most talented:

"I challenge Tionne 'Player' Watkins (T-boz) and Rozonda 'Hater' Thomas (Chilli) to an album entitled The Challenge... a 3-CD set that contains three solo albums. Each (album)... will be due to the record label by October 1, 2000... I also challenge producer Dallas 'The Manipulator' Austin to produce all of the material and do it at a fraction of his normal rate. As I think about it, I'm sure LaFace would not mind throwing in a $1.5 million dollar prize for the winner."

The ladies eventually settled the feud, and The Challenge was never followed through. After the conclusion of the successful FanMail tour, the ladies, however, took some time off and pursued personal interests. Lopes was the first to begin recording her solo album, Supernova. In 2000, Spice Girl Melanie C released a single co-written with Lopes in the UK and Europe, called "Never Be the Same Again"; it became a hit reaching #1 in many countries.

TLC were listed as the #7 most successful pop act of the 90's in Billboard's final copy of 1999,CrazySexyCool & FanMail appeared at the number 25 & 84 on the Billboard 200 component.Whereas On the Hot 100 Decade End Chart TLC had 5 songs featured; Waterfalls, Creep, No Scrubs, Unpretty, and Baby Baby Baby at the numbers 19, 21, 33, 76, and 80 respectively.

2002: 3D

Before the recording of their fourth album, 3D, there was a dispute between Lopes on one side and Watkins and Thomas on the other. Lopes originally wanted to withdraw from the group in order to see if they could duplicate their prior success without her contributions. Lopes eventually pursued solo stardom and recorded her first album Supernova, however it underperformed overseas and was never officially released in the United States. Before her 2nd solo album was completed, Lopes died in a car crash.

Returning from yet another hiatus after Lopes' death in a car crash in 2002 while on missionary work in Honduras, Watkins, Thomas and Austin decided that they would complete the remainder of their fourth album, to be called 3D, which also featured production from Rodney Jerkins, The Neptunes, Raphael Saadiq, Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The decision was also made that TLC would retire after the release and promotion of 3D, rather than replace Lopes and continue. Lopes had already completed her vocals for four songs; the remainder were performed by the remaining group members alone, who eulogized Lopes on a number of the tracks.

The first single for 3D was "Girl Talk", the video for which featured Watkins and Thomas alone in live-action segments and Lopes in animated segments. Its follow-up, "Hands Up", featured only Watkins and Thomas in its video, but took place in a nightclub named Club Lopes (Lopes' production company's "eye" logo was a prominent feature on the club's walls). The album only sold two million copies in its first year of release, and "Girl Talk" was the only single to reach the U.S. top forty with a peak position of number 28; "Hands Up" never charted, and a third single, "Damaged", reached number 53.

2003–05: Now & Forever: The Hits

In 2003, LaFace had scheduled the release of Now and Forever: The Hits, a TLC greatest hits album with a new song, "Come Get Some", featuring Lil Jon and Sean P of the YoungBloodZ. However, the compilation was not released domestically until June 2005, although versions of the compilation were released internationally in 2004 and the album was also available as a legal download from the iTunes Store in November 2004. On June 21, 2005, Now and Forever: The Hits was quietly released in the United States; the album debuted at number 53 with 20,000 copies sold.

On May 15, 2007, was released in the United States, after over four years of delayed release dates.

On August 20, 2007 a new greatest hits album was released in the UK called , a play on the group's best selling album title Crazy Sexy Cool. Now and Forever: The Video Hits was also released in the UK for the first time on the same date. The album fared better than previous compilation Now and Forever: The Hits, peaking at #57 on the UK album chart (Now and Forever: The Hits made #86).

On June 25, 2004, Watkins and Thomas announced that they were pitching a reality television show where contestants would compete for a chance to record a single and perform in concert with the two of them. The show was eventually picked up for development by UPN. R U the Girl with Watkins and Thomas debuted on UPN on July 27, 2005. The winner of the show would record with them on a new single and perform the track with them in a live concert finale in Atlanta. Roughly 4.1 million viewers tuned in for the season finale of R U The Girl on September 20, 2005, with 20-year-old Tiffany "O'so Krispie" Baker as the winner. Despite media speculation that the winner of the series was to become a new, permanent member of TLC, Watkins and Thomas have stated never to replace Lopes with a new member.

