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| This page was last updated on Thursday, September 27, 2001 at 9:30 AM Central Time
The first thing listed is my first post on Aaliyah's death. From there, my summary of the news that I've read and heard is listed as newest first and articles are listed in a different color from newest to oldest, also.
August 26, 2001 1:08 AM Central
According to the Associated Press, Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash while departing from the Bahamas.
BELOW ARE OFFICIAL ARTICLES FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND MY SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLES AND RADIO AND TELEVISION SOURCES.
HERE'S MY SUMMARY OF VARIOUS ARTICLES AND RADIO AND TELEVISION SOURCES.
Sunday, August 26, 2001
-22 year old R/B singer Aaliyah died in a plane crash on Saturday around 6:50 PM
-It was reported that Aaliyah died instantly, so she wasn't in any pain.
-The plane was departing from Marsh Harbour airport in the Bahamas when one of the engines blew out and the plane crashed about 200 feet at the end of the runway.
-It was first reported that Aaliyah and 8 passengers, including the pilot had died in the crash and one survivor was in the hospital. That survivor (Anthony Dodd, 34 years of age, from Los Angeles) died this morning in Nassau hospital.
-The plane's destination was Opa-locka, Florida.
-97.9 The Beat in Dallas, TX reported this morning that before the plane took off, the pilot had urged the passengers to remove some of their luggage, but the passengers didn't. There is still no word on whether the heavy weight of their luggage had anything to do with the crash.
-The passengers reported dead are
22-Aaliyah Haughton
41-Scott Gallin
49-Keith Wallace-from Los Angeles
28-Douglas Kratz-a representative for Virgin Records from Hollywood California
29-Eric Foreman-makeup artist-from Hollywood, California
29-Gina Smith-from New Jersey
32-Christopher Maldonado-from New York
34-Anthony Dodd-from Los Angeles; died at Nassau hospital Sunday morning
L. Marael-the only identification of the pilot
-Througout the day in the Dallas area, radio listeners called and voiced their opinions over the tragedy. Many callers also voiced their opinions on MTV's poor coverage of the story-or in this case, lack OF coverage. I, for one am upset with MTV. I turned on my TV at a little past 12 AM Central time and saw a news flash stating that Aaliyah had been killed and to stay tuned for further details. I stayed tuned til "10 to the hour" for their hourly news coverage and was shocked to see John Norris reporting on the Backstreet Boys' first concert since AJ's release from rehab. I was quite surprised and upset and...a lot of things. First off, the Backstreet concert that was being reported on was on FRIDAY. I saw this footage on a SUNDAY. I'm not understanding how MTV saw it more important to report on the Backstreet Boys' alcohol problems rather than the DEATH of Aaliyah. What? They thought that she was important enough to do a Diary on, but not important enough to report on her death? Shame on you MTV!
Monday, August 27, 2001
-97.9 The Beat in Dallas, which I believe is stationed/syndicated in New York and 104.5 Kiss FM in Dallas are dedicating the day to Aaliyah.
-A Sister 2 Sister magazine employee that was on 97.9 The Beat this morning said that Erik, who WASN'T in the crash is very upset right now because HE was supposed to be on the plane, but he had work to do with Macy Gray and encouraged his friend Chris Maldanodo, who died in the crash, to go in his place. (If you watched Aaliyah's MTV Diary, you saw Erik, Erik, and Derek (I'm sure I misspelled those names). They were her stylists and makeup artists. They were very close...and goofy!)
-Hype Williams was the director for the video which WAS filmed, so I'm assuming that it WILL be aired. Hype stayed behind to get more footage, which is why he wasn't on the plane.
-Fatima, who is Aaliyah's choreographer, ALSO stayed behind after the video shoot because there was some sort of engagement that she was attending.
-Sister 2 Sister magazine will be covering Aaliyah in an upcoming issue.
-On 97.9 The Beat in Dallas, Tx this morning, a former drummer of Aaliyah's called in to the stationed and talked about how good it was to work with Aaliyah.
-BET is re-airing the BET 106 & Park show that Aaliyah attended last week where she gave away the Escalade from her BET.com contest, to Julian.
-Two weeks, ago Aaliyah completed filming of her "More Than A Woman" video.
-Aaliyah was scheduled to be a presenter at the 2001 MTV awards on Thursday, September 6th in New York City.
-Aaliyah had already completed the initial shooting for the Matrix II in Los Angeles last month and was scheduled to fly to Australia after the New Year to finish up principal photography for The Matrix II & III.
