Aaliyah Dana Haughton was an exemplary student who studied dance and drama at the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and in between her academic studies, as a talented up-and-coming singer, she would often open for her aunt Gladys Knight during her shows in Las Vegas.
Born on January 16th, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, Aaliyah moved to Detroit with her family at age 5 and first attended a Catholic school called Gesu Elementary. She grew up singing with her mother, and at just 11-years old, she began opening for her aunt Gladys Knight in Las Vegas.Although she did not win a youth vocal competition on “Star Search” as a preteen, she did not let it deter her from continuing to sing. In fact, by the time she had turned 14, Aaliyah had already released an album produced by R. Kelly, called Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, which went on to sell more than 1 million copies. However, her early success did not interfere with her academic progress.
She was only 17-years old in 1996 when her second album, One in a Million, was released and went on to sell 2 million copies. The very next year, she graduated with honors from high school and continued to pursue a career in music and acting until her untimely death in 2001.
