"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

"I remember speaking with Aaliyah shortly after her grandmother passed away. We talked about how much she loved her and how much she missed her grandmother. And as I listened to Aaliyah, I was very touched with her sincerety, by her strength, and her love. In this time of our loss, I draw in her example of faith, that one day we will be together again.
--Janet Jackson @ '01 MTV VMA's

"I'd like Aaliyah to be remembered as a role model for young women who were out there trying to achieve their goals in life, to stay focused, and you don't have to compromise yourself as a woman to do what you want to do. And to always just follow your dreams, be true to yourself, and be humble and kind to other people because it reflets and it's a good thing. Aaliyah was a great person."
--Fatima (her choreographer)

"If there's one thing I could say about Aaliyah, it's that she was consistent and never egotistical. She was a beautiful spirit that is truly missed."
--Angie Stone

"I met Aaliyah for the first time last year and I was struck by her sweet gracious nature. I remember thinking for such a young women she sure had her head on straight. She seemed grounded and very secure with herself and those around her. I was truly impressed. Although she is gone her music and her spirit will live and live. Her light will forever shine brighter than the brightest star and the memory of her sweet smile will light up our hearts forever. Farewell Sweet Angel - Rest In Peace ~HALLE"
--Halle Berry

"I can't say that she and I knew each other well, but we'd done shows and photo shoots together. We were always on good terms. Her death deeply affected me, as it did everyone, because I'm often compared to her and it's really hard to know that could have been any one of us. She was so young, but left a positive taste in everyone's mouth."
--Mya

"We've been friends since '96 and she was an easy person to like. I want her family to know we're here for her as artists, but this is bigger than the music industry. She was very talented, but more than that, she was a good person"
--Monica

"Aaliyah and I were the same age, but she started before me. When she made her first album I thought she was so pretty and so different. I loved the sound of her voice, the way she delivered her message. I had a lot of her pictures on my wall when I was making my first record. She just always seemed like she had it together, and everything she presented to the public seemed like the truth of who she was; it never seemed like a front. I was just talking with a friend who told me, 'I feel so stupid for crying because I never knew Aaliyah,' and I said,'You do know her because everything you saw was who she was.' I know she was very close to her family, and that's all I can think about when I think of Aaliyah because I'm so close to Ray J and my mother and my father. I got that from her, just the love she had for her family and God, and for herself - to me, that represents spirituality. You know, people tried to put us against each other and make it competitive when I first came out, but she was really one of my favorite artists. She just had a different sound, like a R&B Sade. Her voice is kinda healing. You just want to sit back and relax - her music does that to me. I couldn't wait to see what she was going to do next."
--Brandy

"It could have easily been myself, or someone else. It's definitely a very sad thing to happen, especially since she was so young and she was just getting her foot in the door of her career. I think she had a very long way to go, and I feel for her family and fans. I have her first two albums, you know, they were just amazing, and I can't believe how fast something so good can be taken away from you, its just...(shakes head) just very very sad..."
--Britney Spears

"Two weeks before Aaliyah died I was in a private jet, and there was a rumor that something had happened [to me]. So when I got offstage and my security guard said, 'Somebody told me that Aaliyah's plane went down,' I was like,'whatever, i'm not believing that.' So I got on the TRL tour bus on my way to Chicago - that's when I foound out it was true. I just started crying immediatly. The next day, the show was so sad. I saw Destiny's Child , and they said they had been crying all night. I was proud of Aaliyah for living her dream. She was a singer; her voice was incredible. 'Age Ain't Nothing'...' - that was my theme song, 'cause we were the same age. I was a hip-hop chick and she was R&B, but I just really liked her songs. I wanted to do something with her on my third album. I'll remember her as a beautiful, intelligent, talented woman who was going her thing and she was about to become a megastar."
--Eve

"I was in the car and got this call from my manager, and I was like,'Huh? That can't be true!' I was praying to God that it was a terrible rumor. Aaliyah's death had such an impact on me because even though I never met her, I believe you can get an idea of the essence of a person's spirit through her music and image - and I felt that her spirit was so good. She was strong - she had her own ideas on what she wanted to wear and how she wanted to be represented. She always did things a little differently. And she was so inspiring. I aspired to be an artist around the same time she had already releasedan album, so she made it a reality, a realistic and attainable goal for me. Aaliyah inspired me not only to continue being an artist but to be an individual - no matter who you are or what you do, be your own person, love who you are, and be proud of that. I feel she departed in a good space, in the sense of where her mind was and where she was in life. She was happy and free, and her spirit is flying."
--Alicia Keys