-104.5 Kiss FM played Rock The Boat (the video that Aaliyah had filmed in the Bahamas) this morning.
Monday, August 27, 2001 3:37 PM
-It was reported that the bodies were being taken to a funeral home in Nassau, U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Bachman said. Some were badly burned in the crash, authorities said.
-Islander Derek Russell, who worked for the group during the video shoot, said he got Aaliyahs autograph before the accident. This is what he had to say about her: "Shes a nice girl, a friendly girl."
-Her uncle was married to soul singer Gladys Knight, who invited Aaliyah to perform with her during a five-night stint in Las Vegas at age 11.
-It has been reported that the last movie that Aaliyah filmed was The Queen Of The Damned. I've been informed that the movie is scheduled to be released on February 15th, 2002 (moved back several months from October 5th, 2001).
-Either 97.9 The Beat or 104.5 Kiss FM, both in Dallas reported at around 6:45 AM Central Time that thousands of Detroit Citizens were gathered around the high school that Aaliyah graduated from.
-Either 97.9 The Beat or 104.5 Kiss FM, both in Dallas were saying that the reason Aaliyah wasn't really well known when she first came out is because R. Kelly, who found her, refused to fly (He still does to this day. He has a European Tour coming up and he's talking about SAILING to Europe).
-R. Kelly was said to be taken this very badly.
-Although most radio stations that I tuned in to this morning seemed to be "celebrating the life of Aaliyah", The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show on 106.1 FM in Dallas, Tx felt the need to bring up past scandals. They even got facts twisted. Go figure!
Monday, August 27, 2001 6:37 PM Central
-It was reported that before the plane took off, the pilot had trouble starting the right engine.
Tuesday, August 28, 2001 8:31 AM Central
-Starting at 8:00 AM this morning, BET's Video Soul Gold will feature Aaliyah's videos.
-Last night, BET Tonight focused on Aaliyah. Her uncle, Barry Hankerson, also Blackground Entertainment CEO, called in and spoke to BET Tonight. Satellite Guests included Fatima (her choreographer) and Angie Stone.
-Apparently Missy and Timbaland were on BET's 106 & Park yesterday to talk about Aaliyah. If you didn't catch it, you can see it at the normal time that BET's 106 & Park's re-runs are aired.
-It has been confirmed that Aaliyah was scheduled to be on another plane.
-According to 97.9 The Beat, a Dallas/New York syndication, a DJ from New York's HOT 97 played sound bites of a plane crashing and a woman screaming whenever he mentioned Aaliyah. Someone from HOT 97 named Miss Jones was so appalled by what the DJ did that after she told him how she felt, she left the station. 97.9 The Beat reported that listeners called in to address their complaints.
-Rock The Boat is the last music video that Aaliyah filmed.
-BET documented the filming of Rock The Boat. I'm sure you'll see it soon on BET.
-Anthony Dodd, the 34 year old who survived the crash, only to later pass away at around 3 AM Sunday morning in Nassau hospital, said that the plane leaned to the right and the pilot tried to control it by going left, then the plane nose-dived.
-The bodies were taken to the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau and were to be flown to the United States on Tuesday. Details of funeral arrangements were not released.
-Music store representatives have stated that Aaliyah's old releases, including her newest LP have been selling fast and better than they had been before the unfortunate death of Aaliyah.
Thursday, August 30, 2001
-97.9 The Beat reported that the plane was 700-1500 pounds overweight. Last night an airplane expert said that excessive weight could indeed cause trouble for a plane, including engine failure.
-97.9 The Beat also reported from other news sources that the company that the plane was registered with had been in trouble lots of times with the FAA for safety reasons.
-Memorial services for Gina Smith are being held today in Dallas, TX.
-Last night, there was a vigil for Aaliyah in Dallas, TX.
-Aaliyah's PRIVATE memorial service will be held on Thursday in Manhattan.
-Fans can show their love for Aaliyah at Aaliyah's public Memorial service which will be announced at a later date.
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BELOW ARE STATEMENTS FROM AALIYAH'S FAMILY AND VIRGIN AND BLACKGROUND RECORDS.
The Haughton Family Statement
Aaliyah's family is devastated at the loss of their loving daughter & sister. Their hearts go out to those families who also lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.
The Blackground Records Statement
Blackground is devastated with the loss of our Queen. The example she showed young people will be sorely missed and we hope her short time on earth will be an inspiration to young people all over the world.
