My Remembrance of Aaliyah

Clip From MTV

It seems like just yesterday when I was riding from work with my friend, Monica. She was nice about taking me to work when I didn’t have my license to drive. Monica had the radio on singing Aaliyah’s hit song, “Try Again”. I didn’t know anything about Aaliyah during that time which was about the year of 2000. I was a big critic when it came to music, and was familiar with songs from Aaliyah like, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number”. To be honest, I was not an Aaliyah fan at that time. But, when I heard, “Try Again”, I was starting to like that particular song a little bit. Monica made the song sound nice blending her voice with Aaliyah’s.

When my friend Monica dropped me off to my house one day, I saw Aaliyah on television. My mother was sitting in a recliner chair on Chemotherapy. I was switching channels and saw Aaliyah on the Rosie O’Donnell Show. Aaliyah was throwing down singing, “Try Again”. My mother asked me, “Who is that girl?”

I said to my mother, “I don’t know, but I heard Monica singing her song.” Then later, after Aaliyah’s wonderful performance, Rosie O’Donnell gave the name of Aaliyah. It was not long after that day when my friend, Monica, gave me the video to watch of Aaliyah in the movie, “Romeo Must Die”. My mother was very sick but strong enough to watch the movie with me. It was the last movie we watched together, and she died in May 2001.

When my mother died, Aaliyah did not cross my mind. I was busy trying to get over my mother’s death. I felt a spirit and heard a voice that sounded just like my mother’s voice saying, “You were right, child. Stay in that Bible now.” The spirit patted me on the hand, and I don’t know what I was right about. Me and my mother had talked about so many things before she passed away.

To keep my mind occupied, I would visit my Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins with my father. I found out that Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash from them in August of 2001. My father helped me get cable television so I could have something to watch trying to get over my mother’s death. That’s when I learned more about Aaliyah and her death.

I thought to myself, “Lord, I know that Aaliyah is gone now, but I hope that you let Aaliyah into your kingdom.” I thought the thought and forgot about it. However the Lord heard me, and he did not forget. Then I began to see Aaliyah in visions for some reason. She knew nothing about me when she was alive, and I never met her. All I knew about Aaliyah was that she was a singer. I knew nothing about her life away from the stage. I will not tell everything, but I will say that her image was used in my vision to let me know that the dead in Christ will rise again.

Here is a song and story that I wrote about Aaliyah titled, "My Aaliyah Haughton Story: