Aaliyah was an American singer, best known for her debut album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number’ which sold three million copies in the United States. Her second album was also a resounding success and she soon became one of the hottest youth icons of the 1990s. She had inherited her singing talent from her vocalist mother and was interested in music from an early age. Recording artist Gladys Maria Knight was her close relative and played a major role in introducing young Aaliyah to show business. She traveled often with Gladys and began auditioning for commercials and television programs. She got lucky and signed a deal with ‘Jive Records’ and was also signed by her Uncle Barry Hankerson's ‘Blackground Records’ at the age of 12. Her debut album, which was recorded when she was just 14, proved to be a sensational hit and is said to have defined R&B in the 1990s. A successful singing career followed and she soon ventured into films as well, making her debut as an actress in ‘Romeo Must Die,’ starring opposite martial artist Jet Li. She also served as an executive producer of the film's soundtrack and contributed four songs. The rising star met an abrupt end when she died aged 22 in an aircraft crash in 2001.