"I think when you travel as much as we do on a day-to-day basis, there's always in the back of your mind that fear. When something tragic like this happens it just brings it from the back of your mind to the front for a time. I'm just praying every night for my family's well being as always. And praying for Aaliyah's family and the families of the people who were on that flight."
--Eric Benet

"I've been part of the so-called 'jet set' ever since I started in this business when I was 19. I'm always hopping on a plane. When anybody dies in a plane crash, you don't know what to feel. And next thing you know you're on a plane. It's a sad situation, but it's part of the business as well."
--Slash

"It's a real tragedy. I think the world is better because she was around. She is definitely going to be missed. Somebody so young and so beautiful and so talented who was just about to show us how she can be a super, super, superduper star. It's time for us to re-examine ourselves and be able to show each other how much we love and appreciate each other every day so that we understand that anything can happen and we don't want to miss out on those opportunities. The way I was brought up to believe that God has a hand in everything and when it's your time, it's your time -- he decides that as far as I'm concerned. I travel every day. If it's my time, it's my time. I have to live my life today like tomorrow is a promise and try to be the best person I can be."
--Brian McKnight

"I was very devastated when I heard about Aaliyah. I've never met her, but it touched home. I think it touched home with a lot of people in the industry; a lot of people everywhere, being that she was so young and so talented and so beautiful. I think the only thing I can say about something so tragic is that she will always be a very beautiful girl. That will never change."
--Blu Cantrell

"When it comes to airplanes, there's really nothing you can do about it. I was thinking what would I do if I were in that situation. But there was nothing they could do about it. It was so abrupt. It's just sad because she's supposed to be here. She's supposed to have her PR person standing right there introducing Aaliyah to come and talk to you all. It's just sad.''
--Tyrese

"When we found out about about Aaliyah's death we were in dance rehearsal and we all just took the time to pray for traveling mercy and to ask Him to let us enjoy every day of our lives and be grateful and thankful for every day that we live; and live it like there's no tomorrow. We realized life is not guaranteed and it just makes us humble.''
--The girls of 3LW

"The first time we met Aaliyah was at an awards show, and she was so nice to us-truly nice. We got her number. Then when we came to L.A, and her choreographer, Fatima, was doing our routine, Aaliyah came to our rehearsal. We were rehearsing for the video shoot for ‘Get On the bBus’ from the ‘Why Do Fools Fall In lLove’ soundtrack. We were newcomers, and she was a big star. She had hits on the radio, but she was sitting on the floor rewinding the tape for us. It was so sweet of her to do. She even drove us around the city. We all went to the Beverly Center and she bought a parrot because she wanted to give it to one of her friends as a gift, and then we went to a video shoot for a song Timbaland was producing. Everytime I saw Aaliyah, she was happy and she ad this presence that few people have. I feel really blessed that I met her. She was definitely and angel, and I know that god doesn’t let too many of his angels go. He let her stay with us for a little while, but he wanted her back.

Her tragedy hit close to home, because we shared the same make-up artist, Christopher Maldonado, who also passed in the crash. Christopher did our make-up for our first video. We had just worked with him again a couple months before the accident. I have trouble sleeping on planes now. I try to watch the movie if there is one. I get bored and anxious to get off the plane. There was not only Aaliyah’s accident but then 9/11 right after that. She passed a few weeks before my birthday. I remember that my mom threw me a surprise twentieth birthday party in New York after the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, and she almost didn’t have it because everyone still felt so bad. The whole awards show had a weird vibe. Aaliyah was such a special person, and she had a positive impact on a lot of people.
--Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child

"Man, I remember we were on the tour bus when we found out the news. A friend of mine paged me and said: 'Please tell me the Aaliyah rumor is a lie.' And I wrote back 'What are you talking about?' We all got emotional right then, because it was so scary to even hear about it. We turned on the t.v and saw it on the news. Sadness swept over our bus. Everybody was crying. At that point in time we realised how truly blessed we are and how your life can be taken away so fast that you have to try and live everyday at your best.

I love the fact that Aaliyah’s spirit was so beautiful, and she embraced everyone she met. She made you feel special when you met her. She’s definitely an angel. I know that she’s in heaven now, because she always brought smiles to people’s faces. My most memorable time with her was when Destiny’s child first broke out and ‘No,No,No’ became a hit. We were doing a video with Aaliyah’s choreographer, Fatima Robinson, on the dance moves. Who was there with us in the rehearsal room rewinding the tape for us? Aaliyah! First of all I was like, how is it that Aaliyah is sitting up there rewinding our tape? You know, she didn’t have to do that. It just goes to show how humble she was. She was cool and asked us, 'Hey, do y’all wanna hang out?' It was in L.A, and I remember everything like it was yesterday. She picked us up at the Bel Age Hotel. She had just gotten her drivers licence and was all excited to drive. She was so sweet. We went to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles to eat – she loved sweet food, breakfast food. She kept saying, 'I love waffles, I love waffles!' and she loaded her plate. We sat down and talked, and I felt like I could just spill me guts out to her. She was just a lot of fun and I couldn’t help but love being around her. She just had this light, and she always let it shine, really."
--Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child