On October 4, 2005, "I Bet", the first new Watkins and Thomas single in over two years, was released to radio and iTunes, credited to "R U The Girl with Watkins & Thomas" with no mention of the TLC name on the package. The song was also appended to pressings of Now and Forever: The Hits released after October 11, 2005. "I Bet" failed to chart in America and Europe, ending reports that Watkins and Thomas were putting the finishing touches on a repackaged Greatest Hits album.

2008–Present: Return

On June 24, 2008, Watkins and Thomas made a special appearance on the BET Awards. They, along with the original members of En Vogue and SWV, performed in Alicia Keys' tribute to girl groups. Watkins, Thomas, and Keys performed "Waterfalls". TLC were also presenters at the BETJ Virtual Awards on November 25, 2008.

In March 2009, Watkins and Thomas announced plans to perform together in a concert series in Japan featuring seventeen of TLC's songs. On August 25, 2009, it was announced that the group would perform at the Justin Timberlake and Friends benefit concert at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center on October 17, 2009. At the concert, Watkins announced that she and Thomas plan to record new material.

In November 2010, Keri Hilson alluded to the music video of Creep in the video for her song Pretty Girl Rock.

Discography

Albums

1992: Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip

1994: CrazySexyCool

1999: FanMail

2002: 3D

Compilation albums

2004:

2006: Collections

2007:

Video releases

2003:

Filmography

1994: House Party 3

Awards and nominations

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC" | Year ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC" | Result ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC" | Award ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC" | Category ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC" | Song or Album |- | 1993 || Nominated || rowspan=14|Grammy Award || Best R&B; Song || "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=4|1996 || rowspan=2|Won || Best R&B; Album || CrazySexyCool |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal || "Creep" |- Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal || "Red Light Special" | rowspan=2|Nominated || Record of the Year || "Waterfalls" |- | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=7|2000 || rowspan=2|Won || Best R&B; Album || Fanmail |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal || "No Scrubs" |- | rowspan=5|Nominated || Album of the Year || Fanmail |- | Record of the Year || "No Scrubs" |- | Song of the Year || "Unpretty" |- | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal || "Unpretty" |- | Best Music Video, Short Form || "Unpretty" |- | 2003 || rowspan=2|Nominated || Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal || "Girl Talk" |- | 2004 || Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal || "Hands Up" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=10|1995 || rowspan=4|Won || rowspan=16|MTV Video Music Awards || Video of the Year || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best Group Video || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B; Video || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Viewer's Choice || "Waterfalls" |- | rowspan=6|Nominated || Best Special Effects || "Waterfalls" |- | Best Editing || "Waterfalls" |- | Best Direction || "Waterfalls" |- | Best Cinematography || "Waterfalls" |- | Best Art Direction || "Waterfalls" |- | Breakthrough Video || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=6|2000 || rowspan=1|Won || Best Group Video || "No Scrubs |- | rowspan=5|Nominated||Viewer's Choice || "No Scrubs" |- |Best Hip Hop Video || "No Scrubs" |- | Best Editing || "No Scrubs" |- | Best Direction || "No Scrubs" |- | Best Art Direction || "No Scrubs" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=3|1996 || rowspan=3|Won || rowspan=3|Billboard Music Award || Artist of the Year || - |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | R&B; Artist of the Year || - |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | R&B; Single of the Year || "Creep" |- | rowspan=3|1997 || rowspan=3|Nominated || rowspan=4|American Music Award || Favorite Soul/R&B; Album || CrazySexyCool |- | Favorite Soul/R&B; Band, Duo or Group || - |- | Favorite Artist of the Year || - |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | 2000 || Won || Favorite Band, Duo or Group – Soul/Rhythm & Blues || - |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=2|1996 || rowspan=6|Won || rowspan=8|Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards || Best R&B;/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo || "Creep" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B;/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo || CrazySexyCool |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | 1997 || Best R&B;/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=3|1999 || Aretha Franklin Award (Entertainer of the Year) || - |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B;/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo || "No Scrubs" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B;/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo || Fanmail |- | rowspan=2|2003 || rowspan=2|Nominated || Best R&B;/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo || "Girl Talk" |- | Best R&B;/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo || 3D |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=3|1997 || rowspan=5|Won || rowspan=6|Soul Train Music Award || Best R&B;/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B;/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo || CrazySexyCool |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B;/Soul or Rap Music Video || "Waterfalls" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | rowspan=2|1999 || Best R&B;/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo || "No Scrubs" |-style="background-color: #EAEAEA;" | Best R&B;/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo || Fanmail |- | 2003 || Nominated || Best R&B;/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo || "Girl Talk" |- | 2003 || Nominated || NAACP Image Award || Outstanding Duo or Group || - |}

