Autopsy aaliyah
MTV articles of Aaliyah, archive 2
2023.06.19 01:38 jensyao MTV articles of Aaliyah, archive 2
https://web.archive.org/web/20011213203416/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448510/20010829/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah Memorial Fund Established 08.29.2001
At her family's request, the Aaliyah Memorial Fund has been established, with donations going to breast cancer research and patient support.
Half of the funds will benefit the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program, a Virgin Records spokesperson said. The other half will go to the beneficiaries of the October 27 Breathe concert, which will raise money to help underprivileged women suffering from breast cancer. Aaliyah was scheduled to perform at the all-star event (see "Third Eye Blind Frontman Plans All-Star Breast Cancer Benefit").
Gladys Knight — who was Aaliyah's aunt by her former marriage to the singer's uncle Barry Hankerson — issued a statement Tuesday that read, in part: "She brought joy to my heart, and I felt blessed to encourage and support her professionally and personally as she strove for each new goal. Her star had just begun to shine so brightly. Though she was ours for only a short time, what a time it was. I love Aaliyah, and I will miss her for the rest of my life."
As a child, Aaliyah had performed with Knight in Las Vegas.
A public memorial service for Aaliyah will be held Friday, according to a Blackground Records spokesperson, who said details will be announced Thursday. Funeral services for the singer are being kept private.
Donations to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund can be sent to: Aaliyah Memorial Fund c/o Entertainment Industry Foundation Attention: Merrily Newton 11132 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 401 Studio City, CA 91604
Cards will be sent to the family notifying them of all donations.
For credit card donations, call Newton at (818) 760-7722 or e-mail her at mnewton@eifoundation.org.
https://web.archive.org/web/20010903002256/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448516/20010829/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah's Final Video 'Very Special,' Director Says 08.30.2001
Video director Hype Williams said the time he spent working with Aaliyah during her last days was among the most memorable of his life, and he wants the world to see the footage they shot for "Rock the Boat."
"Those four days were very beautiful for everyone. We all worked together as a family," Williams said Monday, adding that the camaraderie on the set was a refreshing change from the usual shoot. "The last day, Saturday, was one of the best I've had in this business. Everyone felt part of something special, part of her song."
A brief clip of the footage itself looks beautiful, too. Aaliyah is on the beach, her back to the ocean. Wearing a red top, dangling hoop earrings and shimmering gold eye shadow, she sings "Rock the Boat"'s slyly suggestive lyrics.
Though this was the first time Williams — who's filmed clips for Busta Rhymes, Notorious B.I.G. and Ginuwine, among others — worked with Aaliyah on a video, they'd been friends for six years, he said. They began shooting the video Wednesday, flew down to the Bahamas Thursday and shot all day Thursday and Friday, he said.
Williams wants people to see what they created.
"It's a very special project. Everyone put their heart and soul into the work, as we always do, with the intent that the world would enjoy it," he said, speaking slowly and softly. "I know there's a lot of pain involved, but that's all the more reason people would appreciate what we've done as a group."
He added that he knows it's up to Aaliyah's close friends and family to decide what to do with the footage, but he hopes they turn it into a tribute to the singer. A spokesperson for Aaliyah's label, Blackground Records (run by her uncle, Barry Hankerson), said it was too soon to say what would become of the footage.
Aaliyah shot another video, for "More Than a Woman," earlier this month in Los Angeles with director David Meyers. The clip was to have been edited Monday, though the Blackground spokesperson couldn't say when it would be released.
Williams wants Aaliyah's fans to know that she was as wonderful a human being as she was a singer and actress (see "Jermaine Dupri, Hype Williams, Others Recall Aaliyah As 'Risk Taker,' 'Groundbreaker' ").
"She was a very happy person. She had nothing but love to give to others and she selflessly shared much of who she was," he said. "I don't know if anyone really understands that about her. She had these incredible, graceful qualities as a person. I don't know if her fans know that about her."
Williams said the best way to honor Aaliyah's selflessness is to bear in mind that it wasn't just the star who died in the Bahamas on Saturday (see "Aaliyah Plane Crash Investigation: No End In Sight"). The crash also took the lives of the singer's makeup artist Eric Foreman, her security guard Scotty Gallin, Blackground Records executive Gina Smith and Virgin Records director of video production Douglas Kratz.
"I would say that if her fans really wanted to honor her memory, they should also honor the memories of her friends who also died on this flight," he said. "Know that she loved them and would want everyone to know we're all the same, everybody. This is a loss for the world, not just the world of music or film. This tragedy goes beyond that."
https://web.archive.org/web/20010903002605/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448551/20010830/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah's Videos To Be Played At Public Memorial 08.30.2001
A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos will play during a public memorial service for the singer on Friday in New York, according to Virgin Records.
The service will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cipriani's 42nd Street, located at 110 E. 42nd St. Fans are invited to come and pay tribute to the singer, who died Saturday at the age of 22 (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). Separate funeral service arrangements are being kept private at the request of the family, the label spokesperson said.
Fans who wish to send flowers and remembrances can mail them to:
Trump International Hotel Attention: Diane Haughton 1 Central Park West New York, NY 10023
Cards may be sent to: Aaliyah Memorial 101 West 23rd Street, Suite 2342 New York, NY 10011
A memorial fund in the singer's name has been set up to raise money for breast cancer research and patient support (see "Aaliyah Memorial Fund Established").
https://web.archive.org/web/20010903002327/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448581/20010831/aaliyah.jhtml
Fans, Artists Pay Last Respects To Aaliyah 08.31.2001
NEW YORK — The inscription at the bottom of Aaliyah's picture at a memorial here on Friday may have best described her years of touching people's lives: "We Were Given a Queen, We Were Given an Angel."
Even in the afterlife, Aaliyah remains the epitome of class and grace. Her white casket was transported Friday morning (August 31) from Campbell Funeral Home to St. Ignatius Church — where her funeral was held — in a white carriage pulled by two white horses. Dozens of white and pink roses lay on the top of the carriage. Her boyfriend, Damon Dash, and one of her "Romeo Must Die" co-stars, Delroy Lindo, were among the loved ones who walked the streets behind the carriage en route to the private service.
Fans converged at the funeral home as early as 6:30 a.m. to pay their respects to the singer and actress, who was killed in a plane crash with eight others six days earlier in the Bahamas (see "Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded"). They wrote messages in the home's condolence books and followed the procession. Police estimated 1,000 fans were there.
"[I came] because of Aaliyah's spirit," said Walter Green, who was in the crowd that walked four blocks from the funeral home to the funeral on Manhattan's Upper East Side. "I met her twice, she's the most wonderful person. She touched so many people worldwide."
"She touched my life the way no other did," said Karolyn Parchment, who was joined by her teenage daughter Natasha. "I listened to her songs. They were positive. She was a role model and I wanted [my daughter] to look up to her."
When the procession reached the church, where Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Busta Rhymes, and Timbaland were among the mourners, they were greeted by more fans.
One glassy-eyed girl, who looked no older than 14, held up a giant piece of cardboard with lyrics to Aaliyah songs written on it. Another girl wore a pair of jeans with the star's name written multiple times on them. Further down the block, a group of kids were draped in T-shirts that read, "May God Give Her Soul Eternal Peace."
"I have mad love for Aaliyah," said Nichelle Broadway, whose T-shirt was embroidered with a photograph of Aaliyah she had taken at a record-store appearance in July. "She was so nice. I've been crying all week. I'm trying to hold it in now. I just can't believe it."
While some wept, others talked among themselves about Aaliyah's contributions, keeping their eyes focused on the goings-on at the church. Twenty-five-year-old Melvina Simone suggested that instead of wallowing in grief, fans should celebrate someone who lived a short but full life (see "Hard-Working Aaliyah Packed Hit Albums, Movies Into Short Life").
"This is how we gonna remember her, through her music," the Brooklyn, New York, resident said, turning up the volume on her boom box as "We Need a Resolution" blasted through the speakers. "I'm grieving for the family and praying for their strength, but [playing the music is] just in memory of her."
As Aaliyah's funeral left the church, 22 white doves were released — one for each of her 22 years.
In Midtown, meanwhile, at the restaurant Cipriani's, fans poured in for an all-day public memorial service. They left flowers, teddy bears and cards. And they prayed, and reminisced by watching highlights of Aaliyah's career on two giant screens, singing along to songs such as "Are You That Somebody?," "One in a Million" and "Try Again".
Cipriani's was flooded with white ribbons, bouquets, and candles. A shrine to Aaliyah was the centerpiece: Between the video screens was a photograph of the woman her friend and collaborator Timbaland fondly called "Baby Girl." She looked elegant in an aqua gown. At the bottom of the picture, an inscription read:
Aaliyah Dana Haughton January 16 1979-August 25, 2001 We Were Given a Queen We Were Given an Angel
https://web.archive.org/web/20011218014154/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448577/20010831/aaliyah.jhtml
Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded 08.31.2001
The tiny Cessna aircraft that crashed and killed Aaliyah and eight others on Saturday was overloaded, a report from investigators in the Bahamas shows.
In a statement issued Thursday, Randy Butler of the Bahamian Civil Aviation Department said the Cessna 402B was loaded with fuel and cargo to a weight of 5,495 pounds. Since the craft's maximum authorized takeoff weight is 6,300 pounds, that left only 805 pounds available for the passengers and pilot — just under 90 pounds per person.
"The plane was definitely overloaded," said John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association, based in Santa Maria, California. Officials have yet to determine the exact weight of the people onboard the plane. They were able to weigh all baggage except one piece, which sank into a swamp, the statement said.
Overloading alone may not be enough to cause a crash, Frank said, adding that the behavior of the plane — witnesses said it veered sharply to the left soon after takeoff — suggests the load was not balanced evenly, which would have made the craft more difficult to handle. The report said the location of the bags on the aircraft before the crash has not been determined.
The report also said both of the plane's engines were in good working order and that the craft showed no evidence of "pre-crash damage." Butler said that information on the plane's maintenance records and pilot is still being gathered and that the craft's propellers will be examined in the U.S.
The pilot, Luis Morales III, pleaded no contest to charges of cocaine possession on August 13, according to Broward County court records (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly"). He had a clean flying record with no enforcement actions against him, Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Kathleen Bergen said.
Blackhawk International Airways, the plane's operator, was cited by the FAA four times between 1997 and 2000 for a total of nine violations that included failure to follow drug-testing rules and failure to perform proper maintenance, according to FAA documents. Three of the citations resulted in "letters of correction" from the agency, while one — a 1998 citation for failing to comply with a foreign country's regulations while flying in that country — drew a $1,500 fine, according to documents.
Butler also said that neither Blackhawk nor the plane's owner, Skystream Inc., was authorized to operate charter flights in the Bahamas. Calls to Blackhawk have not been returned, and Skystream's number is unlisted.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020402101650/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448658/20010905/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah Bests Blige, Slipknot For #1 Spot 09.05.2001
Music fans mourning the passing of Aaliyah — and those curious about her legacy — will push the late R&B; star to the top of next week's Billboard 200 albums chart.
Despite strong debuts from Mary J. Blige and Slipknot, Aaliyah's eponymous album will vault to #1 on the albums chart next week, a month and a half after its initial release. The singer died August 25 in a plane crash that claimed the lives of eight others (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash").
Sales of Aaliyah jumped from 62,000 copies during the week of her death to 305,000 copies in the week that followed, bumping the album up from #19. Aaliyah debuted at #2 upon its release in July and dropped as low as #27 two weeks ago.
Renewed interest in the late singer will also push the "Romeo Must Die" soundtrack album (which features several Aaliyah tracks) back onto the chart at #164.
The sales surge also places Aaliyah just ahead of hip-hop diva Mary J. Blige, who will debut at #2 on next week's chart with No More Drama. Blige's fifth studio album sold more than 294,000 copies in its first week in stores.
Close behind are the masked men of Slipknot, who sold more than 254,000 copies of their latest effort, Iowa, to debut next week at #3. The debut is impressive for the hard-edged heartland metal outfit but falls short of industry speculation that placed the first-week tally at 350,000-500,000.
R&B; singesongwriter Brian McKnight, country star Toby Keith and up-and-coming rockers Puddle of Mudd will also boast top-10 debuts on next week's chart. McKnight's Superhero sold more than 150,000 copies to debut at #7, while Keith's Pull My Chain sold some 119,000 copies to land at #9. Puddle of Mudd turned heavy radio and video airplay for "Control" into sales of more than 116,000 copies for Come Clean, which will debut at #10.
With six new titles crashing the top 10, some familiar names will tumble down the chart, including 'NSYNC (down from #5 to #12), Linkin Park (from #7 to #11), Staind (from #9 to #13), the Isley Brothers (from #6 to #15), Jennifer Lopez (from #10 to #16) and Usher (from #8 to #20).
Meanwhile, the high times get a little higher for Afroman, who will see his single "Because I Got High" help his album The Good Times land at #14 on next week's chart (see "Afroman Living 'High' Life Thanks To Hit Single"). Sonic adventurer Björk will also crack the top 20 when her Vespertine debuts at #19.
Next week's chart will also see debuts from Krayzie Bone (at #27), Tech N9ne (#59), Brotha Lynch Hung (#79), American Head Charge (#118), Nicole C. Mullen (#123), Butthole Surfers (#130), Skillet (#141), Relient K (#158) and Stereolab (#178).
https://web.archive.org/web/20020203032918/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448717/20010906/aaliyah.jhtml
Janet, Missy, Others Honor Aaliyah During VMAs 09.06.2001
"Aaliyah was a temple of excitement, joy and peace. To me, she was my little sister, my musical inspiration ... your music will always live on through me." — Timbaland
The joyous, free-spirited atmosphere of the Video Music Awards was momentarily put on hold by a touching tribute to 22-year-old singer Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash August 25.
Janet Jackson, in a pink hat and modest black dress, opened the memorial by recounting Aaliyah's sentiment when her grandmother passed away: "One day we will be together again." She then read a letter from K, 19, of Decatur, Georgia, which was sent to MTVNews.com (see "Fans Remember Aaliyah"). It said, in part, "I for one will not be sad or mourn her death, but celebrate her life and be thankful for her gift that's touched so many. We haven't lost anyone. We've only gained an angel." Jackson ended her speech by saying, "We will always love you."
Missy Elliott, Timbaland and Ginuwine, with heads bowed, were next to share their feelings on the tragic loss of their friend. "Aaliyah was deeply loved and will be so deeply missed. I think I speak for all of us standing here when I say she was definitely one in a million," Ginuwine said, referencing the title of the singer's second album, 1996's One in a Million.
Timbaland added, "Aaliyah was a temple of excitement, joy and peace. To me, she was my little sister, my musical inspiration ... your music will always live on through me."
Elliott was visibly shaken and nervous with her delivery. After saying that people should appreciate each other, she apologized for not being more prepared. "I didn't write anything, I just felt like I had to come from the heart. And I love you, Aaliyah, and you're forever missed."
Aaliyah's brother, Rashad Haughton, wrapped up the brief but bittersweet tribute by thanking his sister's friends and colleagues who offered their condolences in this dark time for his family. He ended his speech with a feeling of gratefulness rather than remorse: "I am truly happy to have been given a gift like you, Aaliyah," he said, staving off tears.
Though Aaliyah's homage was short, her absence from the 2001 Video Music Awards loomed over the Metropolitan Opera House all night, evidenced early on by City High and Eve's shout-out during their pre-show performance and the Aaliyah T-shirt Usher was wearing when he and Estella Warren presented Destiny's Child with the award for Best R&B; Video.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020203075007/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448770/20010910/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah's Plane Overloaded, Unbalanced, U.S. Report Says 09.10.2001
The plane that carried Aaliyah and eight others to their deaths last month in the Bahamas was out of balance and was weighted down with passengers and luggage that exceeded the craft's limits, a preliminary report said.
"The total weight of the luggage, fuel on board at the time of the accident, plus the weight of the passengers showed that the total gross weight of the airplane was substantially exceeded,'' according to a report by the Bahamian Department of Civil Aviation issued Saturday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report also said the plane's center of gravity was too far toward the tail and "significantly outside the flight envelope."
A spokesperson for the NTSB had no further comment Monday (September 10).
The new report supports an earlier statement by the Department of Civil Aviation's Randy Butler, who said the combined weight of luggage and passengers put the plane's total load over its maximum authorized take-off weight (see "Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded").
Plane owner Gilbert Chacon has only communicated with investigators through his attorneys, and has not turned over aircraft or engine logbooks, the report said.
Butler said last month that Blackhawk Aviation, owned by Chacon, was not authorized to pick up passengers in the Bahamas. In addition, pilot Luis Morales III had recently pleaded no contest to cocaine possession and was not registered to fly for the airline (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly").
https://web.archive.org/web/20011006090543/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1449624/20011004/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah Biography Slated For December 10.04.2001
A little more than three months after a plane crash took the life of 22-year-old singer Aaliyah, a paperback biography on her life and career will arrive in bookstores.
Aaliyah: More Than a Woman is scheduled for release in early December, according to the tome's author, Christopher John Farley. Farley, the pop music critic for Time magazine, said he amassed interviews conducted with the singeactress and those close to her, including her high school principal, producers Timbaland and Jermaine Dupri, and friend Beyoncé Knowles.
The biography is built around an interview Farley did with Aaliyah for a feature in Time that ran in July, around the time of the release of her most recent album, Aaliyah.
"On each album she grew, and hopefully she'll be a model for other young singers," Farley said. "The way she approached her craft was that she didn't only do what she thought was going to be hot, but she did the stuff that she thought was going to challenge her and her audience while being interesting and good to listen to."
And like the chances she took on the album, Farley said Aaliyah took the same risks in her life. "There are a lot of young singers out there who don't always challenge themselves the way Aaliyah did. She challenged herself in terms of the [acting] roles she took — playing a 6,000-year-old vampire in 'The Queen of the Damned' is a daring role whether it turns out well or poorly."
A Cessna 402B carrying Aaliyah and eight other people crashed on August 25 after taking off from the Bahamas, where the singer was filming a video (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). All those aboard the aircraft were killed.
Christopher John Farley is a co-author of Woodstock 94: The Book and author of My Favorite War, a 1996 novel about a reporter covering Desert Storm. He's currently working on his second novel, The Chocolate Gale, set in 18th century Jamaica.
https://web.archive.org/web/20021202084643/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453366/20020411/gaye_nona.jhtml
Aaliyah's 'Matrix' Role To Be Given To Nona Gaye 04.11.2002
After a long re-audition process to fill the late Aaliyah's shoes, "The Matrix: Reloaded" finally lives up to its name.
Nona Gaye, the daughter of Marvin Gaye who was recently seen acting alongside Will Smith in "Ali" and heard on last fall's "What's Going On" benefit single, has been chosen to play Zee in the two upcoming sequels to the 1999 sci-fi thriller "The Matrix," according to Variety. The role was originally set to be portrayed by Aaliyah, who had filmed portions of "Reloaded" before she died last summer in a plane crash (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash").
The character of Zee will be introduced in "Reloaded," but, it is reported, will have a much bigger role in the third installment, "The Matrix: Revolutions." Gaye will begin filming in Sydney, Australia, next week.
"Reloaded" is scheduled for a May 2003 release, and "Revolutions" will follow in November 2003.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040222141231/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1456119/20020716/aaliyah.jhtml
Cocaine, Alcohol Found In Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane 07.16.2002
The pilot in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah in August had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his body, the Bahamas Department of Civil Aviation announced Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
An autopsy of Luis Morales III, who died in the accident with the singer and seven members of her entourage (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), showed cocaine in his urine and alcohol in his stomach. The department is still investigating how the substances might have affected the 30-year-old pilot.
Twelve days before the August 25 crash, Morales pleaded no contest to cocaine possession in Pompano Beach, Florida, and was sentenced to three years of probation (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly"). His pilot's license should have been revoked, although it had yet to be at the time of the crash.
In the report released Tuesday, aviation officials also noted the Cessna 402B aircraft Morales was flying may not have undergone fuel-pump wiring modifications required three years prior to the accident. Particles and corrosion in the fuel filters also suggested routine maintenance had not been performed.
The department is still working to track down the owner of the plane and inspect the aircraft log, which should provide maintenance records.
An investigation shortly after the accident revealed the plane was at least 700 pounds overweight, a finding that also shows up in the latest report. Along with equipment used during the video shoot for "Rock the Boat" earlier on the day of the crash, the plane was loaded with one more passenger than it was certified to carry (see "Aaliyah's Plane Overloaded, Unbalanced, U.S. Report Says").
Although the exact cause of the crash is still uncertain, Tuesday's report does rule out a few possibilities. The authorities said the plane's engine, airframe, propeller and fuel tank showed no malfunction.
In May, Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit against the owners of the plane, Virgin Records and several other companies, alleging negligence and recklessness caused the crash (see "Aaliyah's Parents Accuse Virgin Of Negligence In Crash Suit").
https://web.archive.org/web/20040428224718/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480885/20031202/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah's Family Says It Didn't Know She Was Up For An AMA 12.02.2003
It's never too late to say thank you.
The family of late R&B; singer Aaliyah may have missed last month's American Music Awards, but the family issued a statement on Tuesday (December 2) thanking the producers of the show for naming the singer Favorite Female Artist.
During the ceremony, Aaliyah's award was accepted by Monica, who presented that category (see "50 Cent, Luther Vandross Take Home Multiple AMAs; Many Artists Skip Out"). The singer's family said it would have gladly accepted the honor had it known the singer was nominated. The Houghton family learned of the nomination during the broadcast and this week tried to get across the sentiments that would have been shared on the AMA stage.
"The family is deeply gratified that the public and the AMAs have, year after year, continually recognized Aaliyah's strengths and remarkable talents," the family said via its attorney. "They would like the public, the AMAs and Dick Clark Productions to know of their love and gratitude, and that they would be honored to accept the award on behalf of their beloved Aaliyah."
The statuette is the third AMA given to Aaliyah since she died in August 2001 when her plane crashed as she left the Bahamas (see "Cocaine, Alcohol Found In Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane").
https://web.archive.org/web/20050327092904/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1495396/20050107/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah's Label Can't Sue Video Producer Who Booked Ill-Fated Flight 01.07.2005
Court rules only singer's parents have right to sue for wrongful death. Aaliyah (file) Photo: Blackground A New York court has ruled that Aaliyah's record company cannot sue the video producer who booked the private jet that crashed in the Bahamas in 2001, killing the singer.
The Manhattan appeals court reversed its June 2004 decision, which had allowed the company to file suit, saying on Thursday that only Aaliyah's parents had a right to sue for wrongful death (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), which they had already done in 2003 and received compensation for, according to The Associated Press.
The June ruling allowed Blackground Records to file suit because Aaliyah was considered the prime "asset" of the company and not just an employee.
According to the AP, Frank Penski, Blackground's appellate lawyer, said as of Thursday he had not seen the decision and did not know if his client would further pursue a lawsuit against the producer.
https://web.archive.org/web/20011013034411/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1449809/20011009/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah's Final Video To Premiere On Tuesday 10.09.2001
The video for "Rock the Boat" — the clip Aaliyah was working on in the Bahamas before embarking on a fatal plane crash — will premiere Tuesday (October 9) at 8 p.m. ET on BET.
The debut will be part of "Access Granted: Aaliyah Rocks the Boat," a half-hour documentary on the making of the video, according to BET producer Kevin Taylor. Taylor, who was in the Bahamas filming the shoot, described the clip as gorgeous and sensual.
"It's very ethereal and heavenly," Taylor said of the Hype Williams-directed clip. "There are lots of shots of water and clouds, and the video ends with Aaliyah swimming up from the bottom of a pool, almost looking like she's going into the clouds. It's really beautiful."
Taylor said that even though putting together the show was tough, footage of Aaliyah joking with stylists Eric Foreman and Christopher Maldonado, who were also killed in the twin-engine plane crash (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), made it bittersweet. "They were completely hilarious, like sitcom funny," Taylor said. "I've never been around a group of people who were funnier."
Director Williams, who's helmed clips for Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine and Notorious B.I.G., described the shoot as one of his most memorable. "Everyone put their heart and soul into the work, as we always do, with the intent that the world would enjoy it," he said shortly after the 22-year-old singer died on August 25. "I know there's a lot of pain involved, but that's all the more reason people would appreciate what we've done as a group" (see "Aaliyah's Final Video 'Very Special,' Director Says").
A spokesperson for Aaliyah's label, Blackground Records, said that it's unclear when or if the video for "More Than a Woman," which was shot before "Rock the Boat," would premiere.
https://web.archive.org/web/20011124130826/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451170/20011121/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah Crash Investigation Focuses On Charter Company's Owner 11.21.2001
In searching for information about the crash that killed Aaliyah and eight others in the Bahamas in August, federal investigators have seized the business records and computer hard drive of the owner of the small charter company that provided the fatal flight.
Though the FBI declined to comment, as is their policy with all pending investigations, a 26-page affidavit filed in support of a search warrant charges that Gilbert Chacon, owner of Blackhawk Aviation, has been withholding airport and engine logs and records for the Cessna twin-engine plane involved in the accident (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). Chacon is also suspected of lying to federal investigators, concealing information, falsifying documents and obstructing and impeding due process.
Of particular interest to investigators is a clarification of Chacon's relationship with the Cessna 402B's pilot, Luis Morales III. Investigators also requested details regarding the origin of the flight, names of those who scheduled the flight and the plane's maintenance information.