We are equally distraught by the passing of our Blackground family members Gina Smith and Keith Wallace. Their hard work and dedication were an invaluable contribution to the success of Aaliyah and Blackground. Our prayers go out to all the families.
The Virgin Records Statement
The worldwide Virgin family is devastated by the news of this terrible and tragic accident and our hearts and thoughts go out to all those families who lost loved ones.
Aaliyah, one of the world's brightest and most talented stars, will be mourned by all who loved her and loved her music. Her depth and versatility as an artist was matched by the passion and devotion she had for her craft.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Virgin staff member Doug Kratz. Doug was an extremely dedicated and talented professional, whose enthusiasm, energy and spirit will be missed by everyone who worked alongside him everyday.
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AUGUST 31, 12:14 EDT
Fans, Family Say Goodbye to Aaliyah
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer
NEW YORK (AP) A horse-drawn glass carriage brought the casket carrying pop star Aaliyah to a church Friday for a funeral service where she was mourned by her family and cheered by her fans.
Afterward, Aaliyah's mother stood a few feet from the casket in tears and released a single white dove into the sky. Within seconds, another 21 doves were released one for each year of the singer's life.
``It is so beautiful. She's going out like a princess,'' said Nicole Campbell, 24, of Brooklyn, who had camped out in front of St. Ignatius Loyola Roman Catholic Church since 6 p.m. Thursday.
Celebrities including rappers Busta Rhymes, Sean ``P. Diddy'' Combs, Jay-Z and Lil' Kim, along with Gladys Knight, Mike Tyson, R&B singer Usher and movie producer Joel Silver were among those who attended the private farewell for the two-time Grammy-nominated singer.
A crowd of more than 1,000 fans stood outside the Upper East Side church and cheered in tribute as the grim mourners, including her mother Diane, brother Rashad and ``Romeo Must Die'' co-star Delroy Lindo, walked in behind the cream-colored casket. When the casket was brought out after the service, fans sang one of Aaliyah's songs, ``One in a Million.''
The 22-year-old singer-actress died Saturday in a plane crash in the Bahamas, where she had been shooting a music video. All nine people in the small plane were killed in the accident, which is under investigation.
The carriage, pulled by two cream-colored horses, brought the casket four blocks from the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home for the private funeral Mass. About 100 family members and friends were invited.
On Thursday, fans signed their names in a guest book outside the funeral home, a Manhattan institution that has handled arrangements for celebrities from John Lennon to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to the Notorious B.I.G.
``I'm totally devastated by this great loss,'' said Glory Mosby, 29, one of the first few to sign. By late afternoon, an employee of the funeral home added pages to the book, which was filled with names and statements.
A public memorial service that was to include a continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos, performances and music was to be held outside a midtown restaurant Friday.
Darlene Corbin, 33, stood outside the funeral home for more than an hour Thursday, watching people come and go.
``So many lives she touched,'' Corbin said. ``She probably never had an inkling as to how many people loved her.''
Several large flower arrangements were carried in through a side door, including a bouquet of pink roses bearing a card with ``Aaliyah'' printed inside a heart. A pink teddy bear was propped near the guest book. Children stood on tiptoes to read the pages and write their names.
``She was sending out a message to all the young kids, and the kids loved her,'' said Mary Harvey, 25, who brought her three young nieces from Brooklyn. ``She will be missed.''
HERE'S A FULL ARTICLE FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUST 28, 08:02 EDT
Questions Abound in Aaliyah Crash
By IAN JAMES
Associated Press Writer
MARSH HARBOUR, Bahamas (AP) Shooting a music video on this idyllic island of white sand beaches and turquoise waters, singer and actress Aaliyah spent her final days enjoying the fruits of her hard-earned stardom.
But at 22, her life and career ended suddenly when her charter plane crashed, just minutes away from the place where she and her crew had been filming.
Her death along with those of the other eight people on board the Cessna 402B has shaken the entertainment world and the small community of Abaco Island, a slender isle of pine forests, translucent bays and 14,000 tourism-dependent residents.
``We played her music on the island here,'' said Silbert Mills, an island official and chief counselor. ``That's the whole tragedy of it. We felt as if we knew her, yet we didn't.''
U.S. and Bahamian aviation officials searched for clues Monday, saying they would investigate whether excess weight from the production equipment contributed to the crash.
The twin-engine Cessna was bound for Opa-locka, Fla. when it went down Saturday in clear skies roughly 200 feet from the end of the runway at Marsh Harbour airport on Abaco Island, 100 miles north of Nassau.
``We're just in the beginning stages of the investigation,'' said Alan Yurman, from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
On Monday, two local newspapers, The Tribune and The Freeport News, quoted an unnamed baggage handler as saying he'd warned the pilot that the plane was too heavy for a safe takeoff.
Gloria Knoles, an office manager for Abaco Air, a local airline that flies in the Bahamas and Florida, said she saw a pickup truck on Saturday headed toward the plane with equipment and luggage that towered above the truck's sideboards.
At the crash site Monday, investigators peeked into the fuselage, stretching tape to find out how the plane went down.
In the small hangars along the 5,000 foot runway, mechanics and pilots debated whether it was engine failure, weight or a combination of the two that brought the plane down.
Aaliyah and her production crew arrived on the island Thursday, said Annie Russell, one of several of the crew's drivers.
She said Aaliyah and her troupe of dancers filmed a scene for her music video on Treasure Cay on Abaco. She also filmed a portion of the video aboard a catamaran, Russell said.
It was unclear what happened to the video.
``She was a very happy person,'' Russell said. ``She was dancing at the beach to the sound of the music.''
When not filming, the singer and the others explored the island on motor scooters, Russell said.
Aaliyah (pronounced Ah-LEE-yah), who had two Grammy nominations, a platinum album and several high-profile movie roles, was killed instantly. Five others on board also died in the crash, while three more died later of their injuries, said Police Superintendent Basil Rahming.
Born in New York City and raised in Detroit, Aaliyah whose name in Arabic means ``powerful one'' had deep roots in the R&B community. She later returned to live in Manhattan.
Family members identified the other victims as bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41, of North Miami, Fla.; Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, of Hollywood, Calif. and a representative for Virgin Records, makeup artist Eric Forman, 29, of Los Angeles; Gina Smith, 29, of North Bergen, N.J.; Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles; and Christopher Maldonado, 32, of Los Angeles. Also killed in the crash was the plane's pilot, Luis Antonio Morales Blanes, 30, who lived in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. but was originally from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.
The bodies were taken to the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau and were to be flown to the United States on Tuesday. Details of funeral arrangements were not released.
HERE'S A FULL ARTICLE FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUST 26, 10:41 EDT
Plane Crash Kills Singer Aaliyah
By TIM AYLEN
Associated Press Writer
MARSH HARBOUR, Bahamas (AP) R&B singer and actress Aaliyah and eight others died when their small plane crashed in perfect weather after taking off in the Bahamas, the engines of the Cessna apparently failing, authorities said.
The 22-year-old singer had gone to the Bahamas to shoot a music video and was headed back to Florida, officials said. The pilot and all eight passengers were killed.
The twin-engine Cessna went down in clear skies with little wind about 6:50 p.m. Saturday, roughly 200 feet from the end of the runway at Marsh Harbour airport, about 100 miles north of Nassau. Some of the brush was still smoldering Sunday morning as investigators searched the mangled wreckage.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash on Abaco Island. But Bahamian police Superintendent Basil Rahming said one of the Cessna's engines ``apparently failed.''
Six people, including Aaliyah, died instantly. The three others later died of their injuries, he said.
Aaliyah, of Detroit, was to begin shooting the video for ``Rock The Boat'' this month in Miami, according to her Web site. It was not clear whether she filmed that video while in the Bahamas.
Her song ``Try Again'' earned her a Grammy nomination this year for best female R&B vocalist. Her second album, released in 1996 when she was just 17, and the single ``If Your Girl Only Knew'' went double platinum.
Aaliyah made her feature acting debut in last year's film ``Romeo Must Die,'' and also was signed on to appear in two sequels to the high-tech thriller ``The Matrix.''
She was born Aaliyah Haughton on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, N.Y. She made her stage debut as an orphan in a production of ``Annie'' at the age of 6. Her uncle was married to the soul singer Gladys Knight, who invited Aaliyah to perform with her during a five-night stint in Las Vegas when Aaliyah was 11.
Aaliyah struck a licensing deal as a teen-ager after her uncle, Barry Hankerson, formed Blackground Records.
She went gold with her debut album, ``Age Ain't Nothing But Number,'' in 1994 when she was 15 and benefitted from working closely with hip-hop producer R. Kelly.
``She was like one of my daughters, she was one of the sweetest girls in the world,'' said Grammy-winning producer, arranger and composer Quincy Jones. ``She vacationed with me and my family together in Fiji. I loved her and respected her and I am absolutely devastated.''
Rahming said the other passengers killed were Scott Gallin, 41; Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, a representative for Virgin Records, and makeup artist Eric Foreman, 29, both of Hollywood, Calif.; Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey; and Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York.
Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles, died at a Nassau hospital early Sunday morning. The plane's pilot, identified only as L. Marael, also was killed. The plane was bound for Opa-locka, Fla., police said.
Abaco Island Chief Councilor Silbert Mills said he happened to be at the airport as the plane took off and then crashed. He said he helped rescue the injured.
``I pulled one from the aircraft, and he was screaming,'' Mills said. ``He said he was in a lot of pain.''
The Cessna 402 was owned by Skystream, a company based in Pembroke Pines, Fla., said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta. The company's telephone number was not listed, and officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
HERE'S A FULL ARTICLE FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUST 26, 01:33 EDT
Singer Aaliyah Killed in Plane Crash
MARSH HARBOUR, Bahamas (AP) R&B singer and actress Aaliyah died after a small plane that was to carry her and eight others back to the United States crashed after takeoff in the Bahamas, authorities said.
Eight were killed in Saturday's crash, and one critically injured man was flown to Florida for treatment, officials said.
``We find it devastating and most unfortunate that after having this world-famous star Aaliyah and her crew select the Bahamas as their choice location for her latest video, the project has climaxed on such a tragic note,'' said Minister of Tourism Tommy Turnquest, who happened to be visiting Abaco Island, where the plane went down.
Aaliyah, 22, was to begin shooting the video for ``Rock The Boat'' this month in Miami, according to her Web site. It was not clear whether she filmed that video while in the Bahamas.
Aaliyah's song ``Try Again'' earned her a Grammy nomination for best female R&B vocalist. She made her feature acting debut in the film ``Romeo Must Die.'' She also had signed on to appear in two sequels to the high-tech thriller ``The Matrix.''
``She was like one of my daughters, she was one of the sweetest girls in the world,'' said Quincy Jones, 68, the Grammy-winning producer, arranger and composer. ``She vacationed with me and my family together in Fiji. I loved her and respected her and I am absolutely devastated.''
The private plane was leaving the Marsh Harbour airport on a trip to Opa-locka, Fla. when it went down Saturday evening, said police spokesman Marvin Dames. Marsh Harbour is located about 100 miles north of Nassau.
After the crash, the mangled twin-engine plane rested about 75 yards from the end of the runway in a marshy area. Workers carried away badly burned bodies and laid them nearby. Pieces of the plane were strewn about the crash site.
Abaco Island Chief Councilor Silbert Mills said those killed included two women and six men. He said he happened to be at the airport and saw the plane taxi out. The next thing he knew, the plane was on the ground. He said he helped rescue the injured.
``I pulled one from the aircraft, and he was screaming,'' Mills said. ``He said he was in a lot of pain.''
The cause of the crash was unclear. Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta, said the plane was a Cessna 402 owned by Skystream, a company based in Pembroke Pines, Florida. She said the plane crashed at the end of the airport's runway at 6:50 p.m.
HERE'S A FULL ARTICLE FROM MTV.COM
Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash Saturday in the Bahamas, the Associated Press reports.
The 22-year-old singer, born Aaliyah Haughton, was among eight killed when a small airplane crashed on Abaco Island soon after takeoff, authorities told the news service. Aaliyah was in the Bahamas shooting her next video, Bahamas Minister of Tourism Tommy Turnquest told AP.
The plane, a Cessna 402, reportedly was on its way from Marsh Harbour on Abaco to Opa-locka, Florida, when it went down. The cause of the crash was unclear, authorities told the news service.
In July, Aaliyah released her self-titled third album, which found her moving away from club beats toward more introspective, midtempo numbers (see "Aaliyah Makes Love And War On New Album"). The album features the single "We Need a Resolution," one of three songs she recorded with producer and frequent collaborator Timbaland.
The singer, who co-starred with martial artist Jet Li in the 2000 action flick "Romeo Must Die," plays the title role in the film adaptation of the Anne Rice novel "Queen of the Damned" and was cast in "The Matrix 2," both due in 2002 (see "Aaliyah Finishes New Album During Break From Movies").
She released her first album, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, in 1994.
For a feature interview with Aaliyah, check out "Aaliyah: Been A Long Time."
Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen
Willa Ford Fans
Willa Ford Fan Club 2001
WillaFord@ezboard
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