Aaliyah is not one of those former child stars who complains of missing out on the innocence of adolescence. There is a desire in that person to please the audience. They got that inner fire, which has nothing to do with the schooling, nothing to do with the teacher, nothing to do with the parents. “There’s a thing that you see when somebody walks out on the stage,” he says. Ed McMahon, the host of Star Search, who introduced the world to Justin Timberlake, Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and countless others, recalls Aaliyah’s performance. She sang “My Funny Valentine,” lost, and cried. A faithful watcher of Star Search, Aaliyah was dying to compete on the show. All it took was a one-line speaking part as an orphan in her first grade’s production of Annie to convince Aaliyah that performing was her… From ages 8 to 9, she would sing Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston songs at weddings around Michigan. I’ve always been a homebody.” It couldn’t have been scripted any better.īrooklyn-born, Detroit-raised Aaliyah Dana Haughton has been playing her roles well for as long as anyone can remember. “When I have time, I stay home a lot, do things like this or play laser tag. “I like the simple things in life,” she insists. The entire scene feels very staged, starring Aaliyah as the around-the-way superstar who’s kicking it with her peoples.

Aaliyah’s entourage – her stylist, makeup artist, and hairstylist – are more engaged than she is. She barely pays attention to her score, listed under the name Baby Girl. But somehow you get the feeling that she isn’t particularly interested in rolling strikes either. She playfully tiptoes to the line and stomps her feet when her ball ends up in the gutter. Her tight, red sleeveless top and slightly faded blue jeans give more of a girl-riding-the-subway look than girl-on-MTV. She goes unnoticed by the rowdy, drunken group of Wall Street types in the next lane. It’s a bustling Thursday evening in May, and Aaliyah is lacing up her clunky bowling shoes at the AMF Chelsea Piers Lanes in New York City. And we’re left searching dying for a glimpse inside this intriguing, mysterious woman. If you bring up the marriage with her, she sort of changes the subject. A TRAINED ACTRESS, AALIYAH HAS MASTERED THE ART OF HIDING HERSELF FROM THE PUBLIC.” “IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHEN SHE’S IN PERFORMANCE MODE OR BEING HERSELF. Kelly – the story broke in the December ‘94/January ’95 VIBE – scandalized the R&B world. She hid again when, at 15, reports of her marriage to 25-year-old mentor and producer R. She soon took to covering just her left eye with her long, straight, black hair. Because her eyes were rarely seen, a rumor quickly spread that she had a lazy or glass eye. It started back in the day, when she always rocked dark sunglasses. A trained actress who is quickly becoming a hot property in Hollywood, Aaliyah has mastered the art of hiding herself from the public. And now that she’s made it this far, it’s impossible to determine when she’s in performance mode, or just honestly being herself. Of course, 22-year-old Aaliyah has been preparing for stardom since childhood. 'Hip Hop Treasures' Unearths DMX's Rhyme Book And Other Gems In New Episode

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