Up to this point, Chacon had provided some information to investigators via his attorney, Michael Moulis, but had not produced the aircraft and engine logbooks as well as many requested documents, saying that they were not in his possession because he had leased the Cessna to Morales, which absolved him of responsibility for the aircraft.
Investigators now believe Chacon lied about the lease, the transfer of records and logs to Morales prior to the crash, and efforts to locate those records after the crash.
Morales' father, according to the affidavit, insists that the plane was never leased to his son and that Chacon has never inquired about any documents.
The pilot's belongings were searched during the process of retrieving his personal effects, and no aircraft logs were recovered. Morales' father also claims that his son had no means to lease a $250,000 aircraft and that he was paid cash on a per flight basis.
U.S. agents seized Chacon's business records from his Fort Lauderdale, Florida-area residence on Monday, but mostly found training forms and bank statements, according to news reports from Miami television station WSVN.
The affidavit contends that Chacon is concealing his responsibility for the plane, since Blackhawk Aviation did not have permission from the Bahamas to conduct commercial flights there, according to the Civil Aviation Department of the Bahamas. To fly without permission would be in violation of FAA policy.
Since the crash, Chacon — who in 1993 pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud involving another charter service, Caribbean Express — has given up his operating certificate.
Chacon and his lawyer were both out of town and unreachable for comment, according to their employees. Chacon has claimed in the past that he was not responsible for the employ of his pilot, since he had been fooled by Morales about the extent of his experience, which Chacon characterized as inflated.
Moulis even filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration in a letter filed September 10 that accused the late pilot of falsely logging hours: "It is alleged that Mr. Morales inappropriately logged hundreds of hours as pilot in command when it is questionable whether he was even a pilot of the flight," the letter read.
In addition, Morales had recently pleaded no contest to cocaine possession and was not registered to fly for the airline (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly").
Neither the FAA nor the National Transportation Safety Board could be reached for comment Wednesday (November 21).
https://web.archive.org/web/20030727145708/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1452592/20020225/aaliyah.jhtml
Aaliyah, Six Months Later: #1 At Box Office With LP In Works 02.25.2002
Six months to the day of her death on August 25, 2001, Aaliyah is still very much alive in the hearts and minds of her fans.
"Queen of the Damned," in which the late singeactress has the title role, was king of the box office this weekend, grossing a little over $15 million to take first place. Meanwhile, the hits "More Than a Woman" and "Rock the Boat" — both released as singles after she was killed in a plane crash following the "Rock the Boat" video shoot (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash") — are showing no signs of letting up on radio or on video.
This summer, Aaliyah will continue to live on through her music with a still-untitled album, according to her label, Blackground. A spokesperson for the project says no exact date has been set and that it was too early to tell what material it would include.
An untitled "Aaliyah tribute album" is on the release schedule for Blackground's distributor, Universal Records, with a date of August 20, Universal said on Friday. The Blackground spokesperson clarified on Monday (February 25) that they have not yet determined what sort of material would be included on the record — if it would include Aaliyah's greatest hits and/or unreleased material, or if it would feature guests paying homage to the singer.
This summer, Blackground is re-releasing the last LP we heard Aaliyah on, Timbaland and Magoo's Indecent Proposal. She's featured on a track called "I Am Music" (see "Timbaland, Magoo Have 'Another Classic' Ready With Jay-Z, Ludacris")
Timbaland, who produced many of Aaliyah's most popular songs, said in October that he would be heavily involved in putting out some of the late singer's unreleased tracks. "I've got a couple of songs that aren't even on [Indecent Proposal]," he said. "I've got a lot of unreleased stuff on Aaliyah. So some of the stuff we'll put out, but it's not gonna be the sad Baby Girl. You can grieve but so much. The grief can kill you."
Aaliyah's self-titled LP, released in July, has sold over 2.06 million copies to date, according to SoundScan.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020601155947/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1452663/20020228/aaliyah.jhtml
Families Of Men Killed In Aaliyah Crash File Lawsuits 02.28.2002
The families of two passengers who died in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah and eight others last year have filed lawsuits against her record label, Virgin Records, the Associated Press reports.
Family members of Eric Foreman and Anthony Dodd allege that Virgin was negligent in chartering the small plane that crashed immediately after taking off from an airfield in the Bahamas (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). The suits also claim the aircraft was overloaded and the pilot not authorized to fly the plane (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly").
An attorney for the families said Virgin "took profits over the safety of transporting people" by using a "fly-by-night" charter aircraft company.
A spokesperson for Virgin Records was not available for comment.
Reports from Bahamian aviation officials said the estimated weight of the plane, luggage and fuel was about 5,495 pounds, not including the weight of the nine occupants. Maximum takeoff weight for the twin-engine Cessna 402B is 6,300 pounds, which would leave only 805 pounds for the pilot and passengers (see "Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded").
The families filed their lawsuits against Virgin Records America, affiliated music and video production units, the plane's owner, and the charter air company hired for the August 25, 2001 flight.
The families seek unspecified monetary damages and, according to their lawyer, "answers to why this tragedy occurred."
Aaliyah and her entourage were in the Bahamas shooting a video for the Grammy-nominated "Rock the Boat."
https://web.archive.org/web/20020306125058/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1452719/20020304/aaliyah.jhtml
Relatives Of Aaliyah's Bodyguard Suing For Wrongful Death 03.04.2002
Less than a week after the families of two victims who died in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah and eight other passengers last year filed lawsuits against Virgin Records (see "Families Of Men Killed In Aaliyah Crash File Lawsuits"), another family is doing the same, according to the Associated Press.
The relatives of Scott Gallin, Aaliyah's bodyguard, are suing the record label and Blackhawk International Airways for wrongful death. The lawsuit, filed by Gallin's ex-wife, Becky, on behalf of their 15-year-old son, charges that Virgin Records and its affiliated music and video production units are liable for Gallin's death because they handled the arrangements for Aaliyah's video shoot in the Bahamas.
One allegation in the lawsuit is that Virgin should have hired a "competent" transportation broker and air charter company. Another is that Blackhawk allowed the pilot to fly the plane even though he was unqualified and he took off with the plane dangerously overloaded.
A spokesperson for Virgin Records could not be reached for comment.
submitted by jensyao to aaliyah [link] [comments]
Aaliyah Memorial Fund Established 08.29.2001
At her family's request, the Aaliyah Memorial Fund has been established, with donations going to breast cancer research and patient support.
Half of the funds will benefit the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program, a Virgin Records spokesperson said. The other half will go to the beneficiaries of the October 27 Breathe concert, which will raise money to help underprivileged women suffering from breast cancer. Aaliyah was scheduled to perform at the all-star event (see "Third Eye Blind Frontman Plans All-Star Breast Cancer Benefit").
Gladys Knight — who was Aaliyah's aunt by her former marriage to the singer's uncle Barry Hankerson — issued a statement Tuesday that read, in part: "She brought joy to my heart, and I felt blessed to encourage and support her professionally and personally as she strove for each new goal. Her star had just begun to shine so brightly. Though she was ours for only a short time, what a time it was. I love Aaliyah, and I will miss her for the rest of my life."
As a child, Aaliyah had performed with Knight in Las Vegas.
A public memorial service for Aaliyah will be held Friday, according to a Blackground Records spokesperson, who said details will be announced Thursday. Funeral services for the singer are being kept private.
Donations to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund can be sent to: Aaliyah Memorial Fund c/o Entertainment Industry Foundation Attention: Merrily Newton 11132 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 401 Studio City, CA 91604
Cards will be sent to the family notifying them of all donations.
For credit card donations, call Newton at (818) 760-7722 or e-mail her at mnewton@eifoundation.org.
Aaliyah's Final Video 'Very Special,' Director Says 08.30.2001
Video director Hype Williams said the time he spent working with Aaliyah during her last days was among the most memorable of his life, and he wants the world to see the footage they shot for "Rock the Boat."
"Those four days were very beautiful for everyone. We all worked together as a family," Williams said Monday, adding that the camaraderie on the set was a refreshing change from the usual shoot. "The last day, Saturday, was one of the best I've had in this business. Everyone felt part of something special, part of her song."
A brief clip of the footage itself looks beautiful, too. Aaliyah is on the beach, her back to the ocean. Wearing a red top, dangling hoop earrings and shimmering gold eye shadow, she sings "Rock the Boat"'s slyly suggestive lyrics.
Though this was the first time Williams — who's filmed clips for Busta Rhymes, Notorious B.I.G. and Ginuwine, among others — worked with Aaliyah on a video, they'd been friends for six years, he said. They began shooting the video Wednesday, flew down to the Bahamas Thursday and shot all day Thursday and Friday, he said.
Williams wants people to see what they created.
"It's a very special project. Everyone put their heart and soul into the work, as we always do, with the intent that the world would enjoy it," he said, speaking slowly and softly. "I know there's a lot of pain involved, but that's all the more reason people would appreciate what we've done as a group."
He added that he knows it's up to Aaliyah's close friends and family to decide what to do with the footage, but he hopes they turn it into a tribute to the singer. A spokesperson for Aaliyah's label, Blackground Records (run by her uncle, Barry Hankerson), said it was too soon to say what would become of the footage.
Aaliyah shot another video, for "More Than a Woman," earlier this month in Los Angeles with director David Meyers. The clip was to have been edited Monday, though the Blackground spokesperson couldn't say when it would be released.
Williams wants Aaliyah's fans to know that she was as wonderful a human being as she was a singer and actress (see "Jermaine Dupri, Hype Williams, Others Recall Aaliyah As 'Risk Taker,' 'Groundbreaker' ").
"She was a very happy person. She had nothing but love to give to others and she selflessly shared much of who she was," he said. "I don't know if anyone really understands that about her. She had these incredible, graceful qualities as a person. I don't know if her fans know that about her."
Williams said the best way to honor Aaliyah's selflessness is to bear in mind that it wasn't just the star who died in the Bahamas on Saturday (see "Aaliyah Plane Crash Investigation: No End In Sight"). The crash also took the lives of the singer's makeup artist Eric Foreman, her security guard Scotty Gallin, Blackground Records executive Gina Smith and Virgin Records director of video production Douglas Kratz.
"I would say that if her fans really wanted to honor her memory, they should also honor the memories of her friends who also died on this flight," he said. "Know that she loved them and would want everyone to know we're all the same, everybody. This is a loss for the world, not just the world of music or film. This tragedy goes beyond that."
Aaliyah's Videos To Be Played At Public Memorial 08.30.2001
A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos will play during a public memorial service for the singer on Friday in New York, according to Virgin Records.
The service will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cipriani's 42nd Street, located at 110 E. 42nd St. Fans are invited to come and pay tribute to the singer, who died Saturday at the age of 22 (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). Separate funeral service arrangements are being kept private at the request of the family, the label spokesperson said.
Fans who wish to send flowers and remembrances can mail them to:
Trump International Hotel Attention: Diane Haughton 1 Central Park West New York, NY 10023
Cards may be sent to: Aaliyah Memorial 101 West 23rd Street, Suite 2342 New York, NY 10011
A memorial fund in the singer's name has been set up to raise money for breast cancer research and patient support (see "Aaliyah Memorial Fund Established").
Fans, Artists Pay Last Respects To Aaliyah 08.31.2001
NEW YORK — The inscription at the bottom of Aaliyah's picture at a memorial here on Friday may have best described her years of touching people's lives: "We Were Given a Queen, We Were Given an Angel."
Even in the afterlife, Aaliyah remains the epitome of class and grace. Her white casket was transported Friday morning (August 31) from Campbell Funeral Home to St. Ignatius Church — where her funeral was held — in a white carriage pulled by two white horses. Dozens of white and pink roses lay on the top of the carriage. Her boyfriend, Damon Dash, and one of her "Romeo Must Die" co-stars, Delroy Lindo, were among the loved ones who walked the streets behind the carriage en route to the private service.
Fans converged at the funeral home as early as 6:30 a.m. to pay their respects to the singer and actress, who was killed in a plane crash with eight others six days earlier in the Bahamas (see "Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded"). They wrote messages in the home's condolence books and followed the procession. Police estimated 1,000 fans were there.
"[I came] because of Aaliyah's spirit," said Walter Green, who was in the crowd that walked four blocks from the funeral home to the funeral on Manhattan's Upper East Side. "I met her twice, she's the most wonderful person. She touched so many people worldwide."
"She touched my life the way no other did," said Karolyn Parchment, who was joined by her teenage daughter Natasha. "I listened to her songs. They were positive. She was a role model and I wanted [my daughter] to look up to her."
When the procession reached the church, where Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Busta Rhymes, and Timbaland were among the mourners, they were greeted by more fans.
One glassy-eyed girl, who looked no older than 14, held up a giant piece of cardboard with lyrics to Aaliyah songs written on it. Another girl wore a pair of jeans with the star's name written multiple times on them. Further down the block, a group of kids were draped in T-shirts that read, "May God Give Her Soul Eternal Peace."
"I have mad love for Aaliyah," said Nichelle Broadway, whose T-shirt was embroidered with a photograph of Aaliyah she had taken at a record-store appearance in July. "She was so nice. I've been crying all week. I'm trying to hold it in now. I just can't believe it."
While some wept, others talked among themselves about Aaliyah's contributions, keeping their eyes focused on the goings-on at the church. Twenty-five-year-old Melvina Simone suggested that instead of wallowing in grief, fans should celebrate someone who lived a short but full life (see "Hard-Working Aaliyah Packed Hit Albums, Movies Into Short Life").
"This is how we gonna remember her, through her music," the Brooklyn, New York, resident said, turning up the volume on her boom box as "We Need a Resolution" blasted through the speakers. "I'm grieving for the family and praying for their strength, but [playing the music is] just in memory of her."
As Aaliyah's funeral left the church, 22 white doves were released — one for each of her 22 years.
In Midtown, meanwhile, at the restaurant Cipriani's, fans poured in for an all-day public memorial service. They left flowers, teddy bears and cards. And they prayed, and reminisced by watching highlights of Aaliyah's career on two giant screens, singing along to songs such as "Are You That Somebody?," "One in a Million" and "Try Again".
Cipriani's was flooded with white ribbons, bouquets, and candles. A shrine to Aaliyah was the centerpiece: Between the video screens was a photograph of the woman her friend and collaborator Timbaland fondly called "Baby Girl." She looked elegant in an aqua gown. At the bottom of the picture, an inscription read:
Aaliyah Dana Haughton January 16 1979-August 25, 2001 We Were Given a Queen We Were Given an Angel
Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded 08.31.2001
The tiny Cessna aircraft that crashed and killed Aaliyah and eight others on Saturday was overloaded, a report from investigators in the Bahamas shows.
In a statement issued Thursday, Randy Butler of the Bahamian Civil Aviation Department said the Cessna 402B was loaded with fuel and cargo to a weight of 5,495 pounds. Since the craft's maximum authorized takeoff weight is 6,300 pounds, that left only 805 pounds available for the passengers and pilot — just under 90 pounds per person.
"The plane was definitely overloaded," said John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association, based in Santa Maria, California. Officials have yet to determine the exact weight of the people onboard the plane. They were able to weigh all baggage except one piece, which sank into a swamp, the statement said.
Overloading alone may not be enough to cause a crash, Frank said, adding that the behavior of the plane — witnesses said it veered sharply to the left soon after takeoff — suggests the load was not balanced evenly, which would have made the craft more difficult to handle. The report said the location of the bags on the aircraft before the crash has not been determined.
The report also said both of the plane's engines were in good working order and that the craft showed no evidence of "pre-crash damage." Butler said that information on the plane's maintenance records and pilot is still being gathered and that the craft's propellers will be examined in the U.S.
The pilot, Luis Morales III, pleaded no contest to charges of cocaine possession on August 13, according to Broward County court records (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly"). He had a clean flying record with no enforcement actions against him, Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Kathleen Bergen said.
Blackhawk International Airways, the plane's operator, was cited by the FAA four times between 1997 and 2000 for a total of nine violations that included failure to follow drug-testing rules and failure to perform proper maintenance, according to FAA documents. Three of the citations resulted in "letters of correction" from the agency, while one — a 1998 citation for failing to comply with a foreign country's regulations while flying in that country — drew a $1,500 fine, according to documents.
Butler also said that neither Blackhawk nor the plane's owner, Skystream Inc., was authorized to operate charter flights in the Bahamas. Calls to Blackhawk have not been returned, and Skystream's number is unlisted.
Aaliyah Bests Blige, Slipknot For #1 Spot 09.05.2001
Music fans mourning the passing of Aaliyah — and those curious about her legacy — will push the late R&B; star to the top of next week's Billboard 200 albums chart.
Despite strong debuts from Mary J. Blige and Slipknot, Aaliyah's eponymous album will vault to #1 on the albums chart next week, a month and a half after its initial release. The singer died August 25 in a plane crash that claimed the lives of eight others (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash").
Sales of Aaliyah jumped from 62,000 copies during the week of her death to 305,000 copies in the week that followed, bumping the album up from #19. Aaliyah debuted at #2 upon its release in July and dropped as low as #27 two weeks ago.
Renewed interest in the late singer will also push the "Romeo Must Die" soundtrack album (which features several Aaliyah tracks) back onto the chart at #164.
The sales surge also places Aaliyah just ahead of hip-hop diva Mary J. Blige, who will debut at #2 on next week's chart with No More Drama. Blige's fifth studio album sold more than 294,000 copies in its first week in stores.
Close behind are the masked men of Slipknot, who sold more than 254,000 copies of their latest effort, Iowa, to debut next week at #3. The debut is impressive for the hard-edged heartland metal outfit but falls short of industry speculation that placed the first-week tally at 350,000-500,000.
R&B; singesongwriter Brian McKnight, country star Toby Keith and up-and-coming rockers Puddle of Mudd will also boast top-10 debuts on next week's chart. McKnight's Superhero sold more than 150,000 copies to debut at #7, while Keith's Pull My Chain sold some 119,000 copies to land at #9. Puddle of Mudd turned heavy radio and video airplay for "Control" into sales of more than 116,000 copies for Come Clean, which will debut at #10.
With six new titles crashing the top 10, some familiar names will tumble down the chart, including 'NSYNC (down from #5 to #12), Linkin Park (from #7 to #11), Staind (from #9 to #13), the Isley Brothers (from #6 to #15), Jennifer Lopez (from #10 to #16) and Usher (from #8 to #20).
Meanwhile, the high times get a little higher for Afroman, who will see his single "Because I Got High" help his album The Good Times land at #14 on next week's chart (see "Afroman Living 'High' Life Thanks To Hit Single"). Sonic adventurer Björk will also crack the top 20 when her Vespertine debuts at #19.
Next week's chart will also see debuts from Krayzie Bone (at #27), Tech N9ne (#59), Brotha Lynch Hung (#79), American Head Charge (#118), Nicole C. Mullen (#123), Butthole Surfers (#130), Skillet (#141), Relient K (#158) and Stereolab (#178).
Janet, Missy, Others Honor Aaliyah During VMAs 09.06.2001
"Aaliyah was a temple of excitement, joy and peace. To me, she was my little sister, my musical inspiration ... your music will always live on through me." — Timbaland
The joyous, free-spirited atmosphere of the Video Music Awards was momentarily put on hold by a touching tribute to 22-year-old singer Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash August 25.
Janet Jackson, in a pink hat and modest black dress, opened the memorial by recounting Aaliyah's sentiment when her grandmother passed away: "One day we will be together again." She then read a letter from K, 19, of Decatur, Georgia, which was sent to MTVNews.com (see "Fans Remember Aaliyah"). It said, in part, "I for one will not be sad or mourn her death, but celebrate her life and be thankful for her gift that's touched so many. We haven't lost anyone. We've only gained an angel." Jackson ended her speech by saying, "We will always love you."
Missy Elliott, Timbaland and Ginuwine, with heads bowed, were next to share their feelings on the tragic loss of their friend. "Aaliyah was deeply loved and will be so deeply missed. I think I speak for all of us standing here when I say she was definitely one in a million," Ginuwine said, referencing the title of the singer's second album, 1996's One in a Million.
Timbaland added, "Aaliyah was a temple of excitement, joy and peace. To me, she was my little sister, my musical inspiration ... your music will always live on through me."
Elliott was visibly shaken and nervous with her delivery. After saying that people should appreciate each other, she apologized for not being more prepared. "I didn't write anything, I just felt like I had to come from the heart. And I love you, Aaliyah, and you're forever missed."
Aaliyah's brother, Rashad Haughton, wrapped up the brief but bittersweet tribute by thanking his sister's friends and colleagues who offered their condolences in this dark time for his family. He ended his speech with a feeling of gratefulness rather than remorse: "I am truly happy to have been given a gift like you, Aaliyah," he said, staving off tears.
Though Aaliyah's homage was short, her absence from the 2001 Video Music Awards loomed over the Metropolitan Opera House all night, evidenced early on by City High and Eve's shout-out during their pre-show performance and the Aaliyah T-shirt Usher was wearing when he and Estella Warren presented Destiny's Child with the award for Best R&B; Video.
Aaliyah's Plane Overloaded, Unbalanced, U.S. Report Says 09.10.2001
The plane that carried Aaliyah and eight others to their deaths last month in the Bahamas was out of balance and was weighted down with passengers and luggage that exceeded the craft's limits, a preliminary report said.
"The total weight of the luggage, fuel on board at the time of the accident, plus the weight of the passengers showed that the total gross weight of the airplane was substantially exceeded,'' according to a report by the Bahamian Department of Civil Aviation issued Saturday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report also said the plane's center of gravity was too far toward the tail and "significantly outside the flight envelope."
A spokesperson for the NTSB had no further comment Monday (September 10).
The new report supports an earlier statement by the Department of Civil Aviation's Randy Butler, who said the combined weight of luggage and passengers put the plane's total load over its maximum authorized take-off weight (see "Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded").
Plane owner Gilbert Chacon has only communicated with investigators through his attorneys, and has not turned over aircraft or engine logbooks, the report said.
Butler said last month that Blackhawk Aviation, owned by Chacon, was not authorized to pick up passengers in the Bahamas. In addition, pilot Luis Morales III had recently pleaded no contest to cocaine possession and was not registered to fly for the airline (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly").
Aaliyah Biography Slated For December 10.04.2001
A little more than three months after a plane crash took the life of 22-year-old singer Aaliyah, a paperback biography on her life and career will arrive in bookstores.
Aaliyah: More Than a Woman is scheduled for release in early December, according to the tome's author, Christopher John Farley. Farley, the pop music critic for Time magazine, said he amassed interviews conducted with the singeactress and those close to her, including her high school principal, producers Timbaland and Jermaine Dupri, and friend Beyoncé Knowles.
The biography is built around an interview Farley did with Aaliyah for a feature in Time that ran in July, around the time of the release of her most recent album, Aaliyah.
"On each album she grew, and hopefully she'll be a model for other young singers," Farley said. "The way she approached her craft was that she didn't only do what she thought was going to be hot, but she did the stuff that she thought was going to challenge her and her audience while being interesting and good to listen to."
And like the chances she took on the album, Farley said Aaliyah took the same risks in her life. "There are a lot of young singers out there who don't always challenge themselves the way Aaliyah did. She challenged herself in terms of the [acting] roles she took — playing a 6,000-year-old vampire in 'The Queen of the Damned' is a daring role whether it turns out well or poorly."
A Cessna 402B carrying Aaliyah and eight other people crashed on August 25 after taking off from the Bahamas, where the singer was filming a video (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). All those aboard the aircraft were killed.
Christopher John Farley is a co-author of Woodstock 94: The Book and author of My Favorite War, a 1996 novel about a reporter covering Desert Storm. He's currently working on his second novel, The Chocolate Gale, set in 18th century Jamaica.
Aaliyah's 'Matrix' Role To Be Given To Nona Gaye 04.11.2002
After a long re-audition process to fill the late Aaliyah's shoes, "The Matrix: Reloaded" finally lives up to its name.
Nona Gaye, the daughter of Marvin Gaye who was recently seen acting alongside Will Smith in "Ali" and heard on last fall's "What's Going On" benefit single, has been chosen to play Zee in the two upcoming sequels to the 1999 sci-fi thriller "The Matrix," according to Variety. The role was originally set to be portrayed by Aaliyah, who had filmed portions of "Reloaded" before she died last summer in a plane crash (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash").
The character of Zee will be introduced in "Reloaded," but, it is reported, will have a much bigger role in the third installment, "The Matrix: Revolutions." Gaye will begin filming in Sydney, Australia, next week.
"Reloaded" is scheduled for a May 2003 release, and "Revolutions" will follow in November 2003.
Cocaine, Alcohol Found In Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane 07.16.2002
The pilot in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah in August had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his body, the Bahamas Department of Civil Aviation announced Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
An autopsy of Luis Morales III, who died in the accident with the singer and seven members of her entourage (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), showed cocaine in his urine and alcohol in his stomach. The department is still investigating how the substances might have affected the 30-year-old pilot.
Twelve days before the August 25 crash, Morales pleaded no contest to cocaine possession in Pompano Beach, Florida, and was sentenced to three years of probation (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly"). His pilot's license should have been revoked, although it had yet to be at the time of the crash.
In the report released Tuesday, aviation officials also noted the Cessna 402B aircraft Morales was flying may not have undergone fuel-pump wiring modifications required three years prior to the accident. Particles and corrosion in the fuel filters also suggested routine maintenance had not been performed.
The department is still working to track down the owner of the plane and inspect the aircraft log, which should provide maintenance records.