See also

List of best-selling music artists in the United States

List of best-selling girl groups

List of best selling female R&B; groups

References

External links

TLC at MTV.com

Cyber TLC World

Category:Grammy Award winners Category:BRIT Award winners Category:2010s music groups Category:2000s music groups Category:1990s music groups Category:English-language singers Category:Musical trios Category:Hip hop singers Category:Female hip hop groups Category:American hip hop groups Category:American pop music groups Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:American girl groups Category:African American musical groups Category:Musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state)

Name	Aaliyah
Img alt	Head and shoulders of a young woman with long, black hair and a broad facial expression, wearing a navy blue shirt baring the center of her chest along with a gold necklace that extends down her chest.
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Alias
Born	January 16, 1979Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States
Died	August 25, 2001Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genre	R&B;, pop, hip hop
Occupation	Singer, dancer, actress, model
Years active	1991–2001
Label	Blackground, Jive, Atlantic, Virgin
Url

Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), who performed under the mononym Aaliyah (), was an American recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At an early age, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and Blackground Records by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed to Atlantic Records.

Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single "Try Again". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. "Try Again" earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B; Vocalist.

After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Since then, Aaliyah's music has achieved commercial success with several posthumous releases. With album sales estimated to be between 24 to 32 million copies worldwide, Aaliyah has been credited for helping redefine R&B; and hip hop, earning her the nickname "Princess of R&B;".

Life and career

1979–1990: Early life

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York. Born of African American and Native American descent, she was the second and younger child of Diane and Michael Haughton. Enrolled at a young age for voice lessons by her mother, She attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where she received a part in the stage play Annie in first grade. From then on, she was determined to become an entertainer. Aaliyah's mother was a vocalist, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight. She then auditioned for several record labels and appeared in concerts alongside Knight at age 11.

1991–1995: Age Ain't Nothing but a Number

After Hankerson signed a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12. Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly, Released in June 1994, the album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and sold over three million copies in the United States. Aaliyah's debut single, "Back & Forth", topped the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The second single, a cover of The Isley Brothers' "At Your Best (You Are Love)", peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also certified Gold by the RIAA.

With the release of Age Ain't Nothing but a Number, rumors circulated of a relationship between Aaliyah and Kelly. Shortly after, there was speculation about a secret marriage with the release of "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" and the adult content that Kelly had written for Aaliyah. Vibe magazine later revealed a marriage certificate that listed the couple allegedly married on August 31, 1994, in Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois. The pair continued to deny marriage allegations, stating that neither was married.|format=Ogg|pos=right}} In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive Records and signed to Atlantic Records. One in a Million peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200,

Aaliyah attended the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts, where she majored in drama and graduated in 1997 with a 4.0 grade point average. Aaliyah began her acting career that same year; she played herself in the police drama television series New York Undercover. During this time, Aaliyah participated the Children's Benefit Concert, a charity concert that took place at the Beacon Theatre in New York. She contributed on the soundtrack album for the Fox Animation Studios animated feature Anastasia, performing a cover version of "Journey to the Past" which earned songwriters Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Aaliyah performed the song at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony and became the youngest singer to perform at the event. Later on that year Tommy Hilfiger gave her an endorsement deal, part of her deal was to model at various Tommy Hilfiger shows. Aaliyah's song Are You That Somebody? was featured on the Dr.Dolittle soundtrack. "Are You That Somebody?" was in the midst of its chart run when Billboard changed its policy to allow airplay-only singles to chart on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop charts. It climbed to number four on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and number one on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The single peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2000–2001: Romeo Must Die and eponymous album

In 2000, Aaliyah landed her first major movie role in Romeo Must Die. A loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed $18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at the box office. In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, where she contributed four songs. "Try Again" was released as a single from the soundtrack; the song topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Aaliyah the first artist to top the chart based solely on airplay; this led the song to be released in a 12" vinyl and 7" single. The music video won the Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film awards at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B; Vocalist. The soundtrack went on to sell 1.5 million copies in the United States.

After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah began to work on her second film, Queen of the Damned. She played the role of an ancient vampire, Queen Akasha, which she described as a "manipulative, crazy, sexual being". Aaliyah went on to release her eponymous album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. Produced primarily by Timbaland, The first single from the album, "We Need a Resolution", peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. They had a flight scheduled the following day, but with filming finishing early, Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the United States. They made the decision to leave immediately. Against the advice of baggage handlers and the pilot, all the equipment from the shoot was loaded on to the plane. The group was unaware that the plane was unable to hold all the equipment of the Cessna 404 they had initially flown in by. Therefore, the aircraft exceeded the standard weight and balance tolerance limit provided by Cessna.

According to findings from an inquest, conducted by the coroner's office in The Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from "severe burns and a blow to the head", in addition to severe shock and a weak heart. The coroner theorized that, even if Aaliyah had survived the crash, her recovery would have been virtually impossible given the severity of her injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report stated that "the airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27." It also indicated that the pilot was not approved to pilot the plane he was attempting to fly. Morales falsely obtained his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license by showing hundreds of hours never flown, and he may also have falsified how many hours he had flown in order to get a job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways. Additionally, an autopsy performed on Morales revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Further investigations determined the plane was over its total gross weight by 700 pounds and was loaded with one more passenger than it was allowed to carry. John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association stated that the plane was "definitely overloaded". The NTSB reported that the total gross weight of the plane was "substantially exceeded", which caused the center of gravity to be pushed too far aft. An estimated 800 mourners were in attendance of the procession. Among those in attendance to the private ceremony were Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Gladys Knight, Lil' Kim and Sean Combs. After the service, 22 white doves were released to symbolize each year of Aaliyah's life. She was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery.

The day of the crash was Morales' first official day with Blackhawk International Airways, an FAA Part 135 single-pilot operation. In addition, Morales was not registered with the FAA to fly for Blackhawk. As a result of the accident, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Aaliyah's parents and was later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Barry & Sons, Inc., a corporation formed in 1992 to develop, promote and capitalize Aaliyah and to oversee the production and distribution of her records and music videos, brought an unsuccessful lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Instinct Productions LLC, the company that was hired in August 2001 to produce the music video for "Rock the Boat". The case was dismissed due to New York's wrongful death statute only permitting certain people to recover damages for wrongful death.

Aftermath and posthumous career

The week after Aaliyah's death, her third studio album, Aaliyah, rose from number 19 to number one on the Billboard 200. "Rock the Boat" was released as a posthumous single. The music video was premiered on Black Entertainment Television's Access Granted; it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show. The song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was also included on the Now That's What I Call Music! 8 compilation series; a portion of the album's profits was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund. The following two singles from Aaliyah, "More than a Woman" and "I Care 4 U", peaked within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100.