"I admired Aaliyah so much, and I would have loved to have had the opportunity to sit down and talk with her and get to know her. She wasn’t that much older than me, but I still consider her one of my role models. Before I joined the group, when Aaliyah first came out, I loved her and I wanted to be like her. She could do so many things – singing, dancing, and she was also a great actress. Her death really upset me. I felt like the world lost someone who was on her way to becoming a mega-superstar. Some people have said that I look like her, and that’s a great compliment, because she was beautiful. We lost a true angel in that tragic plane crash, and her accident did affect how I feel about flying. But I can’t let fear stop me.

When we travel, we are comforted by knowing that we have people back home who are praying for us and for all the other people in the world who are travelling. And we pray too, but god has the last say. He already knows how you’re going to die, and when you’re going to go. If it is my time, well, then I’m going. There’s nothing that I, or anybody else can do to keep someone from dying if it’s time. You can keep people on a respirator only for so long; it may be keeping them alive, but that’s not the same as them being able to live and breathe on their own. They’re just living off electricity. But you also can’t live in fear of dying. I want to live for a long time, but if my time comes earlier than expected, then oh, well. All I can do is pray that God will protect all life and nothing bad will happen."
--Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child

"You should never take life for granted. Don't take your job for granted, friends, family, relationships, do not take them for granted because you never known when you'll lose it. A lot of the times we assume that we'll see you tomorrow, or talk to you tomorrow, but no. You have to love yourself and love the people around you and for heaven's sake do not take God's mercy, from day to day, for granted.''
--Mary Mary

"I was very shocked to hear about Aaliyah's plane crash. And to know that I was blessed today to be here and to accept the Lena Horne Award, which I know with her talent she would have one day accepted it. And that's what you're supposed to do, you're supposed to pass it on.''

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

"I had the privilege of meeting Aaliyah. I worked with her at Christmas in Washington. I think she was 19 years old at that time. But I just want to say to all of us: From the time we make up in the morning and take our showers, we never know how our day is going to end. This is why between A and B we've got to make sure we're right here (hand on her heart). It's tragic that such a powerful young woman with such a great future has exchanged time for eternity. You know people say, 'My prayers go out,' but they don't pray for the family. I'm literally praying every day for her family. Because to lose a child is like losing a leg or an arm.''
--Gospel legend Shirley Caesar

"It was a shock. 'It just came out of nowhere. And I said, 'How did she die?' and someone said, 'The plane crash'. There's so many ways to die and it's horrible that she had to go. The way that she went was the way that none of us want to leave. Aaliyah had a lot of bright plans for the future and she was on her way.'
--Lisa "Lefteye" Lopes

"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*t."
--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

"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. 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. 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

"I remember the first time I got to know Aaliyah. Justin and I did a photo shoot with her for Teen People. She was so stunningly beautiful that I was nervous to even talk to her. But, she was so down to earth and so full of humor I felt immediately like I had known her for years. She was one of the few that made me feel good about this business. She stood up for what she believed in and did not let anything get to her and make her jaded. She will be truly missed and will always have a place in my heart."
--Lance Bass, *NSYNC

"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."
--AMY DUBOIS BARNETT, editor-in-chief, Honey Magazine

"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."
--AMBASSADOR BONZ MALONE, writer/actor

"It was painful expriencing her death. Just knowing her music made her a part of our lives. She will be greatly missed. She was a great example to young women. One lesson she taught was whatever life hands you - don't stop, try again. Our prayers and kind thoughts go out to all the family members that were on that plane."
--Debelah Morgan

From Profyle:

Good Morning, My name is Randy and I'm a representative for the R&B Group "PROFYLE" Motown Records. When "Profyle" heard of the accident Saturday evening about 12:30 am, we were in shock. "Hershey", a member of the group stated that he prayed that news wasn't true.

-The next day "Face" also a member of the group "Profyle" called about 7am and confirmed the news was true. "Face" began to cry and as he cried he stated that the group met her and she was the sweetest, most down to earth person he had ever met. He continued to express that although they were new comers to the industry, in passing she would always say kind words.

"Face" stated he would never forget her kind words. He stated, meeting her made him understand why they choose this lifestyle. On be half of "Profyle" and Myself, I would like to express our deepest prayers to Aaliyah's family and to all the families that lost precious lives on that homecoming day. They will stay in our prayers and in our hearts!