An investigation shortly after the accident revealed the plane was at least 700 pounds overweight, a finding that also shows up in the latest report. Along with equipment used during the video shoot for "Rock the Boat" earlier on the day of the crash, the plane was loaded with one more passenger than it was certified to carry (see "Aaliyah's Plane Overloaded, Unbalanced, U.S. Report Says").
Although the exact cause of the crash is still uncertain, Tuesday's report does rule out a few possibilities. The authorities said the plane's engine, airframe, propeller and fuel tank showed no malfunction.
In May, Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit against the owners of the plane, Virgin Records and several other companies, alleging negligence and recklessness caused the crash (see "Aaliyah's Parents Accuse Virgin Of Negligence In Crash Suit").
Aaliyah's Family Says It Didn't Know She Was Up For An AMA 12.02.2003
It's never too late to say thank you.
The family of late R&B; singer Aaliyah may have missed last month's American Music Awards, but the family issued a statement on Tuesday (December 2) thanking the producers of the show for naming the singer Favorite Female Artist.
During the ceremony, Aaliyah's award was accepted by Monica, who presented that category (see "50 Cent, Luther Vandross Take Home Multiple AMAs; Many Artists Skip Out"). The singer's family said it would have gladly accepted the honor had it known the singer was nominated. The Houghton family learned of the nomination during the broadcast and this week tried to get across the sentiments that would have been shared on the AMA stage.
"The family is deeply gratified that the public and the AMAs have, year after year, continually recognized Aaliyah's strengths and remarkable talents," the family said via its attorney. "They would like the public, the AMAs and Dick Clark Productions to know of their love and gratitude, and that they would be honored to accept the award on behalf of their beloved Aaliyah."
The statuette is the third AMA given to Aaliyah since she died in August 2001 when her plane crashed as she left the Bahamas (see "Cocaine, Alcohol Found In Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane").
Aaliyah's Label Can't Sue Video Producer Who Booked Ill-Fated Flight 01.07.2005
Court rules only singer's parents have right to sue for wrongful death. Aaliyah (file) Photo: Blackground A New York court has ruled that Aaliyah's record company cannot sue the video producer who booked the private jet that crashed in the Bahamas in 2001, killing the singer.
The Manhattan appeals court reversed its June 2004 decision, which had allowed the company to file suit, saying on Thursday that only Aaliyah's parents had a right to sue for wrongful death (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), which they had already done in 2003 and received compensation for, according to The Associated Press.
The June ruling allowed Blackground Records to file suit because Aaliyah was considered the prime "asset" of the company and not just an employee.
According to the AP, Frank Penski, Blackground's appellate lawyer, said as of Thursday he had not seen the decision and did not know if his client would further pursue a lawsuit against the producer.
Aaliyah's Final Video To Premiere On Tuesday 10.09.2001
The video for "Rock the Boat" — the clip Aaliyah was working on in the Bahamas before embarking on a fatal plane crash — will premiere Tuesday (October 9) at 8 p.m. ET on BET.
The debut will be part of "Access Granted: Aaliyah Rocks the Boat," a half-hour documentary on the making of the video, according to BET producer Kevin Taylor. Taylor, who was in the Bahamas filming the shoot, described the clip as gorgeous and sensual.
"It's very ethereal and heavenly," Taylor said of the Hype Williams-directed clip. "There are lots of shots of water and clouds, and the video ends with Aaliyah swimming up from the bottom of a pool, almost looking like she's going into the clouds. It's really beautiful."
Taylor said that even though putting together the show was tough, footage of Aaliyah joking with stylists Eric Foreman and Christopher Maldonado, who were also killed in the twin-engine plane crash (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"), made it bittersweet. "They were completely hilarious, like sitcom funny," Taylor said. "I've never been around a group of people who were funnier."
Director Williams, who's helmed clips for Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine and Notorious B.I.G., described the shoot as one of his most memorable. "Everyone put their heart and soul into the work, as we always do, with the intent that the world would enjoy it," he said shortly after the 22-year-old singer died on August 25. "I know there's a lot of pain involved, but that's all the more reason people would appreciate what we've done as a group" (see "Aaliyah's Final Video 'Very Special,' Director Says").
A spokesperson for Aaliyah's label, Blackground Records, said that it's unclear when or if the video for "More Than a Woman," which was shot before "Rock the Boat," would premiere.
Aaliyah Crash Investigation Focuses On Charter Company's Owner 11.21.2001
In searching for information about the crash that killed Aaliyah and eight others in the Bahamas in August, federal investigators have seized the business records and computer hard drive of the owner of the small charter company that provided the fatal flight.
Though the FBI declined to comment, as is their policy with all pending investigations, a 26-page affidavit filed in support of a search warrant charges that Gilbert Chacon, owner of Blackhawk Aviation, has been withholding airport and engine logs and records for the Cessna twin-engine plane involved in the accident (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). Chacon is also suspected of lying to federal investigators, concealing information, falsifying documents and obstructing and impeding due process.
Of particular interest to investigators is a clarification of Chacon's relationship with the Cessna 402B's pilot, Luis Morales III. Investigators also requested details regarding the origin of the flight, names of those who scheduled the flight and the plane's maintenance information.
Up to this point, Chacon had provided some information to investigators via his attorney, Michael Moulis, but had not produced the aircraft and engine logbooks as well as many requested documents, saying that they were not in his possession because he had leased the Cessna to Morales, which absolved him of responsibility for the aircraft.
Investigators now believe Chacon lied about the lease, the transfer of records and logs to Morales prior to the crash, and efforts to locate those records after the crash.
Morales' father, according to the affidavit, insists that the plane was never leased to his son and that Chacon has never inquired about any documents.
The pilot's belongings were searched during the process of retrieving his personal effects, and no aircraft logs were recovered. Morales' father also claims that his son had no means to lease a $250,000 aircraft and that he was paid cash on a per flight basis.
U.S. agents seized Chacon's business records from his Fort Lauderdale, Florida-area residence on Monday, but mostly found training forms and bank statements, according to news reports from Miami television station WSVN.
The affidavit contends that Chacon is concealing his responsibility for the plane, since Blackhawk Aviation did not have permission from the Bahamas to conduct commercial flights there, according to the Civil Aviation Department of the Bahamas. To fly without permission would be in violation of FAA policy.
Since the crash, Chacon — who in 1993 pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud involving another charter service, Caribbean Express — has given up his operating certificate.
Chacon and his lawyer were both out of town and unreachable for comment, according to their employees. Chacon has claimed in the past that he was not responsible for the employ of his pilot, since he had been fooled by Morales about the extent of his experience, which Chacon characterized as inflated.
Moulis even filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration in a letter filed September 10 that accused the late pilot of falsely logging hours: "It is alleged that Mr. Morales inappropriately logged hundreds of hours as pilot in command when it is questionable whether he was even a pilot of the flight," the letter read.
In addition, Morales had recently pleaded no contest to cocaine possession and was not registered to fly for the airline (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly").
Neither the FAA nor the National Transportation Safety Board could be reached for comment Wednesday (November 21).
Aaliyah, Six Months Later: #1 At Box Office With LP In Works 02.25.2002
Six months to the day of her death on August 25, 2001, Aaliyah is still very much alive in the hearts and minds of her fans.
"Queen of the Damned," in which the late singeactress has the title role, was king of the box office this weekend, grossing a little over $15 million to take first place. Meanwhile, the hits "More Than a Woman" and "Rock the Boat" — both released as singles after she was killed in a plane crash following the "Rock the Boat" video shoot (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash") — are showing no signs of letting up on radio or on video.
This summer, Aaliyah will continue to live on through her music with a still-untitled album, according to her label, Blackground. A spokesperson for the project says no exact date has been set and that it was too early to tell what material it would include.
An untitled "Aaliyah tribute album" is on the release schedule for Blackground's distributor, Universal Records, with a date of August 20, Universal said on Friday. The Blackground spokesperson clarified on Monday (February 25) that they have not yet determined what sort of material would be included on the record — if it would include Aaliyah's greatest hits and/or unreleased material, or if it would feature guests paying homage to the singer.
This summer, Blackground is re-releasing the last LP we heard Aaliyah on, Timbaland and Magoo's Indecent Proposal. She's featured on a track called "I Am Music" (see "Timbaland, Magoo Have 'Another Classic' Ready With Jay-Z, Ludacris")
Timbaland, who produced many of Aaliyah's most popular songs, said in October that he would be heavily involved in putting out some of the late singer's unreleased tracks. "I've got a couple of songs that aren't even on [Indecent Proposal]," he said. "I've got a lot of unreleased stuff on Aaliyah. So some of the stuff we'll put out, but it's not gonna be the sad Baby Girl. You can grieve but so much. The grief can kill you."
Aaliyah's self-titled LP, released in July, has sold over 2.06 million copies to date, according to SoundScan.
Families Of Men Killed In Aaliyah Crash File Lawsuits 02.28.2002
The families of two passengers who died in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah and eight others last year have filed lawsuits against her record label, Virgin Records, the Associated Press reports.
Family members of Eric Foreman and Anthony Dodd allege that Virgin was negligent in chartering the small plane that crashed immediately after taking off from an airfield in the Bahamas (see "Aaliyah Killed In Plane Crash"). The suits also claim the aircraft was overloaded and the pilot not authorized to fly the plane (see "Pilot Of Aaliyah's Plane Had Been Caught With Cocaine, Was Not Authorized To Fly").
An attorney for the families said Virgin "took profits over the safety of transporting people" by using a "fly-by-night" charter aircraft company.
A spokesperson for Virgin Records was not available for comment.
Reports from Bahamian aviation officials said the estimated weight of the plane, luggage and fuel was about 5,495 pounds, not including the weight of the nine occupants. Maximum takeoff weight for the twin-engine Cessna 402B is 6,300 pounds, which would leave only 805 pounds for the pilot and passengers (see "Report Shows Aaliyah's Plane Was Overloaded").
The families filed their lawsuits against Virgin Records America, affiliated music and video production units, the plane's owner, and the charter air company hired for the August 25, 2001 flight.
The families seek unspecified monetary damages and, according to their lawyer, "answers to why this tragedy occurred."
Aaliyah and her entourage were in the Bahamas shooting a video for the Grammy-nominated "Rock the Boat."
Relatives Of Aaliyah's Bodyguard Suing For Wrongful Death 03.04.2002
Less than a week after the families of two victims who died in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah and eight other passengers last year filed lawsuits against Virgin Records (see "Families Of Men Killed In Aaliyah Crash File Lawsuits"), another family is doing the same, according to the Associated Press.
The relatives of Scott Gallin, Aaliyah's bodyguard, are suing the record label and Blackhawk International Airways for wrongful death. The lawsuit, filed by Gallin's ex-wife, Becky, on behalf of their 15-year-old son, charges that Virgin Records and its affiliated music and video production units are liable for Gallin's death because they handled the arrangements for Aaliyah's video shoot in the Bahamas.
One allegation in the lawsuit is that Virgin should have hired a "competent" transportation broker and air charter company. Another is that Blackhawk allowed the pilot to fly the plane even though he was unqualified and he took off with the plane dangerously overloaded.
A spokesperson for Virgin Records could not be reached for comment.
2023.06.19 00:53 jensyao Archive of Aaliyah Fansite 2
from https://www.angelfire.com/stars3/aaliyah14/
bio:
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16,1979 in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York to Michael and Diane Haughton.
Everyone knew she was special straight out of the womb. Her grandmother, Mintis L. Hicks Hankerson, would tell her cousins stories of how she had a full-set of hair at birth and all the other stories grandmothers would tell their grandchildren about their cousins they've never met.
At the age of five, she, her older brother Rashad, and parents moved to Detroit to be closer to family. Diane gave up school teaching to raise Rashad and Aaliyah full-time. Aaliyah's mother would always play Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and other legends while she would clean around the house. Aaliyah soon learned all the words to all her parents records and started to sing along with her mother.
Aaliyah's mother realized Aaliyah could carry a tune at the tender age of 6. Aaliyah was soon enrolled to a private Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, and participated in all the school's musical productions. She had one little speaking part as an orphan in her first grade production of Annie that convinced her she wanted to be an entertainer.
At the tender ages of only 8 and 9, Aaliyah would belt-out the very tunes that she would listen to at home in weddings around Michigan.
At 11 years old, she landed a spot on the nationally syndicated talent show, Star Search. She sang My Funny Valentine, lost, and was ripped up like any other child would have been; but her mother's encouraging words propped her up to get back to doing what she loved.
At that time Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, was married to Soul Legend Gladys Knight when he took his then 11-year-old niece to perform with her for five nights at Bally's Las Vegas Casino. The two would duet on Believe In Yourself and Aaliyah would belt out solo Home. Being that Aaliyah was nervous and didn't move much the first night, Knight taught Aaliyah how to work a crowd and loosen them up.
A couple of years later, Barry Hankerson had R. Kelly, whom he was managing at the time, flew up to Detroit to hear Aaliyah sing. Kelly was impressed with what he heard so Barry signed her, at only 13-years-old, to his label, Blackground Enterprises. R. Kelly ended up writing and producing all the tracks on Aaliyah's first album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. Hip-Hop historians and critics accredit Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, for paving the way for Brandy, Monica, and the plethora of other teen stars who go by one name. Aaliyah acquired the world's attention at the young age of 15 when her first single Back and Forth landed #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart; dethroning her then Svengali, R. Kelly and his track Your Body's Callin. Shortly afterwards, her album was released under Jive records in 1994 and another top five gold single was spawned. Not only was this single a remake of an Isley Brothers classic, but it also flexed Aaliyah's octave range and vocal versatility. Her rendition of At Your Best (You Are Love) ripped the airwaves and its listeners with its tumultuous and sensuous harmonies. A few other hit singles followed including the light hip-pop jam Down With The Clique and the adulterated title track. The album went sell onto platinum+ status but slowed down due to vicious rumors arising. The provocative nature of the album's title and lyrics, as well as the mystery of her true age sparked a media frenzy about an alleged marriage between Aaliyah and her then mentor. This frenzy blossomed into a barrage of media rumors threatening to thwart a prosperous career. Till this day no one is certain if there was ever a union between the two parties, but those two parties involved. However, Aaliyah denies ever being married to R. Kelly and R. Kelly refuses to comment. In addition, Aaliyah states that the reason she kept her age on the low was because she wanted the world to accept her for her music and not based solely on her age. Despite the rumors, critics gushed and Entertainment Weekly had this to say (6/17/94) ...Imagine En Vogue packed into one teenage body and backed by hip-hop Svengali R. Kelly, and you have Aaliyah... a promising start...
After the storm had settled, Aaliyah went back into the studio to knock out a second record. She left behind R. Kelly to show her growth as an artist and to prove that she can make it without him. The setting was 1996 and Aaliyah was gearing up for the release of her sophomore album appropriately titled, One In A Million. She made a sonic breakthrough with One In A Million which proved that Aaliyah would forever make her mark on the ever-changing music industry by emphasizing the strength and maturity in her voice. Along with this maturity, Aaliyah carried the once underground producers Missy and Timbaland to new heights. The music they created on One In A Million took the music industry by storm, having every artist and producer try to imitate their unique sound. Hit after heart-pounding hit would follow, ultimately making her 1st sophomore single, the sexy, seductive, and taunt, If Your Girl Only Knew the #1 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart and the other singles radio heavy as well. Before the close of '97, One In A Million (a #1 radio play single also) would rake up numerous nominations from various award shows, and hit double platinum+ status with the success of 4 Page Letter, Hot Like Fire, and "The One I Gave My Heart To (a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 singles chart); shaking away any worries of a sophomore slump.
In early 1998, Aaliyah made her first major impression on America during the Academy Awards when she performed the Best Song nominee, Journey to the Past, from the Anastasia soundtrack.
In the summer of that year, she had continued to make a mark on the entertainment industry with the infectious, Grammy nominated, #1 hit song, Are You That Somebody, from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. With that track, she really got a taste of the mainstream.
Aaliyah soon took a hiatus from the music world and hooked-up with acting coach, Joanne Baron. Baron had worked with the likes of Tom Cruise and Matt Damon, with his lessons being very intricate and demanding in the scripts he chose. Baron recalls this memory of Aaliyah, "...before Queen of the Damned was shot, Aaliyah was going through an audition process. She came to the house, and she immediately blew my mind, because she had prepared a piece that Michael Rymer had asked her to do from a play called Salome'. She came in on her knees like a cat, growling, 'I'm the woman that you left.' And she did this with such physicality and vocality... We worked rigorously to get her this part. She put her heart, her time, her love, and her life into it. She just ripped it out."
In the summer of 1999, Aaliyah flew to Vancouver, Canada for 4 months to shoot Romeo Must Die, her debut starring role in a film. She co-starred alongside Jet-Li in this adrenalin-stoked/hip-hop action flick, in which she was executive producer of the film's soundtrack. She had the pleasure of releasing the first single, Try Again, from the movie's soundtrack; which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and wa the first single ever to reach #1 on airplay alone. The movie was released on March 24, 2000 and debuted at #1 on the box office. The film grossed over 58 million dollars and the soundtrack sold over a million copies. Aaliyah garnered rave reviews for her acting skills and was soon sought through-out Hollywood. Movie producer Joel Silver was so impressed with her performance in Romeo Must Die, he decided to signed her up for the Matrix II and III. She soon signed a deal to remake Whitney Houston's production of Sparkle, film an Anne Rice novel-based movie Queen of the Damned, and star in a tv/movie, Some Kind of Blue.
Later in 2000, Aaliyah won two MTV Movie awards and a Grammy nomination for Try Again, and went to start filming Queen of the Damned deep in Melbourne, Australia. The film was Aaliyah's second starring role in only her second motion picture, showing that she was more than a cross-over singeactress. She simultaneously filmed the movie and recorded her highly anticipated 3rd album, AALIYAH, doubling her workload. After she filmed the movie, she took a small break to, as she would say, "rejuvenate and get my creative juices flowing." Five years had passed since she released One In A Million so she was aware of her presence, or lack there-of, in the music world. She released the dark, sassy, first single, We Need A Resolution, which had a luke-warm response from music-goers. A couple of months later on July 17, she finally released the eagerly anticipated, AALIYAH. The album debuted at #2 on the charts and sold over 200,000 copies it's first week. Rock the Boat and More Than A Woman were getting heavy rotational airplay, so Blackground planned to release them as back-to-back singles. Aaliyah took time out of her promotional tour to film a funky, club-like, dance video for More Than A Woman, and Rock the Boat a couple of weeks later. Little did anyone know, Rock the Boat would be her very last video shoot.
It was August 25, the set was laid-back, and everyone was laughing and having a care free time. Aaliyah had just completed filming her video for the island themed "Rock The Boat", directed by Hype Williams, and felt it was time to go home a day early to be with her boyfriend, Rock-A-Fella CEO owner Damon Dash, and her family before heading back to promoting the album. The entourage of 8 boarded the small Cessna 402 which was departing from the Marsh Harbor airport bound for Opa-locka, Florida, when it crashed shortly after takeoff at approximately 6:50pm, police say. The plane is said to have crashed approximately 200 feet from the end of the runway killing six people instantly. Three others died later due to their injuries. The people who were killed along with Aaliyah were: Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey, Aaliyah's product manager at Blackground Records; Blackground Records own Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, Virgin Records' director of video production; her bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Aaliyah's personal hair stylist Eric Forman, 29, of Los Angeles; hair stylist Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles; and makeup artist Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York; as well as the plane's pilot, identified only as L. Maradel.
Her funeral and a public memorial service was held in honor of Aaliyah on Friday, August 31st, 2001 in New York City. A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos, performances and music ran throughout the day. Fans were encouraged and invited to attend, pay tribute to Aaliyah's life and career and mourn this great loss. Her white casket was transported from Campbell Funeral Home to St. Ignatius Church - where her funeral was held - in a white carriage pulled by two white horses. Dozens of white and pink roses lay on the top of the carriage. Her boyfriend, Damon Dash, and one of her "Romeo Must Die" co-stars, Delroy Lindo, were among the loved ones who walked the streets behind the carriage en route to the private service. Aaliyah's mom released 22 white doves in the air, each symbolizing a year in Aaliyah's great-lived life. Fans converged at the funeral home as early as 6:30 a.m. to pay their respects to this remarkable human being. They wrote messages in the home's condolence books and followed the procession. Police estimated 1,000 fans were there.
Six months later, Queen of the Damned hit movie stands on February 22, 2002, debuting at #1 in the box office; it racked in over $14 million it's opening weekend.
With the 2 films and timeless music, she left her legacy for us to still enjoy. She's "The Highest, Most Exalted One;" THE BEST.
Timeline
1979
Quotes
"I met Robert before he came out with Born in the 90's [his first album]. He came to my house and I sang for him, and from there we went into the studio and started working together."
"People are gonna look up to me because I'm young, black, and female."
"That's why I work every day. Ev-er-y day. "I want to knock people out."
-- VIBE Magazine, 1995
"I'm a survivor, and I can handle anything. I'm very confident about that. I come from a very strong family, and they are always there to protect me. If I need any help, I'll just call on my mummy or my daddy or my brother, to whom I'm very close."
"Everyone who was involved thought that some space was needed after all the negative things that were said. R. Kelly is a wonderful producer and a wonderful artist. He's all good, but that time was very tense, so it's not really appropriate for us to see each other."
"When you get into this business you have to grow up quickly. But I wouldn't say I've lost any of my childhood, I've always been a mature child. My Mom says I've been like that since I was little kid. I make time for my friends, and I make time for things that other kids do. This is a business and I knew what I was getting into. I make time for being a kid, but I also know when to put on my business hat and go for the business."
"Of course, the advantage is that, being in this business, you get to learn a lot, experience a lot of new things, and you can become real successful. The disadvantage is, of course the negative media. People may try to manipulate you and control you, and those are the things you have to avoid. But if you maintain strong family values and you believe in God, you can be successful. So, it's been tough, but I've gotten through it because I stuck with my family and my deep belief in God."
"I go through the same problems all young people go through. Being in this business, I accept that there are positives and negatives but having a strong family base and a belief in God enables me to weather the storms."
-- MusicGala.com, 1995
"I think sometimes people negate the fact that training is important. I mean, I feel blessed to have that theory. I still take vocal lessons. I take dance...I take acting classes. And all that helps in the long run."
"You know we're in a business where things are just unpredictable. You don't know what's going to happen...we were lucky Blessed, I think is a better way to put it."
"I don't know what's going to happen in the next five or 10 years. At some point I wanted to have a family and settle down, but I don't see that happening for a very long time because I really love this. This is my life, my world."
-- Honey Magazine, April 2000
"I think rumors are hilarious. I don't pay attention. It goes in one ear and out the other. When you're in this business, you hang out with people, and people are like, 'I wonder, are they seeing each other?' I never dated Jay-Z. I never dated Ginuwine. Damon and I are very good friends. I'll keep it at that right now."
--VIBE Magazine, August 2001
"These days, hip hop, R&B - it's just basically the beats and sometimes tracks can get a little bit monotone. I asked the kids I worked with to challenge themselves, to give me tracks that were melodic, where there are changes and different instrumentation and the song actually goes somewhere.
It's fun to be creative and innovative and come up with something crazy. So I need people to work with who are not going to be afraid to take it to the left a bit."
I wanna be the best at what I do. I wanna sing, I wanna dance, I wanna act. That's about it."
-- The Daily Telegraph in London (July 19, 2001)
"I wanted to be different and original but still have it be something my fans could get into. There also are some big, beautiful ballads. I told my producers that I wanted tracks that are going to blow up in the clubs, but I also wanted songs that were very melodic and with a lot of instrumentation."
"I want to do it all. I've always been athletic. I love sports, and I used to be a swimmer, and I've been a dancer all my life."
USA Today (July 17, 2001)
"There is always a bit of pressure to do a good album -- to do good work, period. I really put a lot of pressure on myself, more so than other people. But I try not to let that overwhelm me to the point where I can't even do good work. I just put it aside and do the best that I know that I can."
-- Dallas Morning News (July 22, 2001)
"It's in how you carry yourself. I've always been a very mature person, and I've always known what I wanted. And I go after it no matter what."
--The Fader, Summer 2001
"It's hard for me to say what I want my legacy... what I want people to say when I'm... long gone. I want people to remember me as a full on entertainer... and a good person."
MTV News 2001 - The Last Interview
Crash
One of the most tragic days in R&B history was Saturday, August 25, 2001, when singeactress Aaliyah Dana Haughton was killed in a plane crash. There is still some debate on what had happened on that day.
She was one of nine people aboard a twin-engine plane that crashed seconds after taking off from Marsh Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island in the Bahamas, according to Grand Bahama police superintendent Basil Rahming. All nine died.
She died instantly when the plane, a Cessna 402B, exploded on impact just 200 feet beyond the end of a runway at Marsh Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island at 6:45 p.m. The craft, which was bound for Opa-Locka Airport, just northwest of Miami, apparently suffered engine failure upon liftoff. Others killed in the accident included Aaliyah makeup artist Eric Foreman, 29, and Virgin Records representative Douglas Kratz, 28. Two other women and three other men, including the pilot, died in the crash; another male passenger died early Sunday morning in Nassau, where he was awaiting airlift to a Miami hospital. They were in the Bahmas shooting the video Rock The Boat.
Investigators have moved the wreckage of the Cessna 402B to a hangar at Mount Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island. the investigation - a joint effort between the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the islands' Civil Aviation Department, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Morales, 30, was pulled over on August 7 when he drove his car through a stop sign in Pompano Beach, Florida, according to the Broward County Sheriff's records. The police officer searched the car, found pieces of crack cocaine and booked Morales on a felony cocaine-possession charge, as well as charges of driving with a suspended license and running a stop sign, records show. Morales told the arresting officer he was in the area to purchase powder cocaine for a friend, according to the arrest report. On August 13, Morales entered a no-contest plea to the possession charge, as well as to a November charge of possessing stolen property, records show. He was given three years' probation, and the judge did not enter a decision on the condition that Morales successfully complete the probation, which included mandatory drug tests, according to the Broward County clerk of courts. Morales' no-contest plea meant that his pilot's license should have been revoked under Federal Aviation Administration rules. While Morales' license hadn't been revoked yet, he was not authorized to fly the plane, which was operated by Blackhawk International Airways even though Morales had a clean flying record with no enforcement actions against him.
Blackhawk is cleared to fly charter planes under a "single pilot certificate," meaning that only one pilot was authorized to fly the plane that crashed. Such certificates are common for small air taxi services like Blackhawk, which only has two planes. The pilot's name was not released, but it was not Morales. Morales' license qualified him to fly Cessna 402B planes, but he was not on Blackhawk's certificate. It was not be appropriate for the FAA to release the name of the authorized pilot. While Blackhawk International is on record as the plane's operator, a company named Skystream is listed as the plane's owner. Both companies list the same Pembroke Pines, Florida, address as their headquarters. Calls to Blackhawk were not returned, and no phone number was available for Skystream.
Blackhawk International Airways, the plane's operator, was cited by the FAA four times between 1997 and 2000 for a total of nine violations that included failure to follow drug-testing rules and failure to perform proper maintenance, according to FAA documents. Three of the citations resulted in "letters of correction" from the agency, while one - a 1998 citation for failing to comply with a foreign country's regulations while flying in that country - drew a $1,500 fine, according to documents. Though the FBI declined to comment, as is their policy with all pending investigations, a 26-page affidavit filed in support of a search warrant charges that Gilbert Chacon, owner of Blackhawk Aviation, has been withholding airport and engine logs and records for the Cessna twin-engine plane involved in the accident. Chacon is also suspected of lying to federal investigators, concealing information, falsifying documents and obstructing and impeding due process.
Up to this point, Chacon had provided some information to investigators via his attorney, Michael Moulis, but had not produced the aircraft and engine logbooks as well as many requested documents, saying that they were not in his possession because he had leased the Cessna to Morales, which absolved him of responsibility for the aircraft.
Investigators now believe Chacon lied about the lease, the transfer of records and logs to Morales prior to the crash, and efforts to locate those records after the crash.
Morales' father, according to the affidavit, insists that the plane was never leased to his son and that Chacon has never inquired about any documents.
The pilot's belongings were searched during the process of retrieving his personal effects, and no aircraft logs were recovered. Morales' father also claims that his son had no means to lease a $250,000 aircraft and that he was paid cash on a per flight basis. The pilot in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah in August had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his body, the Bahamas Department of Civil Aviation announced Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
An autopsy of Luis Morales III, who died in the accident with the singer and seven members of her entourage showed cocaine in his urine and alcohol in his stomach. The department is still investigating how the substances might have affected the 30-year-old pilot.
U.S. agents seized Chacon's business records from his Fort Lauderdale, Florida-area residence on Monday, but mostly found training forms and bank statements, according to news reports from Miami television station WSVN. The affidavit contends that Chacon is concealing his responsibility for the plane, since Blackhawk Aviation did not have permission from the Bahamas to conduct commercial flights there, according to the Civil Aviation Department of the Bahamas. To fly without permission would be in violation of FAA policy.
Since the crash, Chacon - who in 1993 pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud involving another charter service, Caribbean Express - has given up his operating certificate.
Chacon has claimed in the past that he was not responsible for the employ of his pilot, since he had been fooled by Morales about the extent of his experience, which Chacon characterized as inflated.
Moulis even filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration in a letter filed September 10 that accused the late pilot of falsely logging hours: "It is alleged that Mr. Morales inappropriately logged hundreds of hours as pilot in command when it is questionable whether he was even a pilot of the flight," the letter read.
In the report released recently, aviation officials also noted the Cessna 402B aircraft Morales was flying may not have undergone fuel-pump wiring modifications required three years prior to the accident. Particles and corrosion in the fuel filters also suggested routine maintenance had not been performed.
The department is still working to track down the owner of the plane and inspect the aircraft log, which should provide maintenance records.
Although the exact cause of the crash is still uncertain, The report does rule out a few possibilities. The authorities said the plane's engine, airframe, propeller and fuel tank showed no malfunction.
The tiny Cessna aircraft was overloaded, a report from investigators in the Bahamas shows. In a statement issued, it was said the Cessna 402B was loaded with fuel and cargo to a weight of 5,495 pounds. Since the craft's maximum authorized takeoff weight is 6,300 pounds, that left only 805 pounds available for the passengers and pilot - just under 90 pounds per person. Overloading alone may not be enough to cause a crash, witnesses said it veered sharply to the left soon after takeoff - suggests the load was not balanced evenly, which would have made the craft more difficult to handle. The report said the location of the bags on the aircraft before the crash has not been determined. The report also said the plane's center of gravity was too far toward the tail and "significantly outside the flight envelope."
The report also said both of the plane's engines were in good working order and that the craft showed no evidence of "pre-crash damage." the information on the plane's maintenance records and pilot is still being gathered and that the craft's propellers were to be examined in the U.S.
In May, Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit against the owners of plane, Virgin Records and several other companies, alleging negligence and recklessness caused the crash.
A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos were played during a public memorial service for the singer on Friday on August 31, 2001 in New York.
The service ran from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cipriani's 42nd Street, located at 110 E. 42nd St. Fans were invited to come and pay tribute to the singer. Separate funeral service arrangements were being kept private at the request of the family.
At her family's request, the Aaliyah Memorial Fund has been established, with donations going to breast cancer research and patient support. Half of the funds will benefit the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program, a Virgin Records spokesperson said. The other half will go to the beneficiaries of the October 27 Breathe concert, which will raise money to help underprivileged women suffering from breast cancer. Aaliyah was scheduled to perform at the all-star event
Video director Hype Williams said the time he spent working with Aaliyah during her last days was among the most memorable of his life, and he wants the world to see the footage they shot for "Rock the Boat."
"Those four days were very beautiful for everyone. We all worked together as a family," Williams said Monday, adding that the camaraderie on the set was a refreshing change from the usual shoot. "The last day, Saturday, was one of the best I've had in this business. Everyone felt part of something special, part of her song." They began shooting the video Wednesday, flew down to the Bahamas Thursday and shot all day Thursday and Friday, he said. Williams wants people to see what they created.
"It's a very special project. Everyone put their heart and soul into the work, as we always do, with the intent that the world would enjoy it," he said, speaking slowly and softly. "I know there's a lot of pain involved, but that's all the more reason people would appreciate what we've done as a group."
The video was released Tuesday, October 9, 2001 on BET at 8pm ET.
Aaliyah shot another video, for "More Than a Woman," earlier in August in Los Angeles with director David Meyers. Later it was released.
This summer, Aaliyah will continue to live on through her music with a still-untitled album, according to her label, Blackground. A spokesperson for the project says no exact date has been set and that it was too early to tell what material it would include.
For complete coverage of the Aaliyah tragedy, check out "The Aaliyah Reports."
Aaliyah was one of the first of young teens to get into the music business before Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and others. She was a sweet warm person with a good heart. She even has a signature sound, so original that just by the beat, you know it's her. She was an Angel on Earth and truly One In A Million.
submitted by jensyao to aaliyah [link] [comments]
bio:
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born January 16,1979 in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York to Michael and Diane Haughton.
Everyone knew she was special straight out of the womb. Her grandmother, Mintis L. Hicks Hankerson, would tell her cousins stories of how she had a full-set of hair at birth and all the other stories grandmothers would tell their grandchildren about their cousins they've never met.
At the age of five, she, her older brother Rashad, and parents moved to Detroit to be closer to family. Diane gave up school teaching to raise Rashad and Aaliyah full-time. Aaliyah's mother would always play Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and other legends while she would clean around the house. Aaliyah soon learned all the words to all her parents records and started to sing along with her mother.
Aaliyah's mother realized Aaliyah could carry a tune at the tender age of 6. Aaliyah was soon enrolled to a private Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, and participated in all the school's musical productions. She had one little speaking part as an orphan in her first grade production of Annie that convinced her she wanted to be an entertainer.
At the tender ages of only 8 and 9, Aaliyah would belt-out the very tunes that she would listen to at home in weddings around Michigan.
At 11 years old, she landed a spot on the nationally syndicated talent show, Star Search. She sang My Funny Valentine, lost, and was ripped up like any other child would have been; but her mother's encouraging words propped her up to get back to doing what she loved.
At that time Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, was married to Soul Legend Gladys Knight when he took his then 11-year-old niece to perform with her for five nights at Bally's Las Vegas Casino. The two would duet on Believe In Yourself and Aaliyah would belt out solo Home. Being that Aaliyah was nervous and didn't move much the first night, Knight taught Aaliyah how to work a crowd and loosen them up.
A couple of years later, Barry Hankerson had R. Kelly, whom he was managing at the time, flew up to Detroit to hear Aaliyah sing. Kelly was impressed with what he heard so Barry signed her, at only 13-years-old, to his label, Blackground Enterprises. R. Kelly ended up writing and producing all the tracks on Aaliyah's first album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. Hip-Hop historians and critics accredit Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, for paving the way for Brandy, Monica, and the plethora of other teen stars who go by one name. Aaliyah acquired the world's attention at the young age of 15 when her first single Back and Forth landed #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart; dethroning her then Svengali, R. Kelly and his track Your Body's Callin. Shortly afterwards, her album was released under Jive records in 1994 and another top five gold single was spawned. Not only was this single a remake of an Isley Brothers classic, but it also flexed Aaliyah's octave range and vocal versatility. Her rendition of At Your Best (You Are Love) ripped the airwaves and its listeners with its tumultuous and sensuous harmonies. A few other hit singles followed including the light hip-pop jam Down With The Clique and the adulterated title track. The album went sell onto platinum+ status but slowed down due to vicious rumors arising. The provocative nature of the album's title and lyrics, as well as the mystery of her true age sparked a media frenzy about an alleged marriage between Aaliyah and her then mentor. This frenzy blossomed into a barrage of media rumors threatening to thwart a prosperous career. Till this day no one is certain if there was ever a union between the two parties, but those two parties involved. However, Aaliyah denies ever being married to R. Kelly and R. Kelly refuses to comment. In addition, Aaliyah states that the reason she kept her age on the low was because she wanted the world to accept her for her music and not based solely on her age. Despite the rumors, critics gushed and Entertainment Weekly had this to say (6/17/94) ...Imagine En Vogue packed into one teenage body and backed by hip-hop Svengali R. Kelly, and you have Aaliyah... a promising start...
After the storm had settled, Aaliyah went back into the studio to knock out a second record. She left behind R. Kelly to show her growth as an artist and to prove that she can make it without him. The setting was 1996 and Aaliyah was gearing up for the release of her sophomore album appropriately titled, One In A Million. She made a sonic breakthrough with One In A Million which proved that Aaliyah would forever make her mark on the ever-changing music industry by emphasizing the strength and maturity in her voice. Along with this maturity, Aaliyah carried the once underground producers Missy and Timbaland to new heights. The music they created on One In A Million took the music industry by storm, having every artist and producer try to imitate their unique sound. Hit after heart-pounding hit would follow, ultimately making her 1st sophomore single, the sexy, seductive, and taunt, If Your Girl Only Knew the #1 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart and the other singles radio heavy as well. Before the close of '97, One In A Million (a #1 radio play single also) would rake up numerous nominations from various award shows, and hit double platinum+ status with the success of 4 Page Letter, Hot Like Fire, and "The One I Gave My Heart To (a top 10 hit on the Hot 100 singles chart); shaking away any worries of a sophomore slump.
In early 1998, Aaliyah made her first major impression on America during the Academy Awards when she performed the Best Song nominee, Journey to the Past, from the Anastasia soundtrack.
In the summer of that year, she had continued to make a mark on the entertainment industry with the infectious, Grammy nominated, #1 hit song, Are You That Somebody, from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. With that track, she really got a taste of the mainstream.
Aaliyah soon took a hiatus from the music world and hooked-up with acting coach, Joanne Baron. Baron had worked with the likes of Tom Cruise and Matt Damon, with his lessons being very intricate and demanding in the scripts he chose. Baron recalls this memory of Aaliyah, "...before Queen of the Damned was shot, Aaliyah was going through an audition process. She came to the house, and she immediately blew my mind, because she had prepared a piece that Michael Rymer had asked her to do from a play called Salome'. She came in on her knees like a cat, growling, 'I'm the woman that you left.' And she did this with such physicality and vocality... We worked rigorously to get her this part. She put her heart, her time, her love, and her life into it. She just ripped it out."
In the summer of 1999, Aaliyah flew to Vancouver, Canada for 4 months to shoot Romeo Must Die, her debut starring role in a film. She co-starred alongside Jet-Li in this adrenalin-stoked/hip-hop action flick, in which she was executive producer of the film's soundtrack. She had the pleasure of releasing the first single, Try Again, from the movie's soundtrack; which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and wa the first single ever to reach #1 on airplay alone. The movie was released on March 24, 2000 and debuted at #1 on the box office. The film grossed over 58 million dollars and the soundtrack sold over a million copies. Aaliyah garnered rave reviews for her acting skills and was soon sought through-out Hollywood. Movie producer Joel Silver was so impressed with her performance in Romeo Must Die, he decided to signed her up for the Matrix II and III. She soon signed a deal to remake Whitney Houston's production of Sparkle, film an Anne Rice novel-based movie Queen of the Damned, and star in a tv/movie, Some Kind of Blue.
Later in 2000, Aaliyah won two MTV Movie awards and a Grammy nomination for Try Again, and went to start filming Queen of the Damned deep in Melbourne, Australia. The film was Aaliyah's second starring role in only her second motion picture, showing that she was more than a cross-over singeactress. She simultaneously filmed the movie and recorded her highly anticipated 3rd album, AALIYAH, doubling her workload. After she filmed the movie, she took a small break to, as she would say, "rejuvenate and get my creative juices flowing." Five years had passed since she released One In A Million so she was aware of her presence, or lack there-of, in the music world. She released the dark, sassy, first single, We Need A Resolution, which had a luke-warm response from music-goers. A couple of months later on July 17, she finally released the eagerly anticipated, AALIYAH. The album debuted at #2 on the charts and sold over 200,000 copies it's first week. Rock the Boat and More Than A Woman were getting heavy rotational airplay, so Blackground planned to release them as back-to-back singles. Aaliyah took time out of her promotional tour to film a funky, club-like, dance video for More Than A Woman, and Rock the Boat a couple of weeks later. Little did anyone know, Rock the Boat would be her very last video shoot.
It was August 25, the set was laid-back, and everyone was laughing and having a care free time. Aaliyah had just completed filming her video for the island themed "Rock The Boat", directed by Hype Williams, and felt it was time to go home a day early to be with her boyfriend, Rock-A-Fella CEO owner Damon Dash, and her family before heading back to promoting the album. The entourage of 8 boarded the small Cessna 402 which was departing from the Marsh Harbor airport bound for Opa-locka, Florida, when it crashed shortly after takeoff at approximately 6:50pm, police say. The plane is said to have crashed approximately 200 feet from the end of the runway killing six people instantly. Three others died later due to their injuries. The people who were killed along with Aaliyah were: Gina Smith, 29, of New Jersey, Aaliyah's product manager at Blackground Records; Blackground Records own Keith Wallace, 49, of Los Angeles; Douglas Kratz, 28, Virgin Records' director of video production; her bodyguard Scott Gallin, 41; Aaliyah's personal hair stylist Eric Forman, 29, of Los Angeles; hair stylist Anthony Dodd, 34, of Los Angeles; and makeup artist Christopher Maldonado, 32, of New York; as well as the plane's pilot, identified only as L. Maradel.
Her funeral and a public memorial service was held in honor of Aaliyah on Friday, August 31st, 2001 in New York City. A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos, performances and music ran throughout the day. Fans were encouraged and invited to attend, pay tribute to Aaliyah's life and career and mourn this great loss. Her white casket was transported from Campbell Funeral Home to St. Ignatius Church - where her funeral was held - in a white carriage pulled by two white horses. Dozens of white and pink roses lay on the top of the carriage. Her boyfriend, Damon Dash, and one of her "Romeo Must Die" co-stars, Delroy Lindo, were among the loved ones who walked the streets behind the carriage en route to the private service. Aaliyah's mom released 22 white doves in the air, each symbolizing a year in Aaliyah's great-lived life. Fans converged at the funeral home as early as 6:30 a.m. to pay their respects to this remarkable human being. They wrote messages in the home's condolence books and followed the procession. Police estimated 1,000 fans were there.
Six months later, Queen of the Damned hit movie stands on February 22, 2002, debuting at #1 in the box office; it racked in over $14 million it's opening weekend.
With the 2 films and timeless music, she left her legacy for us to still enjoy. She's "The Highest, Most Exalted One;" THE BEST.
- Aaliyah Online
1979
- January 16, 1979- Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, NY.
- At age 11 when she sang on-stage with Gladys Knight's troupe in Las Vegas.
- Was on Star Search
- Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson (Gladys Knight's ex-husband) introduced Aaliyah to a performer he was managing, R. Kelly. The meeting resulted in Kelly producing (and writing most songs on) Aaliyah's debut LP, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.
- June
- Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was released and gave Aaliyah 2 Top 5 pop hits: "Back And Forth" and "At Your Best (You Are Love)." R. Kelly wrote all the songs on the LP (except "At Your Best (You Are Love)).
- Entertainment Weekly said of Aaliyah: "...imagine En Vogue packed into one teenage body and backed by hip-hop svengali R. Kelly and you have Aaliyah..."
- As Aaliyah's star began to rise, rumors surfaced about a possible marriage between 15 year-old Aaliyah and 25+ Kelly. The rumor was never confirmed or denied.
- The single "Back & Forth" was certified gold.
- July
- Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was certified gold.
- September
- Age Ain't Nothing But A Number was certified platinum.
- October
- The single "At Your Best" was certified gold.
- Aaliyah appeared on the soundtrack for Low Down Dirty Shame with "The Thing I Like."
- # 86 Singles Artist of the Year
- April
- Aaliyah can be heard on the soundtrack for Sunset Park with "Are You Ready."
- August
- Aaliyah's alliance with Kelly was not present on her 2nd LP released - One In A Million. The LP gave Aaliyah another Top 10 pop hit with "If Your Girl Only Knew" as well as the hits "One In A Million" and "4 Page Letter." Another track on the LP was a remake of Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up." Aaliyah extended her reputation for sultry, street-wise sounds and videos. The Source proclaimed: "...Aaliyah is ready to showcase her mature side..."
- September
- Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "If Your Girl Only Knew."
- October
- One In A Million was certified gold.
- Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "If Your Girl Only Knew."
- # 20 Singles Artist of the Year
- January * Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "One In A Million."
- "One In A Million" topped the Billboard R&B Singles Airplay chart for 6 weeks.
- February
- One In A Million was certified platinum.
- June * One In A Million was certified 2x platinum.
- Graduated from Detroit High School for the Fine and performing Arts with a 4.0 at age 18.
- July * Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "4 Page Letter."
- October
- A good start with getting into movies came with Aaliyah's contribution to the Anastasia soundtrack with the track "Journey To The Past."
- Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "The One I Gave My Heart To."
- The single "The One I Gave My Heart To" was certified gold.
- Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "The One I Gave My Heart To."
- # 36 Singles Artist of the Year
- June
- Aaliyah could be heard on the Dr. Doolittle soundtrack with the Top 5 hit "Are You That Somebody?" (and seen in the film with a cameo appearance).
- As for her next LP, Aaliyah told MTV: "I haven't really started anything just yet... I do have some ideas... I'm gonna keep them a secret... but definitely I will be working with my family (including Missy Elliott and Ginuwine)... but as far as other ideas, I haven't really decided a lot of things just yet."
- Aaliyah was nominated for a Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female ("One On A Million").
- August
- Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "Are You That Somebody?" * Aaliyah topped the Billboard R&B Singles Airplay chart with "Are You That Somebody?" for 8 weeks.
- Septmeber
- Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "Are You That Somebody?"
- January
- Aaliyah was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.
- February
- Aaliyah was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("Are You That Somebody?").
- Aaliyah was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video (all for "Are You That Somebody?").
- August
- Aaliyah was nominated for 2 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Song and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video ("Are You That Somebody?").
- September
- Aaliyah was nominated for 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Best R&B Video and Best Video from a Film ("Are You That Somebody?").
- Aaliyah could be found on the soundtrack for Music Of The Heart with "Turn The Page."
- December
- Aaliyah showed up on the soundtrack for Next Friday with "I Don't Wanna."
- # 34 Singles Artist of the Year
- March
- New material by Aaliyah could be found on the soundtrack for Romeo Must Die including a track with DMX, "Come Back In One Piece" and the tracks "Try Again" and "Are You Feelin' Me?" Aaliyah also starred in the film. She also talked with MTV about the movie and her next LP: "I had to stop the album to do the movie and then stop it again to do the soundtrack."
- April
- Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "Try Again."
- May
- The Romeo Must Die soundtrack was certified platinum.
- June
- Aaliyah hit the Top 10 with "Try Again" which also hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week (the first song without a commercial single release to ever do so).
- August
- Aaliyah was nominated for 2 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for Best R&B/Soul Single - Solo and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video ("Try Again").
- September
- Aaliyah took home 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film ("Try Again") and the video was also nominated for Best Choreography (Fatima Robinson). The video was also nominated for 2 Billboard Music Video Awards for Maximum Vision Video and Best R&B Clip of the Year.
- # 110 Singles Artist of the Year
- February
- Aaliyah was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("Try Again").
- July
- Aaliyah released Aaliyah. Aaliyah said of her new LP to Billboard: "There is always a bit of pressure to do a good album... to do good work, period. I really put a lot of pressure on myself, more so than other people. But I try not to let that overwhelm me to the point where I can't even do good work. I just put it aside and do the best that I know I can."
- Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "We Need A Resolution."
- August
- Tragedy struck on August 25th, when Aaliyah and 8 others were killed when their plane crashed in the Bahamas shortly after take off on route toward Miami. Aaliyah had just finished shooting a new music video for the single "Rock The Boat" and was returning to Florida. Reports about the plane crash cause vary from engine failure to the plane being overloaded with baggage. Aaliyah had been set to start filming her role in the sequel to The Matrix. Aaliyah did finish her work with the film Queen Of The Damned which was released in 2002. Aaliyah had also planned to work on a remake of the film Sparkle which was to be produced by Whitney Houston.
- Aaliyah was certified platinum.
- Aaliyah was nominated for a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year ("Try Again").
- Remembrances: Gladys Knight: "...Her star had just begun to shine so brightly. Though she was ours for only a short time, what a time it was. I love Aaliyah, and I will miss her for the rest of my life." "Quincy Jones: "She was like one of my daughters, she was one of the sweetest girls in the world." Timbaland: "She was like blood, and I lost blood." DMX: "(she was a)... down-to-earth sister with enough energy to put anyone on a cloud." Puff Daddy: "She was one of those individuals that would light up a room. She always greeted you with a smile."
- September
- Aaliyah, topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart for a week - selling over 300,000 copies in the US during the week after her death.
- "Rock The Boat" hit the Top 40.
- October
- Aaliyah was certified 2x platinum.
- December
- Aaliyah's brother, Rashad, helped with the finished product of Aaliyah's film Queen Of The Damned by adding dialogue touch-ups.
- January
- Aaliyah was awarded 2 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.
- Aaliyah topped the UK Singles chart with "More Than A Woman."
- February
- Aaliyah was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("Rock The Boat") and Best R&B Album (Aaliyah).
- Aaliyah's film Queen Of The Damned was released and was the #1 movie in its opening week.
- March * Aaliyah hit the Top 40 with "More Than A Woman."
- Aaliyah won a Soul Train Award for Female R&B/Soul Single ("Rock The Boat").
- May
- Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit against Virgin Records and Blackhawk International Airways accusing them of negligence and contributing to the death of their daughter.
- Aaliyah's video for "Rock The Boat" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video.
"I met Robert before he came out with Born in the 90's [his first album]. He came to my house and I sang for him, and from there we went into the studio and started working together."
"People are gonna look up to me because I'm young, black, and female."
"That's why I work every day. Ev-er-y day. "I want to knock people out."
-- VIBE Magazine, 1995
"I'm a survivor, and I can handle anything. I'm very confident about that. I come from a very strong family, and they are always there to protect me. If I need any help, I'll just call on my mummy or my daddy or my brother, to whom I'm very close."
"Everyone who was involved thought that some space was needed after all the negative things that were said. R. Kelly is a wonderful producer and a wonderful artist. He's all good, but that time was very tense, so it's not really appropriate for us to see each other."
"When you get into this business you have to grow up quickly. But I wouldn't say I've lost any of my childhood, I've always been a mature child. My Mom says I've been like that since I was little kid. I make time for my friends, and I make time for things that other kids do. This is a business and I knew what I was getting into. I make time for being a kid, but I also know when to put on my business hat and go for the business."
"Of course, the advantage is that, being in this business, you get to learn a lot, experience a lot of new things, and you can become real successful. The disadvantage is, of course the negative media. People may try to manipulate you and control you, and those are the things you have to avoid. But if you maintain strong family values and you believe in God, you can be successful. So, it's been tough, but I've gotten through it because I stuck with my family and my deep belief in God."
