“Aaliyah's family is devastated at the loss of their loving daughter and sister. Their hearts go out to those families who also lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.”
--official statement from the Haughton family
“Blackground is devastated with the loss of our Queen. The example she showed young people will be sorely missed and we hope her short time on earth will be an inspiration to young people all over the world. “We are equally distraught by the passing of our Blackground family members Gina Smith and Keith Wallace. Their hard work and dedication were an invaluable contribution to the success of Aaliyah and Blackground. Our prayers go out to all the families.”
--official statement from Blackground Records
“The worldwide Virgin family is devastated by the news of this terrible and tragic accident and our hearts and thoughts go out to all those families who lost loved ones. "Aaliyah, one of the world's brightest and most talented stars, will be mourned by all who loved her and loved her music. Her depth and versatility as an artist was matched by the passion and devotion she had for her craft.We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Virgin staff member Doug Kratz. Doug was an extremely dedicated and talented professional, whose enthusiasm, energy and spirit will be missed by everyone who worked alongside him everyday."
--official statement from Virgin Records
“I watched her grow up, and, with the rest of the world, saw her achieve success with her very special and unique talents. From an early age, I knew she had enormous talents, an intrinsic gift.”
--Gladys Knight
"I know we are all thinking about our friend Aaliyah. All of this happiness I'm getting tonight is sort of mixed because of something else that's real. Know that we can't take tonight for granted. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us."
--Patti LaBelle, Lady of Soul Awards
"It's just sad because she's supposed to be here."
--Tyrese
"I've never met her, but I was devastated when I heard. I think it touched home with a lot of people everywhere, being that she was so young, so talented and so beautiful. She'll always be a beautiful girl. That will never end."
--Blu Cantrell
"As a performer, she was one of the best I have ever seen do what she does."
--Hype Williams
"She was like my li'l sis, she'd come up and put her arm next to me like, 'Listen, we gonna make this song together. I don't want you to do just one verse and it's over. We gonna do the hook together."
--Treach
"She grew like crazy from the time I worked with her to the stuff she's doing now. She was trying to find herself before. But by the third album, she was more of a performer, she became more of an artist."
--Rodney Jerkins
"I think it was fly that she took chances on her music. Just the softness of how she sang over them hard-ass beats, it was something different."
--Jermaine Dupri
"She does really great, different stuff that's dark. She skirts the goth edge. There's something cool and mysterious about her. I dug that. Just a dark little girl singing some cool-ass sh--."
--Jonathan Davis of Korn
"Aaliyah and I devised a plan in which she would be the oldest, most powerful creature in the world, but she would play it like a child, like a kitten playing with a mouse. It could have been a complete joke and come off in an embarrassing way. We both knew we were taking a huge risk and that if we pulled it off, it would be much more exciting than if we approached it more conventionally. She was a young queen."
--Michael Rymer-Director of Queen Of The Damned
"Aaliyah didn't want to do that. She reached down somewhere and found this place where she could be this incredible actress. She was a fantastic girl."
--Joel Silver-Producer of The Matrix
"She was like blood, and I lost blood. Me and her together had this chemistry. I kinda lost half of my creativity to her. It's hard for me to talk to the fans right now. Beyond the music, she was a brilliant person, the [most special] person I ever met."
--Timbaland
"Words can't express what I'm feeling, she was family, I will truly miss her."
--Ginuwine
"There are no words to express the loss of Aaliyah, whose unique talent was just beginning to blossom." The world will never get to see how her gift could have developed, and that is truly a loss."
--Ernie Isley
"I heard of the devastating news and am deeply saddened that she is no longer with us," Li said. "She was a wonderful and talented artist who will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched."
--Jet Li
"She was the best person I ever knew. ... I never met a person like her in my life. Every day that we were together, we cherished. Every memory -- every day was a special event, whether it was going to a store or going to a movie or just sitting in a house. Wherever we were was like our own little party, in our own little world."
--Damon Dash
"She was one of those individuals that would light up a room," he said. "She always greeted you with a smile. Her time was coming; [she] was just about to explode."
--P. Diddy on TRL
''Aaliyah was a beautiful person, with an exhilarating spirit and a relentless passion for life and art. Her memory and her artistic contributions will forever be with us. Our prayers go out to Aaliyah's family, and to the family and friends of those who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.''
--Creative Artists Agency
"Aaliyah visited our morning show recently for an in-studio interview. Her warm and genuine spirit lit up the room. She was a talented, gorgeous, articulate, graceful and classy lady. I was horrified when I heard the news of her untimely death. I'm comforted by knowing that Aaliyah didn't suffer, and that her spirit is resting with God. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and the families of the other passengers who also lost their lives. We will truly miss Aaliyah, our beautiful fallen angel."
--RUSS PARR, “Russ Parr Morning Show with Olivia Fox”
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Aaliyah and my fellow music industry colleagues. I just interviewed Aaliyah in-person two weeks ago on my radio show at 92-Q in Baltimore. She was a beautiful sista, both inside and out. Aaliyah was an exemplary role model and inspiration for young people around the world. Aaliyah truly raised the bar by setting a positive, new standard for women in the music industry. May she rest in eternal peace."
--EGYPT, television/radio personality
”It’s always a tragedy when someone so young and gifted dies unexpectedly, but it’s especially sad when it’s someone who meant so much to so many people. Aaliyah inspired a lot of young people to work hard and be dedicated to what they love. She was smart, worked hard and didn’t give up who she was or what she believed in. She’s grown and developed before our eyes, blossoming from a teen superstar who used to hide herself behind dark glasses into this beautiful woman, a multi-platinum powerhouse. It’s like we got to witness as she watched her own dreams come true. Who knows what else she would’ve been able to contribute to music, film … and just life overall? My favorite album of hers was “One In A Million” because it talked about being a strong person, overcoming relationship problems, finding self-confidence. That’s an album that helped me get through a lot of personal conflicts. She always kept her private life private, which is almost impossible today. In this celebrity-obsessed, scandal-soaked business, Aaliyah was not willing to give up her personal life to sell records or movie tickets. She never sold herself out. She stood her ground about being an artist and a real person at the same time. Even during the R. Kelly situation, Aaliyah managed to be in control. She maintained her dignity, and she still was able to command a certain respect and not have her career tainted. To see so many young people lose their lives is horrible and sad. It’s another sad day for hip-hop, the urban community and the music world … we’ve yet again lost one of our heroes.”
-- EMIL WILBEKIN, editor-in-chief, VIBE
“Aaliyah had the most beautiful energy of any artist I’ve ever worked with. She was such a blessing. I just thank God that I knew her. Her heart was just so … beautiful. She was an angel. She never complained, never got mad and she always was in great spirits. She loved what she did, and worked hard at it.”“I took her around to radio during that time -- to WBLS, KISS and all the R&B stations -- and she was very mature for her age. One of her parents was always with her. I remember meeting her father the Saturday night she played The Apollo, opening for Blackstreet. They were all so nice. Then one other time, we had just done Hot 97, and we went to McDonald’s to eat. Who was there but MC Lyte, and Lyte kept telling her, “You’re dope!” Of course, Aaliyah was saying the same to her. They were so happy to meet each other.“My favorite song of hers was “Let Me Know.” I used to run that record all the time. She just sounds so beautiful, so sweet, and that’s what she was.”
-- ERIC SKINNER, former promotion exec at Jive Records
"Aaliyah had gone from a household name in the urban world to crossing over successfully through her music and recent film roles. We were just getting to know her as this funny, engaging person, a star in the truest sense of the word." "Also, there aren't that many strong, making-it-happen females for young women to look up to, so she was fabulous role model. She was dynamic, smart, sexy and respected herself, making it on more than just her looks alone. Early in her career, in fact, Aaliyah took pains to not be considered a sex object, hiding under baggy clothes and behind shades. It's only recently that she's revealed her sexy side, and not because she needed to."
“There's a thing that you see when somebody walks out on the stage. I call it the fire. 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 is a desire in that person to please the audience. You see enough of it to recognize it. And that's what I saw with Aaliyah."
--ED MCMAHON
"I think she showed how to overcome early adversity and mistakes that were made by people taking advantage of her willingness to succeed and be a star.”
--ERIC HARRIELD, artist manager
"In hip hop there are so many stupid people who toy with the idea of death, it's a painful awakening when real life intrudes and removes someone of genuine heart and worth."
--ROBERT MORALES, journalist/editor
“Her death won't seem real for a while. It's mind-boggling to imagine someone who was so full of life, always smiling, being suddenly ... dead. This is definitely the end of something; and not just the life of one individual. This is a deep moment to ponder."
--STACY GUERASEVA, former editor-in-chief, One World
“As I often wait for the phone to ring to hear, God forbid which rapper has been locked down or gunned down over petty beefs spawning from egos and money, I never expected this. Life is beautiful. It’s the shit in it that’s fucked up.”