She won two posthumous awards at the American Music Awards of 2002; Favorite Female R&B; Artist and Favorite R&B;/Soul Album for Aaliyah. Her second and final film, Queen of the Damned, was released in February 2002. Before its release, Aaliyah's brother, Rashad, re-dubbed some of her lines during post-production. It grossed $15.2 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office. On the first anniversary of Aaliyah's death, a candlelight vigil was held in Times Square, where millions of fans observed a moment of silence. Throughout the United States, radio stations played her music in remembrance. In December 2002, a collection of previously unreleased material was released as Aaliyah's first posthumous album, I Care 4 U. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, a program that benefits the Revlon UCLA Women Cancer Research Program and Harlem's Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 280,000 copies in its first week. The album's lead single, "Miss You", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Aaliyah was signed to appear in several future films, including Honey (recast to Jessica Alba). Some Kind of Blue and a Whitney Houston-produced remake of the 1976 film Sparkle were canceled due to Aaliyah's death. Before her death, Aaliyah had filmed part of her role in The Matrix Reloaded and was scheduled to appear in The Matrix Revolutions as Zee. In 2005, Aaliyah's second compilation album, Ultimate Aaliyah was released in the UK by Blackground Records. Ultimate Aaliyah is a three disc set, which included a greatest hits audio CD and a DVD. Aaliyah described her sound as "street but sweet", which featured her "gentle" vocals over a "hard" beat. Though Aaliyah did not write any of her own material, She incorporated R&B;, pop and hip hop into her music. Her songs were often uptempo and melancholy, revolving around "matters of the heart". Her songs have been said to have "crisp production" and "staccato arrangements" that "extend genre boundaries" while containing "old-school" soul music. When she experimented with other genres, such as Latin pop and heavy metal, writers panned the attempt. Others felt that she was "satisfying rather than extraordinary", stating that she added little to modern R&B.;

As an artist, Aaliyah often voiced that she was inspired by a number of performers. These include Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Sade, En Vogue, Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Prince, Naughty by Nature, Johnny Mathis and Janet Jackson. Aaliyah expressed that Michael Jackson's Thriller was her "favorite album" and that "[n]othing will ever top Thriller." Jackson reciprocated Aaliyah's affections, commenting "I've loved her from the beginning because she always comes out and does something different, musically." Jackson also stated she would have enjoyed collaborating with Aaliyah. She described her image as being "important… to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack". She often wore black clothing, starting a trend for similar fashion among women in United States and Japan. Aaliyah participated in fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger's All America Tour and was featured in Tommy Jean ads, which depicted her in boxer shorts, baggy jeans and a tube top. Hilfiger's brother, Andy, called it "a whole new look" that was "classy but sexy". In 1998, she hired a personal trainer to keep in shape, and exercised five days a week and ate diet foods. Aaliyah was praised for her "clean-cut image" and "moral values".

Legacy

Aaliyah has been credited for helping redefine R&B; and hip hop in the 1990s, "leaving an indelible imprint on the music industry as a whole." Steve Huey of Allmusic wrote Aaliyah ranks among the "elite" artists of the R&B; genre, as she "played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s." Described as one of "R&B;'s most important artists" during the 1990s, her second studio album, One in a Million, became one of the most influential R&B; albums of the decade. According to Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine, Aaliyah provided a "missing link" between hip hop and electronica. With sales of 8.1 million albums in the United States and an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide, Aaliyah has been named the "Princess of R&B;" and "prove[d] she was a muse in her own right". Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone dubbed her as the "undisputed queen of the midtempo come-on". In the same year, the United States Social Security Administration ranked the name Aaliyah one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls. Aaliyah was ranked as one of "The Top 40 Women of the Video Era" and "100 Sexiest Artists" in VH1's 2003 The Greatest series. She was also ranked at number 18 on BET's "Top 25 Dancers of All Time". In memory of Aaliyah, the Entertainment Industry Foundation created the Aaliyah Memorial Fund to donate money raised to charities she supported. In December 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Aaliyah at number 70 on its Top Artists of the Decade, while her eponymous album was ranked at number 181 on the magazine's Top 200 Albums of the Decade.

Discography

Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994)

One in a Million (1996)

Aaliyah (2001)

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" |- !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Year !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Title !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Role !style="background:#B0C4DE"|Notes |- |1997 |New York Undercover |Herself |"Fade Out" (season 3, episode 65) |- |2000 |Romeo Must Die |Trish O'Day |Feature film |- |2002 |Queen of the Damned |Queen Akasha |Feature film. Posthumous release |}

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

List of awards and nominations received by Aaliyah

List of fatalities from aviation incidents

Notes

References

External links

Official website

Category:1979 births Category:2001 deaths Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American dancers Category:African American female models Category:African American film actors Category:African American singers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American sopranos Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Burials at Ferncliff Cemetery Category:Hip hop singers Category:Jive Records artists Category:Musicians from Detroit, Michigan Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Singers from New York City Category:Swing Mob artists Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the Bahamas Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Universal Records artists