"I go through the same problems all young people go through. Being in this business, I accept that there are positives and negatives but having a strong family base and a belief in God enables me to weather the storms."
-- MusicGala.com, 1995
"I think sometimes people negate the fact that training is important. I mean, I feel blessed to have that theory. I still take vocal lessons. I take dance...I take acting classes. And all that helps in the long run."
"You know we're in a business where things are just unpredictable. You don't know what's going to happen...we were lucky Blessed, I think is a better way to put it."
"I don't know what's going to happen in the next five or 10 years. At some point I wanted to have a family and settle down, but I don't see that happening for a very long time because I really love this. This is my life, my world."
-- Honey Magazine, April 2000
"I think rumors are hilarious. I don't pay attention. It goes in one ear and out the other. When you're in this business, you hang out with people, and people are like, 'I wonder, are they seeing each other?' I never dated Jay-Z. I never dated Ginuwine. Damon and I are very good friends. I'll keep it at that right now."
--VIBE Magazine, August 2001
"These days, hip hop, R&B - it's just basically the beats and sometimes tracks can get a little bit monotone. I asked the kids I worked with to challenge themselves, to give me tracks that were melodic, where there are changes and different instrumentation and the song actually goes somewhere.
It's fun to be creative and innovative and come up with something crazy. So I need people to work with who are not going to be afraid to take it to the left a bit."
I wanna be the best at what I do. I wanna sing, I wanna dance, I wanna act. That's about it."
-- The Daily Telegraph in London (July 19, 2001)
"I wanted to be different and original but still have it be something my fans could get into. There also are some big, beautiful ballads. I told my producers that I wanted tracks that are going to blow up in the clubs, but I also wanted songs that were very melodic and with a lot of instrumentation."
"I want to do it all. I've always been athletic. I love sports, and I used to be a swimmer, and I've been a dancer all my life."
USA Today (July 17, 2001)
"There is always a bit of pressure to do a good album -- to do good work, period. I really put a lot of pressure on myself, more so than other people. But I try not to let that overwhelm me to the point where I can't even do good work. I just put it aside and do the best that I know that I can."
-- Dallas Morning News (July 22, 2001)
"It's in how you carry yourself. I've always been a very mature person, and I've always known what I wanted. And I go after it no matter what."
--The Fader, Summer 2001
"It's hard for me to say what I want my legacy... what I want people to say when I'm... long gone. I want people to remember me as a full on entertainer... and a good person."
MTV News 2001 - The Last Interview
One of the most tragic days in R&B history was Saturday, August 25, 2001, when singeactress Aaliyah Dana Haughton was killed in a plane crash. There is still some debate on what had happened on that day.
She was one of nine people aboard a twin-engine plane that crashed seconds after taking off from Marsh Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island in the Bahamas, according to Grand Bahama police superintendent Basil Rahming. All nine died.
She died instantly when the plane, a Cessna 402B, exploded on impact just 200 feet beyond the end of a runway at Marsh Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island at 6:45 p.m. The craft, which was bound for Opa-Locka Airport, just northwest of Miami, apparently suffered engine failure upon liftoff. Others killed in the accident included Aaliyah makeup artist Eric Foreman, 29, and Virgin Records representative Douglas Kratz, 28. Two other women and three other men, including the pilot, died in the crash; another male passenger died early Sunday morning in Nassau, where he was awaiting airlift to a Miami hospital. They were in the Bahmas shooting the video Rock The Boat.
Investigators have moved the wreckage of the Cessna 402B to a hangar at Mount Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island. the investigation - a joint effort between the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the islands' Civil Aviation Department, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Morales, 30, was pulled over on August 7 when he drove his car through a stop sign in Pompano Beach, Florida, according to the Broward County Sheriff's records. The police officer searched the car, found pieces of crack cocaine and booked Morales on a felony cocaine-possession charge, as well as charges of driving with a suspended license and running a stop sign, records show. Morales told the arresting officer he was in the area to purchase powder cocaine for a friend, according to the arrest report. On August 13, Morales entered a no-contest plea to the possession charge, as well as to a November charge of possessing stolen property, records show. He was given three years' probation, and the judge did not enter a decision on the condition that Morales successfully complete the probation, which included mandatory drug tests, according to the Broward County clerk of courts. Morales' no-contest plea meant that his pilot's license should have been revoked under Federal Aviation Administration rules. While Morales' license hadn't been revoked yet, he was not authorized to fly the plane, which was operated by Blackhawk International Airways even though Morales had a clean flying record with no enforcement actions against him.
Blackhawk is cleared to fly charter planes under a "single pilot certificate," meaning that only one pilot was authorized to fly the plane that crashed. Such certificates are common for small air taxi services like Blackhawk, which only has two planes. The pilot's name was not released, but it was not Morales. Morales' license qualified him to fly Cessna 402B planes, but he was not on Blackhawk's certificate. It was not be appropriate for the FAA to release the name of the authorized pilot. While Blackhawk International is on record as the plane's operator, a company named Skystream is listed as the plane's owner. Both companies list the same Pembroke Pines, Florida, address as their headquarters. Calls to Blackhawk were not returned, and no phone number was available for Skystream.
Blackhawk International Airways, the plane's operator, was cited by the FAA four times between 1997 and 2000 for a total of nine violations that included failure to follow drug-testing rules and failure to perform proper maintenance, according to FAA documents. Three of the citations resulted in "letters of correction" from the agency, while one - a 1998 citation for failing to comply with a foreign country's regulations while flying in that country - drew a $1,500 fine, according to documents. Though the FBI declined to comment, as is their policy with all pending investigations, a 26-page affidavit filed in support of a search warrant charges that Gilbert Chacon, owner of Blackhawk Aviation, has been withholding airport and engine logs and records for the Cessna twin-engine plane involved in the accident. Chacon is also suspected of lying to federal investigators, concealing information, falsifying documents and obstructing and impeding due process.
Up to this point, Chacon had provided some information to investigators via his attorney, Michael Moulis, but had not produced the aircraft and engine logbooks as well as many requested documents, saying that they were not in his possession because he had leased the Cessna to Morales, which absolved him of responsibility for the aircraft.
Investigators now believe Chacon lied about the lease, the transfer of records and logs to Morales prior to the crash, and efforts to locate those records after the crash.
Morales' father, according to the affidavit, insists that the plane was never leased to his son and that Chacon has never inquired about any documents.
The pilot's belongings were searched during the process of retrieving his personal effects, and no aircraft logs were recovered. Morales' father also claims that his son had no means to lease a $250,000 aircraft and that he was paid cash on a per flight basis. The pilot in the plane crash that killed Aaliyah in August had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his body, the Bahamas Department of Civil Aviation announced Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
An autopsy of Luis Morales III, who died in the accident with the singer and seven members of her entourage showed cocaine in his urine and alcohol in his stomach. The department is still investigating how the substances might have affected the 30-year-old pilot.
U.S. agents seized Chacon's business records from his Fort Lauderdale, Florida-area residence on Monday, but mostly found training forms and bank statements, according to news reports from Miami television station WSVN. The affidavit contends that Chacon is concealing his responsibility for the plane, since Blackhawk Aviation did not have permission from the Bahamas to conduct commercial flights there, according to the Civil Aviation Department of the Bahamas. To fly without permission would be in violation of FAA policy.
Since the crash, Chacon - who in 1993 pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud involving another charter service, Caribbean Express - has given up his operating certificate.
Chacon has claimed in the past that he was not responsible for the employ of his pilot, since he had been fooled by Morales about the extent of his experience, which Chacon characterized as inflated.
Moulis even filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration in a letter filed September 10 that accused the late pilot of falsely logging hours: "It is alleged that Mr. Morales inappropriately logged hundreds of hours as pilot in command when it is questionable whether he was even a pilot of the flight," the letter read.
In the report released recently, aviation officials also noted the Cessna 402B aircraft Morales was flying may not have undergone fuel-pump wiring modifications required three years prior to the accident. Particles and corrosion in the fuel filters also suggested routine maintenance had not been performed.
The department is still working to track down the owner of the plane and inspect the aircraft log, which should provide maintenance records.
Although the exact cause of the crash is still uncertain, The report does rule out a few possibilities. The authorities said the plane's engine, airframe, propeller and fuel tank showed no malfunction.
The tiny Cessna aircraft was overloaded, a report from investigators in the Bahamas shows. In a statement issued, it was said the Cessna 402B was loaded with fuel and cargo to a weight of 5,495 pounds. Since the craft's maximum authorized takeoff weight is 6,300 pounds, that left only 805 pounds available for the passengers and pilot - just under 90 pounds per person. Overloading alone may not be enough to cause a crash, witnesses said it veered sharply to the left soon after takeoff - suggests the load was not balanced evenly, which would have made the craft more difficult to handle. The report said the location of the bags on the aircraft before the crash has not been determined. The report also said the plane's center of gravity was too far toward the tail and "significantly outside the flight envelope."
The report also said both of the plane's engines were in good working order and that the craft showed no evidence of "pre-crash damage." the information on the plane's maintenance records and pilot is still being gathered and that the craft's propellers were to be examined in the U.S.
In May, Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit against the owners of plane, Virgin Records and several other companies, alleging negligence and recklessness caused the crash.
A continuous loop of Aaliyah's videos were played during a public memorial service for the singer on Friday on August 31, 2001 in New York.
The service ran from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cipriani's 42nd Street, located at 110 E. 42nd St. Fans were invited to come and pay tribute to the singer. Separate funeral service arrangements were being kept private at the request of the family.
At her family's request, the Aaliyah Memorial Fund has been established, with donations going to breast cancer research and patient support. Half of the funds will benefit the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program, a Virgin Records spokesperson said. The other half will go to the beneficiaries of the October 27 Breathe concert, which will raise money to help underprivileged women suffering from breast cancer. Aaliyah was scheduled to perform at the all-star event
Video director Hype Williams said the time he spent working with Aaliyah during her last days was among the most memorable of his life, and he wants the world to see the footage they shot for "Rock the Boat."
"Those four days were very beautiful for everyone. We all worked together as a family," Williams said Monday, adding that the camaraderie on the set was a refreshing change from the usual shoot. "The last day, Saturday, was one of the best I've had in this business. Everyone felt part of something special, part of her song." They began shooting the video Wednesday, flew down to the Bahamas Thursday and shot all day Thursday and Friday, he said. Williams wants people to see what they created.
"It's a very special project. Everyone put their heart and soul into the work, as we always do, with the intent that the world would enjoy it," he said, speaking slowly and softly. "I know there's a lot of pain involved, but that's all the more reason people would appreciate what we've done as a group."
The video was released Tuesday, October 9, 2001 on BET at 8pm ET.
Aaliyah shot another video, for "More Than a Woman," earlier in August in Los Angeles with director David Meyers. Later it was released.
This summer, Aaliyah will continue to live on through her music with a still-untitled album, according to her label, Blackground. A spokesperson for the project says no exact date has been set and that it was too early to tell what material it would include.
For complete coverage of the Aaliyah tragedy, check out "The Aaliyah Reports."
Aaliyah was one of the first of young teens to get into the music business before Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and others. She was a sweet warm person with a good heart. She even has a signature sound, so original that just by the beat, you know it's her. She was an Angel on Earth and truly One In A Million.
2023.05.31 22:20 Rand_moss2 Channeling Aaliyah Videos: Interviewing Her Soul
I know this is hard to believe for skeptics especially on reddit, but if you're spiritual like most Aaliyah fans who are keeping her legacy alive, these 2 are the ones that I believe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoZtPX1cbBQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SpajvbObrQ
For superfans channeling Aaliyah with Tarot cards and the sorts, they tend contaminate what they heard on the news, rumors, and documentaries to cast judgement on the cards drawn instead of having actual channeled Aaliyah tell her story because similar to her music, the message she is trying to convey is sweet yet subtle while hiding the complicated truths to unveil on their own to those who are more in tune with the details. People using cards tend to cast judgement too harshly on what ambiguities they mean and try to shovel this narrative that conspiracy theory videos already exploited with clickbait.
I feel like the tarot card readings are a sham because if you are a good storyteller already familiar with her story trying to convey an agenda with a few slight-of-hand parlour tricks, you can just tell a story and hide all the cards that don't go with the narrative...there are videos where people literally drew a boar but because a boar didn't have anything to do with Aaliyah, she put it back in the deck and reshuffled...she also drew 3 cards in advance for a clickbait narrative without actually getting them by random or the cards were color coded to begin with so she knew what to pick even upon shuffling.
Similar to those psychics who are held captive by the powers that be, they tend to have platinum hair and the first thing they do after being freed is to cut their hair and dye it brown to diminish their psychic/ESP abilities so to be less useful for their handlers. For that one guy who has this device that plays the voice of dead people, that guy just chops up random vocals from old clips and make it talk like that, prior to AI covers, as some type of necro performance arts to desperate and gullible people for views. For his Kobe video, it's not even Kobe's voice, because fans have watched enough of Kobe interviews to know which interview those chopped clips came from, so that's why it's in another voice -- debunked
Watch her other videos channeling other souls of Left Eye, Diana, and 2Pac -- it's easier to actually conduct an interview and upload back to back with new subtle details, do an impression of their active voice of how they feel present day, and what direction of conversation they want to lead than to do all the background research like for a documentary piece just to fake their personality, because people change over time, especially after death, with time to reflect on it all from the vantage point to review what really happened that led them down their path.
Notes from the 2 videos: watch them for yourself to draw your own conclusions and turn on captions to note the subtleties, but like for any veteran Aaliyah fan, links go down or missing all the time so take heed to save. I actually had something tugging at my heart almost like a backseat editor to present the notes as accurately as possible from what was reported in the videos. For these notes, I don't have this distinction between her energy/soul/spirit and I use them interchangeably in case there is a distinction. The eternal present is not aligned with the human perception of time so her soul can traverse her life from the vantage point of how old she was then and visit other memories of past lives. Her current soul identifies as Aaliyah in her past life but she has moved beyond that spiritually to be identified as who she truly is.
Both channelers got signs that her soul wanted to speak either in signals from their dreams or being awakened with signs of her presence. Her soul got the attention of one channeler by portraying herself as Akasha from Queen on the Damned, because her initial sign was somewhat naively ignored. The other more veteran channeler basically read her star chart and found her soul by meditating to find the distinct outline of her spirit and personality. They literally have the outline spirit of Aaliyah here in front of them while they were doing the video where her spirit could correct them in the middle of talking if they got something wrong. I like how in the middle of these soul channeling conversations, her soul is actively telling the channeler to look and interview other souls like Whitney and Left Eye as more evidence that the industry is vile and deceptive like that.
Aaliyah's mom was supposed to be the superstar singer that Aaliyah came to be back in the 80s, but Aaliyah's mom had a pregnancy and stalled her career to raise a child with Aaliyah's dad, who was a bit passive in the relationship. Aaliyah's soul upon reflection realized that at a young age that Aaliyah was given positive conditioning to sing, dance, and perform not realizing what she really wanted in life but she grew to appreciate it and be good at it by living her mother's dreams vicariously through her to be in childhood servitude for entertainment value. Because she was positioned in an entertainment family, it was said that her soul constantly chose these type of families to be born in -- lifetime after lifetime of entertainment servitude for being dependent upon for raising overall family wealth and status -- and that her soul in the afterlife said that she is thriving alongside older women idols (including Whitney Houston and her Grandmother) to figure out who she really is, by identifying and correcting who she really wanted to be to not fall into another life like that. The soul is said to be a thousand to a million years old and they spend time living life (sometimes being indoctrinated or groomed to become a certain individual by families who predetermine your life when you are born), taking time in between lives, and going back and forth in between realms of existence almost like a conditioning for the soul to learn from its own strengths and mistakes when pit against the realities that be. Her soul at the present is thriving and fully disassociated herself from the entertainment industry and when the Channeler praised that "Aaliyah was a good dancer, singer, and performer" at 13:18 in the second video, her soul was actually saying "what?" and disagreeing because her soul moved beyond that identity in the afterlife.
In terms of the R Kelly relationship, both videos said that there was a pregnancy and a pregnancy scare associated with an unnamed family member and R Kelly, respectively. The faces of the channeler reflected how hard of a topic it was for her with regrets and sadness. There was sexual abuse at a young age and because Aaliyah was inside a family record label business which was more ran like a gang-organized crime ring, it was like a pyramid scheme inside a pyramid scheme structure because her family signed off on and was aware of a lot of things she had to do in the industry for her to advance her career when she was just a minor. Her soul also admitted when asked that more than one person in the family including her uncle had sexual advances towards her when she was 12-13 and she was later married to "protect the family asset." In the Chris Brown video remixing "Don't Think They Know" with Aaliyah, there was a lot of imagery where the Bloods that Chris Brown initially was a part of represented "The Family music business" with children and adults -- it was a homely vibe but your royalties are diminished by two layers of pyramid schemes. Then Chris Brown moved and joined the Crips, which were more males, which represented "rappers and industry sharks like Dame Dash" that Aaliyah associated herself with to remove herself from the family business and deal directly with labels. Near the end of the music video, the whites of Chris Brown eyes were shown representing her death and the last scene had him be with all different colors and children as a depiction of heaven, representing unity and no longer associating gang-organized crime by colors. Aaliyah was very intuitive and realized that her talent is multiplied by image for her branding of music to sell -- There are plenty of talented individuals that became ghostwriters because the general public requires image, which creates the branding package to drive sales and relevancy. Therefore, half the interview in one of the channeling sessions had her soul emphasize how protective she was of her image and how her image was affected in a series of events in her life. In terms of Kelly's current image, her soul says that his reactions to the accusations have gotten him to look more guilty than who he actually is and that he himself was in servitude of his environment being born into these type of families with entertainment expectations.
Both Channelers made it their point to revile R Kelly as their separate opinion, but when they asked her soul about it, she explained that R Kelly is a sweet person ("sweet" being a word she commonly said in a particular intonation -- remember this is her soul speaking in the present and not from past conversations with Dame) who wants to do good but has different compartments in his head, where he forgets all the misdeeds that he did or was a part of, from issues stemming from his own upbringing of musical servitude and sexual abuse, which alter his perception towards females. Kelly and Aaliyah have similar backgrounds in victimhood from similar family pressures to succeed and be harvested for wealth and status to benefit the gang-organized crime ring AKA the family-run music business, so a lot of things her soul said was deemed "normal" sounds outrageous for the general public to hear and were brushed under the rug to keep moving forward. Her soul said things were done behind the scenes to protect the image of both and cannot be directly explained because the general public wouldn't understand it. Her parents were well aware she was pregnant and got the paperwork to get a marriage certificate to get an abortion, where the hormone imbalance stunted some of her growth as a woman. The channeler saw some type of pill being exchanged through a mouth to mouth kiss between Kelly and Aaliyah. The marriage was not out of love but was a ritual exchange of goods and services to protect both families' musical assets, like back when royal families strategically married to form alliances and to exchange their resources more evenly. The marriage was initially set up to protect Aaliyah from being preyed by the sexual predators of the industry when in studio collaborations, but that ended up being R Kelly and blackballed her career by her second album to work with new producers after the marriage certificate leaked by a rival record company. Since Aaliyah's first album was mostly produced and written by R Kelly, it may have also been used for accounting purposes to split the profits more evenly or claim tax benefits once they were married to satisfy both family-ran music businesses (which is similar to Jay-Z's and Beyonce's marriage seen more as a business merger). It was later annulled because the public found out, which leveraged the outrage towards Kelly to give up the proceeds of his first 3 albums to Aaliyah's family, except that Barry managed both artists, so the majority of the money literally moved from his left pocket to his right pocket.
Her soul said Aaliyah realized that she could wield her sexuality, body, and confidence as a flirtatious tool in exchange for goods and services without having to participate in sexual acts to be worth value and move into that power. For the sake of her image gaining relevancy to rise up the pyramid scheme to have more control and autonomy over her career, she was proud and not ashamed to use it because of how sexualized the industry is. She used her sexuality as her empowerment to woo strong male figures into her life that she could trust (DMX, Dame) to protect her more from her family and shady industry individuals who 'expected' her to perform for granted and on harsh schedules/deadlines without much royalties going to her. Her soul reflected and said that she should have taken the industry for granted instead of deeming it as a chore to complete, and instead should have taken a break, where she could have gotten married and had kids with Dame regardless of limelight relevancy, which she still regrets not being able to start her own family. Her soul made it a point to analyze her facial expressions to when she was "feeling it" or when it was done out of haste to impress certain authorities. Her soul said that manipulating sexuality for personal gain does destroy something within you spiritually but she was incorporating it for the image and hopefully fans can separate what is depicted by the media versus what truly happened. Her soul said that Aaliyah really loved Dame Dash and what benefited her was that Dame was the cofounder of Rocafella records, which would have gotten her leverage and the connections to move away from her family-ran music label and directly negotiate her deal. Her soul said that her uncle was nefarious and he was losing control and rank in the pyramid scheme that he made with his music label. She was in the middle of being freed from Blackground records to record new material under her control but because she died, he got to keep the majority of the unreleased recordings while her estate was responsible for her image. As stated, the image in tandem with the artistic talents in music are multiplied to propel the branding for relevancy and sales. The estate doesn't want her music to profit the wrong individuals in the family business except that both need to work together for her legacy to be revived. She has a heartfelt message to her fans who uphold and still bring her legacy into prominence after all these years.
Outside of Whitney Houston (that she is really good friends with), her soul kept on pointing to Jennifer Lopez to the channeler in terms of similarities in industry arrival -- JLo was doing dance, Latin, and pop music on her first albums before she transitioned into hip hop and R&B with the help of industry heads in Diddy and Tommy Mottola buying leftover shelved demos from Usher and Brandy, etc and emulating Mariah Carey singles before having Ashanti and Natasha Ramos, etc craft her next singles. JLo leveraged her sexuality to woo heads of record labels (similar to the gentler, natural relationship that Aaliyah found with Dame), where JLo was used to fill the R&B void that Aaliyah left, outside of the rise of Ashanti, Mya, Beyonce, Ciara, Keri Hilson, revival of Monica, etc where Missy was helping some of them succeed. Aaliyah would have found a more flattering way to produce hits and be a trendsetter without harming relationships with other artists in the industry. At the time of her Red album, she said her uncle and his shady industry partners were losing the battle for control and custody over her and she was supposed to be set free from her Blackground label. Her soul said Jay-Z was nefariously scheming over her but wanted her to be in servitude for him in marriage, which is why in the pictures Jay grabbed her by the waist to dance with her (pay attention to facial expressions, similar to how worried she looked at the Nas I Am album release party). She said Jay was wanting to control her towards something sinister to cover up his own insecurities, and that he wanted to teach her a lesson for choosing Dame (which was also why later Dame got screwed out the deal when Rocafella folded and was sold to Def Jam). The Rocafella hand symbol was just a representation reminder for those climbing the pyramid to aim for the top, for how the industry is structured. For example, Kanye took advantage of Rocafella Records and Dame Dash by having his creative output of The College Dropout without the standardization of how rap records were supposed to sound like, where every song Aaliyah sang about was about Love and relationships for R&B records, dictated by her uncle. She was more in control and freeform being in a relationship with Dame, where she said she truly loved him, had a heart connection, and was happy with him.
Upon reflecting on the day of her death, her soul said that her uncle was losing leverage towards controlling her (where she made the majority of the record label's profits) and how she was about to be freed from her uncle's record label. The shady industry conglomerates that her uncle had shady dealings with were also upset and her soul said there were a consortium of shadowy industry conspirators that wanted her demise to control and profiteer off her discography had she died, from how 2Pac and Biggie's music sold way more as one last huzzah before they were supposed to get out their initial contracts and launch their own independent labels. Given that Blackground did a new deal with Virgin Records for her Red album after leaving Atlantic after OIAM, look into Richard Branson (who was associated with Jeffery Epstein, a wall-street magnate) and how the new label backed out and dropped Aaliyah when she died so they wouldn't have to pay for funeral services. Because Aaliyah was dropped from Virgin records after death, Blackground records stopped receiving payments and the funeral bill of $60k went to the estate to cover, where Maxwell picked up the tab. Obviously, she had a premonition dream about her death being floating and weightless from some entity chasing her where all her worries wisped away.
She had a bad feeling about the plane. Her soul reflected that there was something wrong with the airplane tire pressure and one of the airplane instruments was being tampered with and was malfunctioning done on purpose to sabotage the plane. The heavyset man was probably her 300 pound bodyguard discussing some type of deal with the pilot to get them back into the states that she wasn't paying attention to happening in the background. She said that the pilot was the fall guy placed in that position and that the autopsy report saying that there were traces of cocaine and alcohol was a "media trick" to impress upon the public something was at fault with the pilot. It was said that the airplane pilot was the son of a veteran pilot and he had many undocumented hours when flying as a kid with his dad because he had an innate skill to fly without having proper documentation procedures. The pilot was put in this predicament of being on probation for stealing airplane parts and was pressured to fly to keep his job. Her soul said that at the time, she was blind sighted by her anger and the pursuit for her career to be successful and to prove the executives at Virgin Records wrong that 'Rock the Boat' was a good single to be release for her album. Because of this anger, he soul said that she claimed responsibility for flying out a day early to catch other deadlines of recording the Timbaland remix to more than a woman and a feature with Freeway in Miami and that the pressures that resulted in her decisions and actions created hasty judgement overlooking the obvious danger signs and common sense of overloaded/unbalanced luggage. She said that once they were in the air and the plane began to dip and the pilot had to readjust, it was reported in the autopsy report that she died of a shock to the system from a weak heart, suggesting that she was in a coma. She was found 20 feet away from the wreckage where there was one bruise on her forehead and she was in a fetal position. One of the channelers said that when she fainted in midair from her anxiety of flying, she actually felt no pain from the impact and transitioned to the other side where there was a rescue for her soul by her Grandmother that she honored on her red album.
Her soul said that it took her soul 4 years after her death to piece together what had happened that lead her down this path and how to correct for it. She said in her afterlife, she is surrounded by older women as guidance, especially her Grandmother and Whitney, to learn the lessons of not choosing her mortal life path to be stuck in this life of expectation and servitude of having entertainment as a chore to complete for the dangling pursuit of true freedom, but to choose freedom from expectations the minute it appears instead of toil in the guise of it being a careereputation to uphold. She was on the right path towards finding true love with Dame without using marriage as a business pact. She got the upper hand but because she was so low on the pyramid structure of the industry, the powers that be can pull the plug or interfere from her attempts to get free even though she came so close into doing so. Her soul has learned to not pattern her lifetime to be born into these families with entertainment expectations. She said that life is one big stage and some choose the spotlight but everyone has this expectation to contribute to become something. Certain families that your soul ends up being born in have certain agendas for their kids -- they give you the luxuries of life but you have to serve their agenda instead of letting souls pick up life on how they naturally want to be. Her soul said that in order to correct this, she is thriving in the afterlife towards identifying who she really is and recognize the pattern of what life she wants to pick up next without falling into the same situations. My thoughts are that she was so different and had so much style and swag and stood alone that she was a trendsetter without being one by proving to the public she can be her own without following any previous standards or expectations. Even though she was put into that life, she took over and quintessentially became her own person with humility, class, and grace -- people eventually become divas almost as a defense mechanism because of how brutal the industry is towards casting judgement or casting falsehoods about your character because of their struggle for power, greed, and control.
Her souls' words to her mother said that she loved and forgave her in terms of being casted the expectations to perform in industry at such a young age before she had her own impressions of what she wanted in life. She had a lot of good laughter and fond memories but it was in a somber tone due to all the secrets kept. Her soul said that she loved her brother with a lot of emotion and she will never speak badly about him for defending her reputation. She said industry politics got in the way of true progress on her legacy and it wasn't up to the spiritual realm for when her legacy is fully restored to the public. Her soul said that she sacrificed the parts of herself that she understands and identifies with now for the branding and the image of Aaliyah but nobody can decide who you choose your life to be but it is manipulated by the media and family to chase certain ideologies and lifestyles over others. The last message her soul had was that there is a 10 year old girl with her similar looks and poise that they are bringing to the public, who also have this strong connection to her Grandmother, except that this is coming from another entertainment family where the kid is positioned to perform out of expectation and they are drawing inspiration from Aaliyah to mimic and recreate her energy for another money grab. Notice that the 2 videos were done in 2017 and 2019, so they have no way to name that individual except that Blue Ivy was mentioned by her Grandmother that she reminded her of Aaliyah on IG recently, so Blue Ivy is probably the person her soul is talking about that they are trying to rechannel her energy through this little girl as a part of their family entertainment business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLOuP7WxP-Q If the channelers had "lucky guesses", then how did they stick their neck out and predict that 4-6 years in advance without even having a name?
If there are other channeling videos that you deem to be legit without the cards, let me know.
submitted by Rand_moss2 to aaliyah [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoZtPX1cbBQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SpajvbObrQ
For superfans channeling Aaliyah with Tarot cards and the sorts, they tend contaminate what they heard on the news, rumors, and documentaries to cast judgement on the cards drawn instead of having actual channeled Aaliyah tell her story because similar to her music, the message she is trying to convey is sweet yet subtle while hiding the complicated truths to unveil on their own to those who are more in tune with the details. People using cards tend to cast judgement too harshly on what ambiguities they mean and try to shovel this narrative that conspiracy theory videos already exploited with clickbait.
I feel like the tarot card readings are a sham because if you are a good storyteller already familiar with her story trying to convey an agenda with a few slight-of-hand parlour tricks, you can just tell a story and hide all the cards that don't go with the narrative...there are videos where people literally drew a boar but because a boar didn't have anything to do with Aaliyah, she put it back in the deck and reshuffled...she also drew 3 cards in advance for a clickbait narrative without actually getting them by random or the cards were color coded to begin with so she knew what to pick even upon shuffling.
Similar to those psychics who are held captive by the powers that be, they tend to have platinum hair and the first thing they do after being freed is to cut their hair and dye it brown to diminish their psychic/ESP abilities so to be less useful for their handlers. For that one guy who has this device that plays the voice of dead people, that guy just chops up random vocals from old clips and make it talk like that, prior to AI covers, as some type of necro performance arts to desperate and gullible people for views. For his Kobe video, it's not even Kobe's voice, because fans have watched enough of Kobe interviews to know which interview those chopped clips came from, so that's why it's in another voice -- debunked
Watch her other videos channeling other souls of Left Eye, Diana, and 2Pac -- it's easier to actually conduct an interview and upload back to back with new subtle details, do an impression of their active voice of how they feel present day, and what direction of conversation they want to lead than to do all the background research like for a documentary piece just to fake their personality, because people change over time, especially after death, with time to reflect on it all from the vantage point to review what really happened that led them down their path.
Notes from the 2 videos: watch them for yourself to draw your own conclusions and turn on captions to note the subtleties, but like for any veteran Aaliyah fan, links go down or missing all the time so take heed to save. I actually had something tugging at my heart almost like a backseat editor to present the notes as accurately as possible from what was reported in the videos. For these notes, I don't have this distinction between her energy/soul/spirit and I use them interchangeably in case there is a distinction. The eternal present is not aligned with the human perception of time so her soul can traverse her life from the vantage point of how old she was then and visit other memories of past lives. Her current soul identifies as Aaliyah in her past life but she has moved beyond that spiritually to be identified as who she truly is.
Both channelers got signs that her soul wanted to speak either in signals from their dreams or being awakened with signs of her presence. Her soul got the attention of one channeler by portraying herself as Akasha from Queen on the Damned, because her initial sign was somewhat naively ignored. The other more veteran channeler basically read her star chart and found her soul by meditating to find the distinct outline of her spirit and personality. They literally have the outline spirit of Aaliyah here in front of them while they were doing the video where her spirit could correct them in the middle of talking if they got something wrong. I like how in the middle of these soul channeling conversations, her soul is actively telling the channeler to look and interview other souls like Whitney and Left Eye as more evidence that the industry is vile and deceptive like that.
Aaliyah's mom was supposed to be the superstar singer that Aaliyah came to be back in the 80s, but Aaliyah's mom had a pregnancy and stalled her career to raise a child with Aaliyah's dad, who was a bit passive in the relationship. Aaliyah's soul upon reflection realized that at a young age that Aaliyah was given positive conditioning to sing, dance, and perform not realizing what she really wanted in life but she grew to appreciate it and be good at it by living her mother's dreams vicariously through her to be in childhood servitude for entertainment value. Because she was positioned in an entertainment family, it was said that her soul constantly chose these type of families to be born in -- lifetime after lifetime of entertainment servitude for being dependent upon for raising overall family wealth and status -- and that her soul in the afterlife said that she is thriving alongside older women idols (including Whitney Houston and her Grandmother) to figure out who she really is, by identifying and correcting who she really wanted to be to not fall into another life like that. The soul is said to be a thousand to a million years old and they spend time living life (sometimes being indoctrinated or groomed to become a certain individual by families who predetermine your life when you are born), taking time in between lives, and going back and forth in between realms of existence almost like a conditioning for the soul to learn from its own strengths and mistakes when pit against the realities that be. Her soul at the present is thriving and fully disassociated herself from the entertainment industry and when the Channeler praised that "Aaliyah was a good dancer, singer, and performer" at 13:18 in the second video, her soul was actually saying "what?" and disagreeing because her soul moved beyond that identity in the afterlife.
In terms of the R Kelly relationship, both videos said that there was a pregnancy and a pregnancy scare associated with an unnamed family member and R Kelly, respectively. The faces of the channeler reflected how hard of a topic it was for her with regrets and sadness. There was sexual abuse at a young age and because Aaliyah was inside a family record label business which was more ran like a gang-organized crime ring, it was like a pyramid scheme inside a pyramid scheme structure because her family signed off on and was aware of a lot of things she had to do in the industry for her to advance her career when she was just a minor. Her soul also admitted when asked that more than one person in the family including her uncle had sexual advances towards her when she was 12-13 and she was later married to "protect the family asset." In the Chris Brown video remixing "Don't Think They Know" with Aaliyah, there was a lot of imagery where the Bloods that Chris Brown initially was a part of represented "The Family music business" with children and adults -- it was a homely vibe but your royalties are diminished by two layers of pyramid schemes. Then Chris Brown moved and joined the Crips, which were more males, which represented "rappers and industry sharks like Dame Dash" that Aaliyah associated herself with to remove herself from the family business and deal directly with labels. Near the end of the music video, the whites of Chris Brown eyes were shown representing her death and the last scene had him be with all different colors and children as a depiction of heaven, representing unity and no longer associating gang-organized crime by colors. Aaliyah was very intuitive and realized that her talent is multiplied by image for her branding of music to sell -- There are plenty of talented individuals that became ghostwriters because the general public requires image, which creates the branding package to drive sales and relevancy. Therefore, half the interview in one of the channeling sessions had her soul emphasize how protective she was of her image and how her image was affected in a series of events in her life. In terms of Kelly's current image, her soul says that his reactions to the accusations have gotten him to look more guilty than who he actually is and that he himself was in servitude of his environment being born into these type of families with entertainment expectations.
Both Channelers made it their point to revile R Kelly as their separate opinion, but when they asked her soul about it, she explained that R Kelly is a sweet person ("sweet" being a word she commonly said in a particular intonation -- remember this is her soul speaking in the present and not from past conversations with Dame) who wants to do good but has different compartments in his head, where he forgets all the misdeeds that he did or was a part of, from issues stemming from his own upbringing of musical servitude and sexual abuse, which alter his perception towards females. Kelly and Aaliyah have similar backgrounds in victimhood from similar family pressures to succeed and be harvested for wealth and status to benefit the gang-organized crime ring AKA the family-run music business, so a lot of things her soul said was deemed "normal" sounds outrageous for the general public to hear and were brushed under the rug to keep moving forward. Her soul said things were done behind the scenes to protect the image of both and cannot be directly explained because the general public wouldn't understand it. Her parents were well aware she was pregnant and got the paperwork to get a marriage certificate to get an abortion, where the hormone imbalance stunted some of her growth as a woman. The channeler saw some type of pill being exchanged through a mouth to mouth kiss between Kelly and Aaliyah. The marriage was not out of love but was a ritual exchange of goods and services to protect both families' musical assets, like back when royal families strategically married to form alliances and to exchange their resources more evenly. The marriage was initially set up to protect Aaliyah from being preyed by the sexual predators of the industry when in studio collaborations, but that ended up being R Kelly and blackballed her career by her second album to work with new producers after the marriage certificate leaked by a rival record company. Since Aaliyah's first album was mostly produced and written by R Kelly, it may have also been used for accounting purposes to split the profits more evenly or claim tax benefits once they were married to satisfy both family-ran music businesses (which is similar to Jay-Z's and Beyonce's marriage seen more as a business merger). It was later annulled because the public found out, which leveraged the outrage towards Kelly to give up the proceeds of his first 3 albums to Aaliyah's family, except that Barry managed both artists, so the majority of the money literally moved from his left pocket to his right pocket.
Her soul said Aaliyah realized that she could wield her sexuality, body, and confidence as a flirtatious tool in exchange for goods and services without having to participate in sexual acts to be worth value and move into that power. For the sake of her image gaining relevancy to rise up the pyramid scheme to have more control and autonomy over her career, she was proud and not ashamed to use it because of how sexualized the industry is. She used her sexuality as her empowerment to woo strong male figures into her life that she could trust (DMX, Dame) to protect her more from her family and shady industry individuals who 'expected' her to perform for granted and on harsh schedules/deadlines without much royalties going to her. Her soul reflected and said that she should have taken the industry for granted instead of deeming it as a chore to complete, and instead should have taken a break, where she could have gotten married and had kids with Dame regardless of limelight relevancy, which she still regrets not being able to start her own family. Her soul made it a point to analyze her facial expressions to when she was "feeling it" or when it was done out of haste to impress certain authorities. Her soul said that manipulating sexuality for personal gain does destroy something within you spiritually but she was incorporating it for the image and hopefully fans can separate what is depicted by the media versus what truly happened. Her soul said that Aaliyah really loved Dame Dash and what benefited her was that Dame was the cofounder of Rocafella records, which would have gotten her leverage and the connections to move away from her family-ran music label and directly negotiate her deal. Her soul said that her uncle was nefarious and he was losing control and rank in the pyramid scheme that he made with his music label. She was in the middle of being freed from Blackground records to record new material under her control but because she died, he got to keep the majority of the unreleased recordings while her estate was responsible for her image. As stated, the image in tandem with the artistic talents in music are multiplied to propel the branding for relevancy and sales. The estate doesn't want her music to profit the wrong individuals in the family business except that both need to work together for her legacy to be revived. She has a heartfelt message to her fans who uphold and still bring her legacy into prominence after all these years.
Outside of Whitney Houston (that she is really good friends with), her soul kept on pointing to Jennifer Lopez to the channeler in terms of similarities in industry arrival -- JLo was doing dance, Latin, and pop music on her first albums before she transitioned into hip hop and R&B with the help of industry heads in Diddy and Tommy Mottola buying leftover shelved demos from Usher and Brandy, etc and emulating Mariah Carey singles before having Ashanti and Natasha Ramos, etc craft her next singles. JLo leveraged her sexuality to woo heads of record labels (similar to the gentler, natural relationship that Aaliyah found with Dame), where JLo was used to fill the R&B void that Aaliyah left, outside of the rise of Ashanti, Mya, Beyonce, Ciara, Keri Hilson, revival of Monica, etc where Missy was helping some of them succeed. Aaliyah would have found a more flattering way to produce hits and be a trendsetter without harming relationships with other artists in the industry. At the time of her Red album, she said her uncle and his shady industry partners were losing the battle for control and custody over her and she was supposed to be set free from her Blackground label. Her soul said Jay-Z was nefariously scheming over her but wanted her to be in servitude for him in marriage, which is why in the pictures Jay grabbed her by the waist to dance with her (pay attention to facial expressions, similar to how worried she looked at the Nas I Am album release party). She said Jay was wanting to control her towards something sinister to cover up his own insecurities, and that he wanted to teach her a lesson for choosing Dame (which was also why later Dame got screwed out the deal when Rocafella folded and was sold to Def Jam). The Rocafella hand symbol was just a representation reminder for those climbing the pyramid to aim for the top, for how the industry is structured. For example, Kanye took advantage of Rocafella Records and Dame Dash by having his creative output of The College Dropout without the standardization of how rap records were supposed to sound like, where every song Aaliyah sang about was about Love and relationships for R&B records, dictated by her uncle. She was more in control and freeform being in a relationship with Dame, where she said she truly loved him, had a heart connection, and was happy with him.
Upon reflecting on the day of her death, her soul said that her uncle was losing leverage towards controlling her (where she made the majority of the record label's profits) and how she was about to be freed from her uncle's record label. The shady industry conglomerates that her uncle had shady dealings with were also upset and her soul said there were a consortium of shadowy industry conspirators that wanted her demise to control and profiteer off her discography had she died, from how 2Pac and Biggie's music sold way more as one last huzzah before they were supposed to get out their initial contracts and launch their own independent labels. Given that Blackground did a new deal with Virgin Records for her Red album after leaving Atlantic after OIAM, look into Richard Branson (who was associated with Jeffery Epstein, a wall-street magnate) and how the new label backed out and dropped Aaliyah when she died so they wouldn't have to pay for funeral services. Because Aaliyah was dropped from Virgin records after death, Blackground records stopped receiving payments and the funeral bill of $60k went to the estate to cover, where Maxwell picked up the tab. Obviously, she had a premonition dream about her death being floating and weightless from some entity chasing her where all her worries wisped away.
She had a bad feeling about the plane. Her soul reflected that there was something wrong with the airplane tire pressure and one of the airplane instruments was being tampered with and was malfunctioning done on purpose to sabotage the plane. The heavyset man was probably her 300 pound bodyguard discussing some type of deal with the pilot to get them back into the states that she wasn't paying attention to happening in the background. She said that the pilot was the fall guy placed in that position and that the autopsy report saying that there were traces of cocaine and alcohol was a "media trick" to impress upon the public something was at fault with the pilot. It was said that the airplane pilot was the son of a veteran pilot and he had many undocumented hours when flying as a kid with his dad because he had an innate skill to fly without having proper documentation procedures. The pilot was put in this predicament of being on probation for stealing airplane parts and was pressured to fly to keep his job. Her soul said that at the time, she was blind sighted by her anger and the pursuit for her career to be successful and to prove the executives at Virgin Records wrong that 'Rock the Boat' was a good single to be release for her album. Because of this anger, he soul said that she claimed responsibility for flying out a day early to catch other deadlines of recording the Timbaland remix to more than a woman and a feature with Freeway in Miami and that the pressures that resulted in her decisions and actions created hasty judgement overlooking the obvious danger signs and common sense of overloaded/unbalanced luggage. She said that once they were in the air and the plane began to dip and the pilot had to readjust, it was reported in the autopsy report that she died of a shock to the system from a weak heart, suggesting that she was in a coma. She was found 20 feet away from the wreckage where there was one bruise on her forehead and she was in a fetal position. One of the channelers said that when she fainted in midair from her anxiety of flying, she actually felt no pain from the impact and transitioned to the other side where there was a rescue for her soul by her Grandmother that she honored on her red album.
Her soul said that it took her soul 4 years after her death to piece together what had happened that lead her down this path and how to correct for it. She said in her afterlife, she is surrounded by older women as guidance, especially her Grandmother and Whitney, to learn the lessons of not choosing her mortal life path to be stuck in this life of expectation and servitude of having entertainment as a chore to complete for the dangling pursuit of true freedom, but to choose freedom from expectations the minute it appears instead of toil in the guise of it being a careereputation to uphold. She was on the right path towards finding true love with Dame without using marriage as a business pact. She got the upper hand but because she was so low on the pyramid structure of the industry, the powers that be can pull the plug or interfere from her attempts to get free even though she came so close into doing so. Her soul has learned to not pattern her lifetime to be born into these families with entertainment expectations. She said that life is one big stage and some choose the spotlight but everyone has this expectation to contribute to become something. Certain families that your soul ends up being born in have certain agendas for their kids -- they give you the luxuries of life but you have to serve their agenda instead of letting souls pick up life on how they naturally want to be. Her soul said that in order to correct this, she is thriving in the afterlife towards identifying who she really is and recognize the pattern of what life she wants to pick up next without falling into the same situations. My thoughts are that she was so different and had so much style and swag and stood alone that she was a trendsetter without being one by proving to the public she can be her own without following any previous standards or expectations. Even though she was put into that life, she took over and quintessentially became her own person with humility, class, and grace -- people eventually become divas almost as a defense mechanism because of how brutal the industry is towards casting judgement or casting falsehoods about your character because of their struggle for power, greed, and control.
Her souls' words to her mother said that she loved and forgave her in terms of being casted the expectations to perform in industry at such a young age before she had her own impressions of what she wanted in life. She had a lot of good laughter and fond memories but it was in a somber tone due to all the secrets kept. Her soul said that she loved her brother with a lot of emotion and she will never speak badly about him for defending her reputation. She said industry politics got in the way of true progress on her legacy and it wasn't up to the spiritual realm for when her legacy is fully restored to the public. Her soul said that she sacrificed the parts of herself that she understands and identifies with now for the branding and the image of Aaliyah but nobody can decide who you choose your life to be but it is manipulated by the media and family to chase certain ideologies and lifestyles over others. The last message her soul had was that there is a 10 year old girl with her similar looks and poise that they are bringing to the public, who also have this strong connection to her Grandmother, except that this is coming from another entertainment family where the kid is positioned to perform out of expectation and they are drawing inspiration from Aaliyah to mimic and recreate her energy for another money grab. Notice that the 2 videos were done in 2017 and 2019, so they have no way to name that individual except that Blue Ivy was mentioned by her Grandmother that she reminded her of Aaliyah on IG recently, so Blue Ivy is probably the person her soul is talking about that they are trying to rechannel her energy through this little girl as a part of their family entertainment business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLOuP7WxP-Q If the channelers had "lucky guesses", then how did they stick their neck out and predict that 4-6 years in advance without even having a name?
If there are other channeling videos that you deem to be legit without the cards, let me know.
2022.11.26 07:30 SatanExposed MK ultra-programming through trauma. 6-year-old girl Jon Benet Ramsey: a victim and evidence of MK ultra-programming gone wrong?
 | I will cover more on this in the future. This post is just the beginning submitted by SatanExposed to SaturnStormCube [link] [comments] For children born into occult families that are groomed to be. They are often abused physically, emotionally, and sexually in order to break their minds and bend them to the will of the devil. (Bonus: documentary of satanic child abuse https://youtu.be/4oIfAlKAsX8) Two women tortured, brainwashed and prostituted by the Illuminati paint a disturbing picture of how the world of MK ultra children is really run. Both say they were prostituted to world leaders as children and even went under satanic ritualistic abuse. They are Brice Taylor who is Author of "Thanks for the Memories" and Cathy O' Brien Author of "Trance formation of America" Many of these children are products of a life that include pedophilia, drug trafficking and consumption, CP, Bestiality, Mind Control, Rape, Torture, Satanic rituals, and Human sacrifices. They are given many opportunities to indulge their perversities, which ensure continued obedience and solidarity. They are often symbolized by a monarch butterfly.(I already covered Human Sacrifices and torture/rape before but not enough, I will indulge more on it in the future god willing) https://preview.redd.it/g2w7k55oj82a1.png?width=496&format=png&auto=webp&s=3c84b31e38c12615c3ce8ce1c00f7326628ad6d6 Both Cath o Brien and Brice Taylor were victims of the Masonic,Occultic MK ultra mind control program, Which is designed to create Humans to serve functions ranging from slaves to celebrities, to politicans and so forth. And often this is done by breaking their mind and will which is done through hurt. Their Families belong to secret satanic sects or occult families (many of which claim to be decedents of Templars/Solomon/Pharoh's and etc) that sexually abuse their children generation after generation to produce the trauma which causes multiple personality disorder. In this traumatized condition the mind splinters into many "compartments". Victims exhibit extraordinary power of recollection and endurance and can be easily commanded to do anything. https://preview.redd.it/ufedrh2ck82a1.png?width=415&format=png&auto=webp&s=3eb1f5bd433bc570cc190f2be78cfdb42b89f73a Brice Taylor talks about her experiences and what Jon B Ramsey may have gone through. https://reddit.com/link/z50boa/video/gr67z3inm82a1/player https://reddit.com/link/z50boa/video/zfc9jhunm82a1/player Fritz Springmeier explains trauma’s effect on the mind https://youtu.be/8B1kXMf9Gaw In this post at the bottom I covered Britney Spears abuse symptoms through her song "scream and shout" as well as her altering personalities.Lets Discussion below and I will provide insight of my knowledge. What does it actually mean for a Celebrity to sell your soul to the devil or to be born into it? : SaturnStormCube (reddit.com) Now lets move onto the girl Who is John Benet Ramsey?In the early 90's John Benet Ramsey was a American child beauty queen who was killed at the age of six in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. https://preview.redd.it/eh9p9y7yn82a1.png?width=220&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc61395cc7d87fe7975ef1fd57dd6084f3605d0a Going by the wikipedia article:"she had sustained a broken skull from a blow to the head and had been strangled " "a garrote was found tied around her neck. The autopsy report stated that JonBenét's official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma".For those who don't know this is what a Garrote does https://preview.redd.it/w9fw8x9xn82a1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f0c8ac2f312cdc9399e990fff206bb33b0b2951 Evidence of child abuse:The autopsy revealed that JonBenét had been killed by strangulation and a skull fracture. The official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma."[2][1] There was no evidence of conventional rape, although sexual assault could not be ruled out. Although no semen was found, there was evidence that there had been a vaginal injury*. At the time of the autopsy, the pathologist recorded that it* appeared her vaginal area had been wiped with a cloth.[40] Her death was ruled a homicide.[3] A garrote that was made from a length of nylon cord and the broken handle of a paintbrush was tied around JonBenét's neck and had apparently been used to strangle her. Part of the bristle end of the paintbrush was found in a tub containing Patsy's art supplies, but the bottom third of it was never found despite extensive searching of the house by the police in subsequent days. Now lets look at the man who conducted the autopsy. Jewish doctor Cyril Wecht was the man who performed autopsies on JonBenet Ramsey as well as Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Daniel Smith, Elvis Presley, and played a reporting role in JFK autopsy. Did you know Jackson calls the Dr Conrad Murray the "Fall Guys" in Michael Jacksons death? https://preview.redd.it/xfmm31kqo82a1.png?width=723&format=png&auto=webp&s=553d4416ba0a72688f5438a6e8e91c175f62d867 It isn't random that you see Cyril Wecht in many cases of celebrity mind control sacrifice, He is part of the occult and plays a role in covering sacrifices. Ariana Grande and Amy Winehouse is someone I am hoping to cover of her programming just like I did with Aaliyah and Britney in the future god willing. I still have to expand more on Spears. |
2022.06.20 20:05 Jxse1 On March 9th 1997, Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls was murdered during a drive by shooting while he traveled to Los Angeles, No arrests were made and the case remains unsolved.
Christopher Wallace traveled to Los Angeles, California, in February 1997 to promote his upcoming second studio album, Life After Death, and to film a music video for its lead single, "Hypnotize". On March 5, he gave a radio interview with The Dog House on San Francisco's KYLD, in which he stated that he had hired security because he feared for his safety. Wallace cited that the reasons for the decision were not only the ongoing East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud and the murder of Tupac Shakur six months prior, but that security was simply a necessity for high-profile celebrity figures in general. Life After Death was scheduled for release on March 25, 1997.
On March 7, Wallace presented an award to Toni Braxton at the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards and was booed by some of the audience. The next morning Wallace was scheduled to go to London but this did not happen. The following evening, March 8, he and the Bad Boy Records entourage attended an after-party hosted by Vibe magazine and Qwest Records at the Petersen Automotive Museum set up by Kidada Jones in the Carthay Circle community of Los Angeles. Other guests included Faith Evans, Aaliyah, Chris Tucker, the Wayans brothers, Ginuwine, Irv Gotti, Jewell, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Kenny Burns, DJ Clue, Clark Kent, DJ Quik, Ed Lover, and members of the Bloods and Crips gangs.
Photographer Eric Johnson said that he was supposed to photograph Biggie in Los Angeles in 1997, but that he could not be pinpointed to a location because Biggie kept getting death threats.
On March 9, 1997, at 12:30 a.m. (PST), Wallace left with his entourage in two Chevrolet Suburbans to attend an after-party at Steve Stoute's house in the Hollywood Hills. Prior to leaving, the Los Angeles Fire Department closed the party early because of smoking and loud music. Wallace traveled in the front passenger seat alongside his associates Damion "D-Roc" Butler, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease, and driver Gregory "G-Money" Young. Sean Combs traveled in the other vehicle with Eugene "Gene" Deal, Tone, Stevie J and driver Kenny. The two SUVs were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy Records' director of security, Paul Offord, driven by an off-duty Inglewood police officer.
By 12:45 a.m. (PST), the streets were crowded with people leaving the museum. Wallace's SUV stopped at a red light on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and South Fairfax Avenue just 50 yd (46 m) away. Two minutes later, a dark-colored 1994–1996 Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up alongside Wallace's Suburban. The driver of the Impala, a black male, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the SUV; four bullets hit Wallace. Wallace's entourage rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed an emergency thoracotomy, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. (PST). He was 24 years old.
Wallace's autopsy report was released to the public in December 2012, fifteen years after his death. According to the report, three of the four shots were not fatal. The first bullet hit his left forearm and traveled down to his wrist; the second hit him in the back, missing all vital organs, and exited through his left shoulder; and the third hit his left thigh and exited through his inner thigh. The report said that the third bullet struck "the left side of the scrotum, causing a very shallow, 3⁄8 in \[10 mm\] linear laceration." The fourth bullet was fatal, entering through his right hip and striking several vital organs, including his colon, liver, heart, and the upper lobe of his left lung, before stopping in his left shoulder area.
Wallace's death was mourned by fellow hip hop artists and fans worldwide. Rapper Nas felt at the time that Wallace's death, along with that of Tupac Shakur, "was nearly the end of rap."
Investigation
Immediately following the shooting, reports surfaced linking Wallace's murder with that of Shakur's six months earlier, due to similarities in the drive-by shootings and the highly publicized East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud, of which Shakur and Wallace had been central figures.
Media reports had previously speculated that Wallace was in some way connected to Shakur's murder, though no evidence ever surfaced to seriously implicate him. Shortly after Wallace's death, Los Angeles Times writers Chuck Philips and Matt Lait reported that the key suspect in his murder was a member of the Southside Crips acting out of a personal financial motive, rather than on the gang's behalf. The investigation stalled, however, and no one was ever formally charged.
In a 2002 book by Randall Sullivan, called LAbyrinth, information was compiled about the murders of Wallace and Shakur based on information provided by retired LAPD detective Russell Poole. In the book, Sullivan accused Marion "Suge" Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records and a known Bloods affiliate, of conspiring with corrupt Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer David Mack to kill Wallace and make both deaths appear to be the result of the rap rivalry. The book stated that one of Mack's alleged associates, Amir Muhammad, was the hitman who killed Wallace. The theory was based on evidence provided by an informant named Psycho Mike and the general resemblance of Muhammad to the facial composite generated during the investigation.
In 2002, filmmaker Nick Broomfield released a documentary, Biggie & Tupac, based on information from the book. The New York Times described Broomfield's documentary as a "largely speculative" and "circumstantial" account relying on flimsy evidence, failing to "present counter-evidence" or "question sources. Moreover, the motive suggested for the murder of Wallace in the documentary—to decrease suspicion for the Shakur shooting six months earlier—was, as the Times put it, "unsupported in the film."
An article published in Rolling Stone by Sullivan in December 2005 accused the LAPD of not fully investigating leads concerning Death Row Records based on Poole's evidence. He claimed that Combs "failed to fully cooperate with the investigation", and according to Poole, encouraged Bad Boy staff to do the same. The accuracy of the article was later challenged in a letter by the Assistant Managing Editor of the Los Angeles Times, who accused Sullivan of using "shoddy tactics." Sullivan, in response, quoted the lead attorney of the Wallace estate calling the newspaper "a co-conspirator in the cover-up."
In alluding to Sullivan and Poole's theory that formed the basis of the Wallace family's dismissed $500 million lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, The New York Times wrote: "A cottage industry of criminal speculation has sprung up around the case, with documentaries, books and a stream of lurid magazine articles implicating gangs, crooked cops and a cross-country rap rivalry, noting that everything associated with Wallace's death had been "big business." More recently, the film City of Lies was produced based on Poole's investigation and Sullivan's book, and cast Johnny Depp as Poole.
The Los Angeles Times printed conflicting theories of the murder in different sections of the paper. The Metro section of the Times reported that police suspected a connection between Wallace's death and the Rampart police corruption scandal, consistent with Sullivan and Poole's theory. The Metro section also ran a photo of Muhammad, identified by police as a mortgage broker unconnected to the murder who appeared to match details of the gunman, printing his name and driver's license. However, Chuck Philips, a staff writer for the Business section of the Times, searched for Muhammad, whom the Metro reporters could not find for comment. It took only three days to find Muhammad, who had a current ad for his brokerage business running in the Times.
Muhammad, who was not an official suspect at the time, came forward to clear his name. The Metro section of the paper was opposed to running a retraction, but the business desk editor, Mark Saylor, said, "Chuck is sort of the world's authority on rap violence" and pushed, along with Chuck Philips, for the Times to retract the article. In a correction article written by Philips in May 2000, Muhammad was quoted as saying, "I'm a mortgage broker, not a murderer" and asking, "How can something so completely false end up on the front page of a major newspaper?" The story cleared Muhammad's name.
A later 2005 story by Chuck Philips alleged that an informant for the Poole-Sullivan theory, Psycho Mike, was a schizophrenic with admitted memory lapses who confessed to hearsay. John Cook of Brill's Content noted that Philips' article "demolished" the Poole-Sullivan theory of Wallace's murder.
In the 2000 book The Murder of Biggie Smalls, investigative journalist and author Cathy Scott suggested that Wallace and Shakur's murders might have been the result of the East Coast–West Coast feud and motivated by financial gain for the record companies, because the rappers were worth more dead than alive.
The criminal investigation into Wallace's murder was re-opened in July 2006 to look for new evidence to help the city defend the civil lawsuits brought by the Wallace family. Disgraced, retired LAPD detective Greg Kading, who worked for three years on a gang task force that included the Wallace case, alleged that the rapper was shot by Wardell "Poochie" Fouse. Fouse, a Mob Piru gang member and an associate of Knight, died on July 24, 2003, after being shot in the back while riding his motorcycle in Compton. Kading believes Knight hired Fouse to kill Wallace to avenge the death of Shakur, via his girlfriend, Theresa Swann. Kading alleges Shakur was killed under the orders of Combs.
In December 2012, the LAPD released the autopsy results conducted on Wallace's body to generate new leads. The release was criticized by the long-time lawyer of his estate, Perry Sanders Jr., who objected to an autopsy. The case remains officially unsolved.
https://www.biography.com/musician/biggie-smalls
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_the_Notorious_B.I.G.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rapper-notorious-b-i-g-is-killed-in-los-angeles
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/the-notorious-b-i-g-s-murder-remains-unsolved-25-years-later
submitted by Jxse1 to UnresolvedMysteries [link] [comments]
Christopher Wallace traveled to Los Angeles, California, in February 1997 to promote his upcoming second studio album, Life After Death, and to film a music video for its lead single, "Hypnotize". On March 5, he gave a radio interview with The Dog House on San Francisco's KYLD, in which he stated that he had hired security because he feared for his safety. Wallace cited that the reasons for the decision were not only the ongoing East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud and the murder of Tupac Shakur six months prior, but that security was simply a necessity for high-profile celebrity figures in general. Life After Death was scheduled for release on March 25, 1997.
On March 7, Wallace presented an award to Toni Braxton at the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards and was booed by some of the audience. The next morning Wallace was scheduled to go to London but this did not happen. The following evening, March 8, he and the Bad Boy Records entourage attended an after-party hosted by Vibe magazine and Qwest Records at the Petersen Automotive Museum set up by Kidada Jones in the Carthay Circle community of Los Angeles. Other guests included Faith Evans, Aaliyah, Chris Tucker, the Wayans brothers, Ginuwine, Irv Gotti, Jewell, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Kenny Burns, DJ Clue, Clark Kent, DJ Quik, Ed Lover, and members of the Bloods and Crips gangs.
Photographer Eric Johnson said that he was supposed to photograph Biggie in Los Angeles in 1997, but that he could not be pinpointed to a location because Biggie kept getting death threats.
On March 9, 1997, at 12:30 a.m. (PST), Wallace left with his entourage in two Chevrolet Suburbans to attend an after-party at Steve Stoute's house in the Hollywood Hills. Prior to leaving, the Los Angeles Fire Department closed the party early because of smoking and loud music. Wallace traveled in the front passenger seat alongside his associates Damion "D-Roc" Butler, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease, and driver Gregory "G-Money" Young. Sean Combs traveled in the other vehicle with Eugene "Gene" Deal, Tone, Stevie J and driver Kenny. The two SUVs were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy Records' director of security, Paul Offord, driven by an off-duty Inglewood police officer.
By 12:45 a.m. (PST), the streets were crowded with people leaving the museum. Wallace's SUV stopped at a red light on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and South Fairfax Avenue just 50 yd (46 m) away. Two minutes later, a dark-colored 1994–1996 Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up alongside Wallace's Suburban. The driver of the Impala, a black male, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the SUV; four bullets hit Wallace. Wallace's entourage rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed an emergency thoracotomy, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. (PST). He was 24 years old.
Wallace's autopsy report was released to the public in December 2012, fifteen years after his death. According to the report, three of the four shots were not fatal. The first bullet hit his left forearm and traveled down to his wrist; the second hit him in the back, missing all vital organs, and exited through his left shoulder; and the third hit his left thigh and exited through his inner thigh. The report said that the third bullet struck "the left side of the scrotum, causing a very shallow, 3⁄8 in \[10 mm\] linear laceration." The fourth bullet was fatal, entering through his right hip and striking several vital organs, including his colon, liver, heart, and the upper lobe of his left lung, before stopping in his left shoulder area.
Wallace's death was mourned by fellow hip hop artists and fans worldwide. Rapper Nas felt at the time that Wallace's death, along with that of Tupac Shakur, "was nearly the end of rap."
Investigation
Immediately following the shooting, reports surfaced linking Wallace's murder with that of Shakur's six months earlier, due to similarities in the drive-by shootings and the highly publicized East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud, of which Shakur and Wallace had been central figures.
Media reports had previously speculated that Wallace was in some way connected to Shakur's murder, though no evidence ever surfaced to seriously implicate him. Shortly after Wallace's death, Los Angeles Times writers Chuck Philips and Matt Lait reported that the key suspect in his murder was a member of the Southside Crips acting out of a personal financial motive, rather than on the gang's behalf. The investigation stalled, however, and no one was ever formally charged.
In a 2002 book by Randall Sullivan, called LAbyrinth, information was compiled about the murders of Wallace and Shakur based on information provided by retired LAPD detective Russell Poole. In the book, Sullivan accused Marion "Suge" Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records and a known Bloods affiliate, of conspiring with corrupt Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer David Mack to kill Wallace and make both deaths appear to be the result of the rap rivalry. The book stated that one of Mack's alleged associates, Amir Muhammad, was the hitman who killed Wallace. The theory was based on evidence provided by an informant named Psycho Mike and the general resemblance of Muhammad to the facial composite generated during the investigation.
In 2002, filmmaker Nick Broomfield released a documentary, Biggie & Tupac, based on information from the book. The New York Times described Broomfield's documentary as a "largely speculative" and "circumstantial" account relying on flimsy evidence, failing to "present counter-evidence" or "question sources. Moreover, the motive suggested for the murder of Wallace in the documentary—to decrease suspicion for the Shakur shooting six months earlier—was, as the Times put it, "unsupported in the film."
An article published in Rolling Stone by Sullivan in December 2005 accused the LAPD of not fully investigating leads concerning Death Row Records based on Poole's evidence. He claimed that Combs "failed to fully cooperate with the investigation", and according to Poole, encouraged Bad Boy staff to do the same. The accuracy of the article was later challenged in a letter by the Assistant Managing Editor of the Los Angeles Times, who accused Sullivan of using "shoddy tactics." Sullivan, in response, quoted the lead attorney of the Wallace estate calling the newspaper "a co-conspirator in the cover-up."
In alluding to Sullivan and Poole's theory that formed the basis of the Wallace family's dismissed $500 million lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, The New York Times wrote: "A cottage industry of criminal speculation has sprung up around the case, with documentaries, books and a stream of lurid magazine articles implicating gangs, crooked cops and a cross-country rap rivalry, noting that everything associated with Wallace's death had been "big business." More recently, the film City of Lies was produced based on Poole's investigation and Sullivan's book, and cast Johnny Depp as Poole.
The Los Angeles Times printed conflicting theories of the murder in different sections of the paper. The Metro section of the Times reported that police suspected a connection between Wallace's death and the Rampart police corruption scandal, consistent with Sullivan and Poole's theory. The Metro section also ran a photo of Muhammad, identified by police as a mortgage broker unconnected to the murder who appeared to match details of the gunman, printing his name and driver's license. However, Chuck Philips, a staff writer for the Business section of the Times, searched for Muhammad, whom the Metro reporters could not find for comment. It took only three days to find Muhammad, who had a current ad for his brokerage business running in the Times.
Muhammad, who was not an official suspect at the time, came forward to clear his name. The Metro section of the paper was opposed to running a retraction, but the business desk editor, Mark Saylor, said, "Chuck is sort of the world's authority on rap violence" and pushed, along with Chuck Philips, for the Times to retract the article. In a correction article written by Philips in May 2000, Muhammad was quoted as saying, "I'm a mortgage broker, not a murderer" and asking, "How can something so completely false end up on the front page of a major newspaper?" The story cleared Muhammad's name.
A later 2005 story by Chuck Philips alleged that an informant for the Poole-Sullivan theory, Psycho Mike, was a schizophrenic with admitted memory lapses who confessed to hearsay. John Cook of Brill's Content noted that Philips' article "demolished" the Poole-Sullivan theory of Wallace's murder.
In the 2000 book The Murder of Biggie Smalls, investigative journalist and author Cathy Scott suggested that Wallace and Shakur's murders might have been the result of the East Coast–West Coast feud and motivated by financial gain for the record companies, because the rappers were worth more dead than alive.
The criminal investigation into Wallace's murder was re-opened in July 2006 to look for new evidence to help the city defend the civil lawsuits brought by the Wallace family. Disgraced, retired LAPD detective Greg Kading, who worked for three years on a gang task force that included the Wallace case, alleged that the rapper was shot by Wardell "Poochie" Fouse. Fouse, a Mob Piru gang member and an associate of Knight, died on July 24, 2003, after being shot in the back while riding his motorcycle in Compton. Kading believes Knight hired Fouse to kill Wallace to avenge the death of Shakur, via his girlfriend, Theresa Swann. Kading alleges Shakur was killed under the orders of Combs.
In December 2012, the LAPD released the autopsy results conducted on Wallace's body to generate new leads. The release was criticized by the long-time lawyer of his estate, Perry Sanders Jr., who objected to an autopsy. The case remains officially unsolved.
https://www.biography.com/musician/biggie-smalls
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_the_Notorious_B.I.G.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rapper-notorious-b-i-g-is-killed-in-los-angeles
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/the-notorious-b-i-g-s-murder-remains-unsolved-25-years-later
2022.02.12 02:07 10MinuteHorror Don't Listen To The Superbowl Halftime Show
This is a warning.
Not just a warning for people who watch football, but to anyone who plans to watch the Halftime show this Sunday.
There’s a certain musical artist, in fact, you might call her one of the world’s greatest superstars and performers of all-time, who is rumoured to be taking the stage in a surprise cameo on Sunday. If she does, do not listen. Plug your ears. Put the TV on mute. Or just walk away. But do not listen. No matter what.
I’ll refer to this superstar as Celeste to avoid litigation, though you’ll be able to piece together who it is with little difficulty by the end of this story. She has a sinister ability that others don’t know about. She can adversely affect people with her voice. A certain flexing of vocal cords and exhaled air. Using it, she can manipulate, sadden, infuriate, and in more than one case, cause the death of people who hear her sing certain notes.
Only certain people can do it, with their voice. There are top agencies that are very good at finding these singers. After all, they had eyes on Celeste as early as high school.
The voice I’m taking about, we’ve all heard. It’s the one that brings tears to your eyes. Gives you chills. Sadness. Hope. Or courage. It blends the metaphysical and spiritual realms.
When it’s trained the right ways, with the right chants… other reactions become possible.
And on much larger scales.
I know all this, because I grew up with Celeste. We’re cousins, and our families grew up together.
From an early age, she was being trained to be a performer and superstar. Few have that special energy inside them, but she does. And she had a work-hard mentality chiselled into her from the beginning.
In school, she was a magnet to everyone. It was like every day was new hair cut day for her. People just wanted to constantly talk to her about everything she wore and did and thought.
Guys flocked to her, and the girls wanted to be her but weren’t jealous or spiteful. You couldn’t be towards Celeste. She was good to everyone, and it reflected right back.
Then there was Ben.
He was the only guy in school who didn’t melt no matter how warm she got. He looked at her like she was just another girl in class. No more, no less.
One day, at lunch, Celeste tried to win him over by asking him to the winter formal. Everyone in the caf was watching and listening. No one knew what he’d say.
Then he said, “No. You’re ugly and your voice hurts my ears.”
Everyone gasped.
A student laughed. Then another did. But they were quickly shush’d.
Ben walked away, not caring about the atom bomb he dropped, and no one knew what to say or do. Celeste just stood there, tears welling in her eyes.
It was cruel, what he said. And it impacted her for the rest of her life.
After that day, she was different. It was like there was a shadow behind her eyes. She wasn’t as open and friendly with people, however she still had that incredible charm. But Ben broke that innocent hopefulness that made her glow.
It was replaced by something else. Something more determined. She spent the rest of that year training even harder. It was like she had some singing competition coming up, but there wasn’t one until next fall.
The last day of school came and went, and there was an end of the year rager held at a senior’s parents house. It was a mansion of a home, with a huge backyard and pool. It was an absolute shit show of a party. People were jumping from the roof into the pool. Someone rode a bike into it. The whole thing could have been out of a music video. Everyone showed up. Even Ben.
I was with Celeste when she saw him enter the party, and I felt the energy around us shift. Like gravity got heavier. I had to sit down for a minute to get my head back, but then she was gone. She’d never been lost in a crowd before, because she burned so bright, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. She must have gone inside. I checked the whole mansion, but found nothing. Then I saw a doorway to the roof…
I heard her voice drift in on the wind, which shot ice up my spine. She was singing to Ben.
The specific notes made me feel uneasy.
I reached into my purse, pulling out the small fabric balls I used to stuff my ears when Celeste was singing. It was something I’d done since childhood, and seemed to dampen the effects of her voice.
I plugged both my ears, and crept outside.
I saw them sitting together on the roof. Ben was sitting with his legs open, and Celeste was kneeling between his legs, singing quietly to him. They were both fully clothed, and weren’t even in physical contact. It wasn’t romantic, but it was intimate. He looked dazed… hypnotized. Her eyes were fixed on him as she sang. It was like watching a snake charmer.
He began to hum along to the tune. His eyes slowly shut. Drool, dripped down his chin.
Then he stood up… Wavering over Celeste. She continued to hum, but grew louder. She turned and faced the backyard. The pool. She sang out to it… To the party below. To the pool fifteen feet further. And Ben followed her voice right over the edge.
I wanted to call out. But then Celeste would know I was there. And who knew what she could make me do. I lost my breath anyways. Or maybe her voice silenced me. I’ll never know. But I stayed silent.
Ben didn’t make it to the pool. He landed on the BBQ, his neck cracking back so far his forehead touched his spine. He died instantly.
It was ruled a drunken accident, as other students had been jumping from the roof earlier. And I was the only one who knew she was up there with him… Singing quietly to him.
Of course, I kept quiet, but stayed close. I was afraid because I didn’t know the extent of her abilities, and when our families spent the weekends together, I kept ear plugs in at night. Just in case she tried something while I was asleep. Whispering in my ear to commit some kind of atrocity on myself, or others…
But I stayed close. I wanted to understand her ability, and I’d also noticed that being on her “good side” would only help me. Our family was so close and so Team Celeste, you had to always be visible with your support.
It made sense. Our neighbourhood was filled with broken futures. So Team Celeste was like the last chopper out of Viet Nam. A rocketship of beauty, charm, and potential that would bring everyone up with her. Or at least, the ones on her “good side.”
The ones on her “bad side” I can only assume met an unfortunate end. There wasn’t only Ben. There was her first manager, Jerry, who tried to assault Celeste in the back of a limo. She didn’t want to press charges. She said she just wanted to move on.
But one night while we were staying with her family, I heard Celeste sneak out back while everyone was asleep. She went through the kitchen, taking the house phone and stretching its long cord out the back door.
I quietly followed, fabric plugs in hand and ready to pop in, and heard her call Jerry from outside.
She began to sing. I plugged my ears, only dimmed notes getting through. They made me feel nauseous. I snuck back to my room and hid under the sheets. Celeste came back inside about five minutes later, and the house went quiet again.
The next morning, Jerry’s body was found. He’d overdosed on Valium shortly after receiving a phone call.
Then there was her former bodyguard, Alonzo Jefferies, who was fired from her security detail following an alleged harassment. Two days later, Alonzo walked into traffic after receiving a phone call. After his death, and the others, Celeste also appeared stronger.
The other thing many people don’t know about Celeste, is she wasn’t supposed to be where she is. She was placed there. In the 1990’s, there was an impressive, rising young talent named Aaliyah that you may remember. She came onto the scene hot, talented, intelligent, strong and fiercely independent… she had her own opinion. But she spoke it often.
The agencies tried to condition Aaliyah, but she was stronger than them. She started to speak out, more and more, to the people that were closest to her. She shared her worries and fears with her boyfriend, rapper Dane Dash, and another couple she was close to. The couple was Celeste and her boyfriend, who is now her longtime husband. You might say they’ve become the power couple of hip-hop and rap.
But back then, all four were just budding superstars on different paths. And one of those paths had to be blocked. A plan was set into motion. On the way to a music video shoot for her would-be-hit “Rock The Boat” in the Bahamas, Aaliyah’s plane crashed shortly after take-off. What most people don’t know, is she had voiced concerns about the safety of the plane, even to boyfriend, Dash. Upon further inquiry, the Cessna had been cited four times in the four years before the incident, including a safety violation. The pilot was found to have alcohol and cocaine in his system after the autopsy. He had also received probation for crack possession less than two weeks prior to the flight. The FAA had never been informed, or they would have uncertified him from flying.
The entire crash was meticulously put together. The picking of a pilot. The picking of the plane. Overloading capacity limits with bags and luggage. It’s horrible to think… but there are horrible people in the world. And they have orchestrated pervasive and profound occult manipulations on a whole societal level.
Aaliyah was starting to learn more and more about these people, and was going to come forward. Sadly, she never got to, and with everyone dying in the crash, no one came to blame. Aaliyah’s family sued the record label, and won. Not that they were the responsible ones…
This was all coordinated to be a blood sacrifice for the creation of the Divine Feminine Goddess. The death of Aaliyah, into the birth of Celeste. And here we are, two decades later, the sacrifice coming to fruition. The performer, Celeste, turned forty in September. For many, that age represents a rite of passage into the midlife.
But not for Celeste’s handlers. Or those with Biblical knowledge. It’s far more malevolent.
The number forty represents trial and privation in the Bible. Christ was tempted by the Devil while he spent forty days in the wilderness. There were forty days of the Great Flood and forty years of Moses wandering the desert. It’s also interesting to note that the planet Venus, named after the Goddess of fertility, desire, and love, forms a full pentagram in its orbital course and returns to the original point every forty years with a forty day regression.
Ultimately, the number represents the choice between life and death. During the performance, watch for something approximating a symbolic rebirth. It’s representative of killing the former self and being reborn to receive power from a large, public audience. And the more witnesses, the more energy is transferred.
