.
. ♪
>> Devin: IT WAS ONE OF HER LAST
LIVE PERFORMANCES, AALIYAH ON
THE JAY LENO SHOW.
PERFORMANCES LIKE THIS HAVE SO MANY WONDERING WHAT COULD HAVE
MANY WONDERING WHAT COULD HAVE
BEEN FOR THE DETROIT-RAISED
PRINCESS OF R&B.
>> I MEAN, I BELIEVE SHE WAS LIMITLESS.
SHE WAS IN A MOVIE, SHE WAS
EVERYWHERE.
SHE DEFINITELY COULD HAVE BEEN
ON THE LEVEL OF BEYONCE. >> Devin: WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT
>> Devin: WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT
HER, THEY NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT
HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WERE
CONSIDERABLE, BUT ALSO WHAT
COULD HAVE BEEN. >> Karen: CALLED REFRESHINGLY
>> Karen: CALLED REFRESHINGLY
DIFFERENT AND HAD THE STAR POWER
TO APPEAL TO MAINSTREAM AND THE
TRUE HIP-HOP AND R&B FANS.
TONIGHT, WE CELEBRATE HER LIFE AND HEAR FROM THOSE WHO KNEW THE
AND HEAR FROM THOSE WHO KNEW THE
22-YEAR-OLD SO WELL, PEOPLE
RIGHT HERE IN DETROIT.
♪ AALIYAH’S DEATH LEFT FANS,
AALIYAH’S DEATH LEFT FANS,
FAMILY, AND OTHERS IN THE MUSIC
INDUSTRY WONDERING, WHAT COULD
HAVE BEEN?
>> I THIS ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
SOMETIMES WHEN I’M PLAYING HER SONGS ON THE RAY NOW, I HAVE A
SONGS ON THE RAY NOW, I HAVE A
MOMENT TO JUST REFLECT AND SAY,
HEY, I’M THINKING ABOUT YOU,
AALIYAH.
I KNOW HER SPIRIT IS DOING
SOMETHING. SHE’S THE KIND OF SPIRIT THAT
SHE’S THE KIND OF SPIRIT THAT
WILL LAST FOREVER.
>> SHE COULD BE CONSIDERED A
QUEEN OF HER GENERATION.
I THINK SHE COULD HAVE BEEN ANYTHING SHE WANTED TO BE.
ANYTHING SHE WANTED TO BE.
>> Karen: PEOPLE COMPARED HER
TO, SHE COULD HAVE BEEN BIGGER
THAN BEYONCE.
>> THAT POSSIBILITY IS THERE,
FOR SURE. I THINK THAT SHE WAS ON THAT
I THINK THAT SHE WAS ON THAT
TRAJECTORY, FOR SURE.
>> SHE WAS QUEEN OF THE DANCE
AND I COULDN’T WATCH THE MOVIE.
IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO SEE THE MOVIE.
BUT HER ACTING SKILLS, THE SKY
WAS THE LIMIT.
>> HER IMPACT IS SO STRONG. YOU SEE IT IN SO MANY ARTISTS.
YOU SEE IT IN SO MANY ARTISTS.
YOU SAW IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
>> AND SHE’S BEEN VOCAL TALKING
ABOUT HER FRIENDSHIP AND MISSES
HER. >> Karen: SHE WANTED TO CONTINUE
>> Karen: SHE WANTED TO CONTINUE
TO PURSUE HER ACTING AND
SOMETHING ELSE SHE HAD NEVER
DONE THAT WAS IN THE MAKING. >> DIANE HAD CALLED ME AND SAID
>> DIANE HAD CALLED ME AND SAID
THAT AALIYAH WANTED TO DO A
GOSPEL ALBUM.
I SAID, OKAY, JUST TELL HER TO
CALL ME AND WE’LL DO IT.
AND SO WE WERE MAKING PLANS TO DO THAT.
DO THAT.
>> Karen: THEY NEVER HAD THAT
MEETING.
THERE’S NO QUESTION, AALIYAH TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES
TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES
PROFESSIONALLY AS WELL AS
PERSONALLY.
>> SHE HAD A BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT
AND SUNG SOMETIMES IN THE SHOP.
>> HE WAS ONE OF HER HAIRSTYLISTS.
WHEN YOU HEAR HER MUSIC NOW, HOW
DO YOU FEEL?
>> SOMETIMES I’M GRIEVING
BECAUSE I MISS HER, I REALLY DO. >> WHEN I DO SING, I SING SOME
>> WHEN I DO SING, I SING SOME
OF HER SONGS, TO FEEL CLOSER TO
HER.
>> Karen: WHILE ANGIE WILL NEVER
FORGET SINGING WITH AALIYAH ON STAGE, SHE SAID IT WAS AALIYAH’S
STAGE, SHE SAID IT WAS AALIYAH’S
PRESENCE UNLIKE ANYONE SHE HAD
EVER MET.
>> THAT’S WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT
HER, VERY HUMBLE.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT FELT
LIKE OR EXISTED UNTIL BEING WITH AALIYAH.
SHE WAS THE MOST TALENTED THING
GOING AND INTELLIGENT.
THERE’S LOTS OF KINDS OF TALENT
AND SHE HAD A LOT OF KINDS OF TALENT, HER PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE
TALENT, HER PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE
WAS HER TALENT ALONE.
>> WE SHOULD LITERALLY RIGHT NOW
BE TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT ALBUM
20 YEARS LATER STILL RESONATES, HOW SHE’S HAD THIS BRILLIANT
HOW SHE’S HAD THIS BRILLIANT
CAREER 20 YEARS LATER AND SHE
STILL IS MAKING ALBUMS THAT ARE
MOVING PEOPLE, AND THAT TRULY, TRULY IS ONE OF THE MOST TRAGIC
TRULY IS ONE OF THE MOST TRAGIC
THINGS ABOUT THE STORY.
>> WE KNEW SHE WAS AN ANGEL AND
A SWEET PERSON.
BUT I DON’T THINK THE PUBLIC UNDERSTOOD THE IMPACT AND THE
UNDERSTOOD THE IMPACT AND THE
IMPRINT THAT SHE LEFT ON THE
MUSIC INDUSTRY.
>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HER NAME
AND WHAT IT SYMBOLIZED, THE MOST HIGH EXALTED, THE BEST.
HIGH EXALTED, THE BEST.
>> Karen: A DETROIT GIRL WITH A
DREAM.
AALIYAH NOT ONLY MADE HER STAR
SHINE BUT REPRESENTED A CITY WHO ADORED HER.
ADORED HER.
♪
>> Karen: GONE BUT NOT
FORGOTTEN.
WE SPENT MONTHS TRACKING DOWN
WHO KNEW AND WORKED WITH AND LOVED AALIYAH.
LOVED AALIYAH.
WE HAVE A HALF-HOUR SPECIAL ON
CLICKONDETROIT.COM.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME