Aaliyah
Brooklyn-born and Detroit-raised R&B singer Aaliyah hit the big time in her early teens with a spate of hit records before she embarked at the ripe old age of twenty on a film acting career. A losing appearance on “Star Search†at age eleven failed to hold back the young dynamo, who performed later that same year with Gladys Knight (former wife of her uncle/manager Barry Hankerton), singing with the legend for a five night Las Vegas engagement in 1990. Within four years, Aaliyah would have two gold singles to her credit and was a proven multitalented performer, starring in compelling music videos that showcased her dance moves as well as her songs. As her debut album “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number†headed up the charts on the strength of the hits “Back and Forth†and “At Your Best (You Are Love)â€, Aaliyah, whose sultry voice and adult image belied her tender age, found herself the target of some less-than-positive attention when it was reported the then-fifteen-year-old had wed friend and producer R. Kelly (a man over ten years her senior). A marriage license issued in the state of Illinois with the pair’s name on it and Kelly’s refusal to comment only fueled the fires of scandal, and the two were unceremoniously booed at that year’s Soul Train Music Awards.