20 Things You Didn’t Know About Singer Aaliyah

Aaliyah was a well-accomplished rising star who died tragically in a plane crash at the tender age of 22 on August 25, 2001.

Here are some things you may not have known about Aaliyah:

• As a child Aaliyah’s father ran a homeless shelter where Aaliyah would go and sing for homeless people.

• Aaliyah was the youngest singer to perform at the Oscars with 1998’s “Journey to the Past” from ‘Anastasia.’ She was only 19.

• In 1989, she auditioned for a role on the TV show Family Matters.

• She is the niece of music legend Gladys Knight.

• She graduated high school with a 4.0. GPA.

• Aaliyah won more than 30 awards, including Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the 2002 American Music Awards, Best Actress for ‘Queen of the Damned’ at the 2002 BET Awards and Top Hip-Hop/R&B Artist of the Year at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards.

• Aaliyah didn’t really like Static Major’s versions of “Are You That Somebody?” and “Try Again” but she went and recorded them anyway.

• Aaliyah was engaged to music mogul Dame Dash at the time of her passing.

• She once auditioned for a role in Elton John’s Broadway show, Aida.

• She modeled for Tommy Hilfiger.

• She got $1,500,000 for her role in Romeo Must Die and $5,000,000 for her role in Queen of the Damned.

• Her final interview was on “106 & Park” just five days before her passing.

• She was set to collaborate with Janet Jackson.

• She was considered for the role of “Alex” in 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” film. The role went to Lucy Liu because the filmmakers thought Aaliyah was too young.

• Aaliyah was nominated for an Academy Award for her song “Journey to the Past” from the animated film “Anastasia.” She lost to “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic.”

• “Rock The Boat” was written two years before it was released, because the label didn’t think Aaliyah was ready for such a sexual song.

• She was set to play the lead in a Whitney Houston-produced remake of the ’70s film Sparkle.

• Her untimely death pushed Mary J. Blige to clean up her life after years of alcohol and drug abuse.

• She was nicknamed “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop.”

• Aaliyah’s name means “highest, most exalted one” in Arabic.