There’s a certain bass level, that when put out and mixed with a specific pitch from a natural voice, creates a resonance wave that causes the listener’s pineal gland to vibrate.
The Pineal Gland is located in the centre of the brain, between the two hemispheres. It’s been referred to as the principal seat of the soul. And the place in which all our thoughts are formed. It’s also the only section of the brain that exists as a single part rather than one-half of a pair. In Hindu, it’s referred to as The Third Eye, or the Ajna Chakra.
The overwhelming majority of people have no idea of the spiritual abilities they can attain if they decalcify their Pineal Gland. If you want to start, get rid of your fluoride toothpaste, it causes the gland to shrink and atrophy over time. Also, drink chaga tea, iodine tablets, add a boric acid supplement, and eat plenty of foods high in chlorophyl.
The other way to decalcify, or awaken, is with the use of certain sounds that cause the gland to vibrate. When the voice and bass connect in harmony, the gland sparks and causes a sense of euphoria. This is because it has connected its owner with the collective consciousness of all the listeners.
You would think this is a beautiful event. The connected sharing of art. But the intent behind it… is evil.
The Collective Consciousness, or CC, is all harvested into something like a spiritual cloud, that is taken by one or several controllers of the energy. But one thing is certain, it is not given back. Your life force belongs to someone else now.
But not only are they draining you of life. They concentrate your body force. Your soul. Your will to live. They take your will to love. Your composure. Your joy. Love. Happiness. And they take it. It’s all energy that they can use for their own intents, while you suffer unknowingly.
The morning after the show, if you didn’t heed my advice and you watched and listened, take note of how you feel. The week ahead will seem longer. Friday will feel like next year. And next year will feel like a different life. Depression and anxiety will overwhelm you in waves.
This is the better scenario of the two possibilities for Sunday if she performs. The second one, is the one that frightens me.
What I fear is being planned, is not an energy harvest for Celeste. The other aim for a ritual on this scale, would be to use the audience as a mass, global blood sacrifice, offered up by Celeste in order for her to transcend to her next form.
If she does, the butterfly that emerges from her cocoon, wont just be able to control you with her voice. She’ll be able to hypnotize the entire planet with her mind.
She can tell everyone to be nicer to each other. To treat others respectfully. With empathy. With love. No more crime or war or hate.
Or… she might tell a large portion of us to fill our pockets with rocks and walk into the ocean.
One thing is certain, whatever you do, don’t listen to the Halftime show this Sunday.
submitted by 10MinuteHorror to scarystories [link] [comments]
Not just a warning for people who watch football, but to anyone who plans to watch the Halftime show this Sunday.
There’s a certain musical artist, in fact, you might call her one of the world’s greatest superstars and performers of all-time, who is rumoured to be taking the stage in a surprise cameo on Sunday. If she does, do not listen. Plug your ears. Put the TV on mute. Or just walk away. But do not listen. No matter what.
I’ll refer to this superstar as Celeste to avoid litigation, though you’ll be able to piece together who it is with little difficulty by the end of this story. She has a sinister ability that others don’t know about. She can adversely affect people with her voice. A certain flexing of vocal cords and exhaled air. Using it, she can manipulate, sadden, infuriate, and in more than one case, cause the death of people who hear her sing certain notes.
Only certain people can do it, with their voice. There are top agencies that are very good at finding these singers. After all, they had eyes on Celeste as early as high school.
The voice I’m taking about, we’ve all heard. It’s the one that brings tears to your eyes. Gives you chills. Sadness. Hope. Or courage. It blends the metaphysical and spiritual realms.
When it’s trained the right ways, with the right chants… other reactions become possible.
And on much larger scales.
I know all this, because I grew up with Celeste. We’re cousins, and our families grew up together.
From an early age, she was being trained to be a performer and superstar. Few have that special energy inside them, but she does. And she had a work-hard mentality chiselled into her from the beginning.
In school, she was a magnet to everyone. It was like every day was new hair cut day for her. People just wanted to constantly talk to her about everything she wore and did and thought.
Guys flocked to her, and the girls wanted to be her but weren’t jealous or spiteful. You couldn’t be towards Celeste. She was good to everyone, and it reflected right back.
Then there was Ben.
He was the only guy in school who didn’t melt no matter how warm she got. He looked at her like she was just another girl in class. No more, no less.
One day, at lunch, Celeste tried to win him over by asking him to the winter formal. Everyone in the caf was watching and listening. No one knew what he’d say.
Then he said, “No. You’re ugly and your voice hurts my ears.”
Everyone gasped.
A student laughed. Then another did. But they were quickly shush’d.
Ben walked away, not caring about the atom bomb he dropped, and no one knew what to say or do. Celeste just stood there, tears welling in her eyes.
It was cruel, what he said. And it impacted her for the rest of her life.
After that day, she was different. It was like there was a shadow behind her eyes. She wasn’t as open and friendly with people, however she still had that incredible charm. But Ben broke that innocent hopefulness that made her glow.
It was replaced by something else. Something more determined. She spent the rest of that year training even harder. It was like she had some singing competition coming up, but there wasn’t one until next fall.
The last day of school came and went, and there was an end of the year rager held at a senior’s parents house. It was a mansion of a home, with a huge backyard and pool. It was an absolute shit show of a party. People were jumping from the roof into the pool. Someone rode a bike into it. The whole thing could have been out of a music video. Everyone showed up. Even Ben.
I was with Celeste when she saw him enter the party, and I felt the energy around us shift. Like gravity got heavier. I had to sit down for a minute to get my head back, but then she was gone. She’d never been lost in a crowd before, because she burned so bright, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. She must have gone inside. I checked the whole mansion, but found nothing. Then I saw a doorway to the roof…
I heard her voice drift in on the wind, which shot ice up my spine. She was singing to Ben.
The specific notes made me feel uneasy.
I reached into my purse, pulling out the small fabric balls I used to stuff my ears when Celeste was singing. It was something I’d done since childhood, and seemed to dampen the effects of her voice.
I plugged both my ears, and crept outside.
I saw them sitting together on the roof. Ben was sitting with his legs open, and Celeste was kneeling between his legs, singing quietly to him. They were both fully clothed, and weren’t even in physical contact. It wasn’t romantic, but it was intimate. He looked dazed… hypnotized. Her eyes were fixed on him as she sang. It was like watching a snake charmer.
He began to hum along to the tune. His eyes slowly shut. Drool, dripped down his chin.
Then he stood up… Wavering over Celeste. She continued to hum, but grew louder. She turned and faced the backyard. The pool. She sang out to it… To the party below. To the pool fifteen feet further. And Ben followed her voice right over the edge.
I wanted to call out. But then Celeste would know I was there. And who knew what she could make me do. I lost my breath anyways. Or maybe her voice silenced me. I’ll never know. But I stayed silent.
Ben didn’t make it to the pool. He landed on the BBQ, his neck cracking back so far his forehead touched his spine. He died instantly.
It was ruled a drunken accident, as other students had been jumping from the roof earlier. And I was the only one who knew she was up there with him… Singing quietly to him.
Of course, I kept quiet, but stayed close. I was afraid because I didn’t know the extent of her abilities, and when our families spent the weekends together, I kept ear plugs in at night. Just in case she tried something while I was asleep. Whispering in my ear to commit some kind of atrocity on myself, or others…
But I stayed close. I wanted to understand her ability, and I’d also noticed that being on her “good side” would only help me. Our family was so close and so Team Celeste, you had to always be visible with your support.
It made sense. Our neighbourhood was filled with broken futures. So Team Celeste was like the last chopper out of Viet Nam. A rocketship of beauty, charm, and potential that would bring everyone up with her. Or at least, the ones on her “good side.”
The ones on her “bad side” I can only assume met an unfortunate end. There wasn’t only Ben. There was her first manager, Jerry, who tried to assault Celeste in the back of a limo. She didn’t want to press charges. She said she just wanted to move on.
But one night while we were staying with her family, I heard Celeste sneak out back while everyone was asleep. She went through the kitchen, taking the house phone and stretching its long cord out the back door.
I quietly followed, fabric plugs in hand and ready to pop in, and heard her call Jerry from outside.
She began to sing. I plugged my ears, only dimmed notes getting through. They made me feel nauseous. I snuck back to my room and hid under the sheets. Celeste came back inside about five minutes later, and the house went quiet again.
The next morning, Jerry’s body was found. He’d overdosed on Valium shortly after receiving a phone call.
Then there was her former bodyguard, Alonzo Jefferies, who was fired from her security detail following an alleged harassment. Two days later, Alonzo walked into traffic after receiving a phone call. After his death, and the others, Celeste also appeared stronger.
The other thing many people don’t know about Celeste, is she wasn’t supposed to be where she is. She was placed there. In the 1990’s, there was an impressive, rising young talent named Aaliyah that you may remember. She came onto the scene hot, talented, intelligent, strong and fiercely independent… she had her own opinion. But she spoke it often.
The agencies tried to condition Aaliyah, but she was stronger than them. She started to speak out, more and more, to the people that were closest to her. She shared her worries and fears with her boyfriend, rapper Dane Dash, and another couple she was close to. The couple was Celeste and her boyfriend, who is now her longtime husband. You might say they’ve become the power couple of hip-hop and rap.
But back then, all four were just budding superstars on different paths. And one of those paths had to be blocked. A plan was set into motion. On the way to a music video shoot for her would-be-hit “Rock The Boat” in the Bahamas, Aaliyah’s plane crashed shortly after take-off. What most people don’t know, is she had voiced concerns about the safety of the plane, even to boyfriend, Dash. Upon further inquiry, the Cessna had been cited four times in the four years before the incident, including a safety violation. The pilot was found to have alcohol and cocaine in his system after the autopsy. He had also received probation for crack possession less than two weeks prior to the flight. The FAA had never been informed, or they would have uncertified him from flying.
The entire crash was meticulously put together. The picking of a pilot. The picking of the plane. Overloading capacity limits with bags and luggage. It’s horrible to think… but there are horrible people in the world. And they have orchestrated pervasive and profound occult manipulations on a whole societal level.
Aaliyah was starting to learn more and more about these people, and was going to come forward. Sadly, she never got to, and with everyone dying in the crash, no one came to blame. Aaliyah’s family sued the record label, and won. Not that they were the responsible ones…
This was all coordinated to be a blood sacrifice for the creation of the Divine Feminine Goddess. The death of Aaliyah, into the birth of Celeste. And here we are, two decades later, the sacrifice coming to fruition. The performer, Celeste, turned forty in September. For many, that age represents a rite of passage into the midlife.
But not for Celeste’s handlers. Or those with Biblical knowledge. It’s far more malevolent.
The number forty represents trial and privation in the Bible. Christ was tempted by the Devil while he spent forty days in the wilderness. There were forty days of the Great Flood and forty years of Moses wandering the desert. It’s also interesting to note that the planet Venus, named after the Goddess of fertility, desire, and love, forms a full pentagram in its orbital course and returns to the original point every forty years with a forty day regression.
Ultimately, the number represents the choice between life and death. During the performance, watch for something approximating a symbolic rebirth. It’s representative of killing the former self and being reborn to receive power from a large, public audience. And the more witnesses, the more energy is transferred.
There’s a certain bass level, that when put out and mixed with a specific pitch from a natural voice, creates a resonance wave that causes the listener’s pineal gland to vibrate.
The Pineal Gland is located in the centre of the brain, between the two hemispheres. It’s been referred to as the principal seat of the soul. And the place in which all our thoughts are formed. It’s also the only section of the brain that exists as a single part rather than one-half of a pair. In Hindu, it’s referred to as The Third Eye, or the Ajna Chakra.
The overwhelming majority of people have no idea of the spiritual abilities they can attain if they decalcify their Pineal Gland. If you want to start, get rid of your fluoride toothpaste, it causes the gland to shrink and atrophy over time. Also, drink chaga tea, iodine tablets, add a boric acid supplement, and eat plenty of foods high in chlorophyl.
The other way to decalcify, or awaken, is with the use of certain sounds that cause the gland to vibrate. When the voice and bass connect in harmony, the gland sparks and causes a sense of euphoria. This is because it has connected its owner with the collective consciousness of all the listeners.
You would think this is a beautiful event. The connected sharing of art. But the intent behind it… is evil.
The Collective Consciousness, or CC, is all harvested into something like a spiritual cloud, that is taken by one or several controllers of the energy. But one thing is certain, it is not given back. Your life force belongs to someone else now.
But not only are they draining you of life. They concentrate your body force. Your soul. Your will to live. They take your will to love. Your composure. Your joy. Love. Happiness. And they take it. It’s all energy that they can use for their own intents, while you suffer unknowingly.
The morning after the show, if you didn’t heed my advice and you watched and listened, take note of how you feel. The week ahead will seem longer. Friday will feel like next year. And next year will feel like a different life. Depression and anxiety will overwhelm you in waves.
This is the better scenario of the two possibilities for Sunday if she performs. The second one, is the one that frightens me.
What I fear is being planned, is not an energy harvest for Celeste. The other aim for a ritual on this scale, would be to use the audience as a mass, global blood sacrifice, offered up by Celeste in order for her to transcend to her next form.
If she does, the butterfly that emerges from her cocoon, wont just be able to control you with her voice. She’ll be able to hypnotize the entire planet with her mind.
She can tell everyone to be nicer to each other. To treat others respectfully. With empathy. With love. No more crime or war or hate.
Or… she might tell a large portion of us to fill our pockets with rocks and walk into the ocean.
One thing is certain, whatever you do, don’t listen to the Halftime show this Sunday.
2022.02.12 02:06 10MinuteHorror Don't Listen To The Superbowl Halftime Show
This is a warning.
Not just a warning for people who watch football, but to anyone who plans to watch the Halftime show this Sunday.
There’s a certain musical artist, in fact, you might call her one of the world’s greatest superstars and performers of all-time, who is rumoured to be taking the stage in a surprise cameo on Sunday. If she does, do not listen. Plug your ears. Put the TV on mute. Or just walk away. But do not listen. No matter what.
I’ll refer to this superstar as Celeste to avoid litigation, though you’ll be able to piece together who it is with little difficulty by the end of this story. She has a sinister ability that others don’t know about. She can adversely affect people with her voice. A certain flexing of vocal cords and exhaled air. Using it, she can manipulate, sadden, infuriate, and in more than one case, cause the death of people who hear her sing certain notes.
Only certain people can do it, with their voice. There are top agencies that are very good at finding these singers. After all, they had eyes on Celeste as early as high school.
The voice I’m taking about, we’ve all heard. It’s the one that brings tears to your eyes. Gives you chills. Sadness. Hope. Or courage. It blends the metaphysical and spiritual realms.
When it’s trained the right ways, with the right chants… other reactions become possible.
And on much larger scales.
I know all this, because I grew up with Celeste. We’re cousins, and our families grew up together.
From an early age, she was being trained to be a performer and superstar. Few have that special energy inside them, but she does. And she had a work-hard mentality chiselled into her from the beginning.
In school, she was a magnet to everyone. It was like every day was new hair cut day for her. People just wanted to constantly talk to her about everything she wore and did and thought.
Guys flocked to her, and the girls wanted to be her but weren’t jealous or spiteful. You couldn’t be towards Celeste. She was good to everyone, and it reflected right back.
Then there was Ben.
He was the only guy in school who didn’t melt no matter how warm she got. He looked at her like she was just another girl in class. No more, no less.
One day, at lunch, Celeste tried to win him over by asking him to the winter formal. Everyone in the caf was watching and listening. No one knew what he’d say.
Then he said, “No. You’re ugly and your voice hurts my ears.”
Everyone gasped.
A student laughed. Then another did. But they were quickly shush’d.
Ben walked away, not caring about the atom bomb he dropped, and no one knew what to say or do. Celeste just stood there, tears welling in her eyes.
It was cruel, what he said. And it impacted her for the rest of her life.
After that day, she was different. It was like there was a shadow behind her eyes. She wasn’t as open and friendly with people, however she still had that incredible charm. But Ben broke that innocent hopefulness that made her glow.
It was replaced by something else. Something more determined. She spent the rest of that year training even harder. It was like she had some singing competition coming up, but there wasn’t one until next fall.
The last day of school came and went, and there was an end of the year rager held at a senior’s parents house. It was a mansion of a home, with a huge backyard and pool. It was an absolute shit show of a party. People were jumping from the roof into the pool. Someone rode a bike into it. The whole thing could have been out of a music video. Everyone showed up. Even Ben.
I was with Celeste when she saw him enter the party, and I felt the energy around us shift. Like gravity got heavier. I had to sit down for a minute to get my head back, but then she was gone. She’d never been lost in a crowd before, because she burned so bright, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. She must have gone inside. I checked the whole mansion, but found nothing. Then I saw a doorway to the roof…
I heard her voice drift in on the wind, which shot ice up my spine. She was singing to Ben.
The specific notes made me feel uneasy.
I reached into my purse, pulling out the small fabric balls I used to stuff my ears when Celeste was singing. It was something I’d done since childhood, and seemed to dampen the effects of her voice.
I plugged both my ears, and crept outside.
I saw them sitting together on the roof. Ben was sitting with his legs open, and Celeste was kneeling between his legs, singing quietly to him. They were both fully clothed, and weren’t even in physical contact. It wasn’t romantic, but it was intimate. He looked dazed… hypnotized. Her eyes were fixed on him as she sang. It was like watching a snake charmer.
He began to hum along to the tune. His eyes slowly shut. Drool, dripped down his chin.
Then he stood up… Wavering over Celeste. She continued to hum, but grew louder. She turned and faced the backyard. The pool. She sang out to it… To the party below. To the pool fifteen feet further. And Ben followed her voice right over the edge.
I wanted to call out. But then Celeste would know I was there. And who knew what she could make me do. I lost my breath anyways. Or maybe her voice silenced me. I’ll never know. But I stayed silent.
Ben didn’t make it to the pool. He landed on the BBQ, his neck cracking back so far his forehead touched his spine. He died instantly.
It was ruled a drunken accident, as other students had been jumping from the roof earlier. And I was the only one who knew she was up there with him… Singing quietly to him.
Of course, I kept quiet, but stayed close. I was afraid because I didn’t know the extent of her abilities, and when our families spent the weekends together, I kept ear plugs in at night. Just in case she tried something while I was asleep. Whispering in my ear to commit some kind of atrocity on myself, or others…
But I stayed close. I wanted to understand her ability, and I’d also noticed that being on her “good side” would only help me. Our family was so close and so Team Celeste, you had to always be visible with your support.
It made sense. Our neighbourhood was filled with broken futures. So Team Celeste was like the last chopper out of Viet Nam. A rocketship of beauty, charm, and potential that would bring everyone up with her. Or at least, the ones on her “good side.”
The ones on her “bad side” I can only assume met an unfortunate end. There wasn’t only Ben. There was her first manager, Jerry, who tried to assault Celeste in the back of a limo. She didn’t want to press charges. She said she just wanted to move on.
But one night while we were staying with her family, I heard Celeste sneak out back while everyone was asleep. She went through the kitchen, taking the house phone and stretching its long cord out the back door.
I quietly followed, fabric plugs in hand and ready to pop in, and heard her call Jerry from outside.
She began to sing. I plugged my ears, only dimmed notes getting through. They made me feel nauseous. I snuck back to my room and hid under the sheets. Celeste came back inside about five minutes later, and the house went quiet again.
The next morning, Jerry’s body was found. He’d overdosed on Valium shortly after receiving a phone call.
Then there was her former bodyguard, Alonzo Jefferies, who was fired from her security detail following an alleged harassment. Two days later, Alonzo walked into traffic after receiving a phone call. After his death, and the others, Celeste also appeared stronger.
The other thing many people don’t know about Celeste, is she wasn’t supposed to be where she is. She was placed there. In the 1990’s, there was an impressive, rising young talent named Aaliyah that you may remember. She came onto the scene hot, talented, intelligent, strong and fiercely independent… she had her own opinion. But she spoke it often.
The agencies tried to condition Aaliyah, but she was stronger than them. She started to speak out, more and more, to the people that were closest to her. She shared her worries and fears with her boyfriend, rapper Dane Dash, and another couple she was close to. The couple was Celeste and her boyfriend, who is now her longtime husband. You might say they’ve become the power couple of hip-hop and rap.
But back then, all four were just budding superstars on different paths. And one of those paths had to be blocked. A plan was set into motion. On the way to a music video shoot for her would-be-hit “Rock The Boat” in the Bahamas, Aaliyah’s plane crashed shortly after take-off. What most people don’t know, is she had voiced concerns about the safety of the plane, even to boyfriend, Dash. Upon further inquiry, the Cessna had been cited four times in the four years before the incident, including a safety violation. The pilot was found to have alcohol and cocaine in his system after the autopsy. He had also received probation for crack possession less than two weeks prior to the flight. The FAA had never been informed, or they would have uncertified him from flying.
The entire crash was meticulously put together. The picking of a pilot. The picking of the plane. Overloading capacity limits with bags and luggage. It’s horrible to think… but there are horrible people in the world. And they have orchestrated pervasive and profound occult manipulations on a whole societal level.
Aaliyah was starting to learn more and more about these people, and was going to come forward. Sadly, she never got to, and with everyone dying in the crash, no one came to blame. Aaliyah’s family sued the record label, and won. Not that they were the responsible ones…
This was all coordinated to be a blood sacrifice for the creation of the Divine Feminine Goddess. The death of Aaliyah, into the birth of Celeste. And here we are, two decades later, the sacrifice coming to fruition. The performer, Celeste, turned forty in September. For many, that age represents a rite of passage into the midlife.
But not for Celeste’s handlers. Or those with Biblical knowledge. It’s far more malevolent.
The number forty represents trial and privation in the Bible. Christ was tempted by the Devil while he spent forty days in the wilderness. There were forty days of the Great Flood and forty years of Moses wandering the desert. It’s also interesting to note that the planet Venus, named after the Goddess of fertility, desire, and love, forms a full pentagram in its orbital course and returns to the original point every forty years with a forty day regression.
Ultimately, the number represents the choice between life and death. During the performance, watch for something approximating a symbolic rebirth. It’s representative of killing the former self and being reborn to receive power from a large, public audience. And the more witnesses, the more energy is transferred.
There’s a certain bass level, that when put out and mixed with a specific pitch from a natural voice, creates a resonance wave that causes the listener’s pineal gland to vibrate.
The Pineal Gland is located in the centre of the brain, between the two hemispheres. It’s been referred to as the principal seat of the soul. And the place in which all our thoughts are formed. It’s also the only section of the brain that exists as a single part rather than one-half of a pair. In Hindu, it’s referred to as The Third Eye, or the Ajna Chakra.
The overwhelming majority of people have no idea of the spiritual abilities they can attain if they decalcify their Pineal Gland. If you want to start, get rid of your fluoride toothpaste, it causes the gland to shrink and atrophy over time. Also, drink chaga tea, iodine tablets, add a boric acid supplement, and eat plenty of foods high in chlorophyl.
The other way to decalcify, or awaken, is with the use of certain sounds that cause the gland to vibrate. When the voice and bass connect in harmony, the gland sparks and causes a sense of euphoria. This is because it has connected its owner with the collective consciousness of all the listeners.
You would think this is a beautiful event. The connected sharing of art. But the intent behind it… is evil.
The Collective Consciousness, or CC, is all harvested into something like a spiritual cloud, that is taken by one or several controllers of the energy. But one thing is certain, it is not given back. Your life force belongs to someone else now.
But not only are they draining you of life. They concentrate your body force. Your soul. Your will to live. They take your will to love. Your composure. Your joy. Love. Happiness. And they take it. It’s all energy that they can use for their own intents, while you suffer unknowingly.
The morning after the show, if you didn’t heed my advice and you watched and listened, take note of how you feel. The week ahead will seem longer. Friday will feel like next year. And next year will feel like a different life. Depression and anxiety will overwhelm you in waves.
This is the better scenario of the two possibilities for Sunday if she performs. The second one, is the one that frightens me.
What I fear is being planned, is not an energy harvest for Celeste. The other aim for a ritual on this scale, would be to use the audience as a mass, global blood sacrifice, offered up by Celeste in order for her to transcend to her next form.
If she does, the butterfly that emerges from her cocoon, wont just be able to control you with her voice. She’ll be able to hypnotize the entire planet with her mind.
She can tell everyone to be nicer to each other. To treat others respectfully. With empathy. With love. No more crime or war or hate.
Or… she might tell a large portion of us to fill our pockets with rocks and walk into the ocean.
One thing is certain, whatever you do, don’t listen to the Halftime show this Sunday.
submitted by 10MinuteHorror to u/10MinuteHorror [link] [comments]
Not just a warning for people who watch football, but to anyone who plans to watch the Halftime show this Sunday.
There’s a certain musical artist, in fact, you might call her one of the world’s greatest superstars and performers of all-time, who is rumoured to be taking the stage in a surprise cameo on Sunday. If she does, do not listen. Plug your ears. Put the TV on mute. Or just walk away. But do not listen. No matter what.
I’ll refer to this superstar as Celeste to avoid litigation, though you’ll be able to piece together who it is with little difficulty by the end of this story. She has a sinister ability that others don’t know about. She can adversely affect people with her voice. A certain flexing of vocal cords and exhaled air. Using it, she can manipulate, sadden, infuriate, and in more than one case, cause the death of people who hear her sing certain notes.
Only certain people can do it, with their voice. There are top agencies that are very good at finding these singers. After all, they had eyes on Celeste as early as high school.
The voice I’m taking about, we’ve all heard. It’s the one that brings tears to your eyes. Gives you chills. Sadness. