August 25 is a tough day every year for celebrity stylist Derek Lee. On Aug. 25, 2001 Aaliyah and members of her recording company were killed in a plane crash while they were leaving an airport in the Bahamas.
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Although her tragedy happened at a time when she had really begun to blossom as an artist in her own right, that’s not to say Aaliyah hadn’t already establish huge success.
“#Aaliyah 15 years later to me feels like just yesterday”.
It’s been 15 years since Aaliyah’s death, but the singer still has a special place in Beyoncé’s heart. Investigations found that the pilot, Luis Morales, had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. The “One in a Million” hit-maker had just wrapped production on the music video for “Rock the Boat” when the accident happened. An investigation determined that the plane was overloaded by several hundred pounds which contributed to it crashing.
The singer memorably made her name in the acting world, with an appearance in 2000’s “Romeo Must Die” and 2002’s “Queen Of The Damned”.
“Miss Aaliyah, how you doing, girl?” asked Beyonce, who was co-hosting the red carpet pre-show at the time.
Missy Elliot, who together with Timbaland collaborated with the singer on her “If Your Girl Only Knew” track, took to Instagram to remember her friend with a touching tribute.
Last week, Frank Ocean covered her version of “At Your Best (You Are Love)” – originally by the Isley Brothers – on his visual album, Endless.
“She was the very first person to embrace Destiny’s Child”.
The sad news devastated many fans and closed loved ones to the singer, but her legacy has continued to live on despite her short life. Her final album quickly followed suit, selling a half-million copies about a month after its release, and reaching one million just five days after her death.
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“She was my boss, but it never felt that way”, Lee said. She was just 22 years old.
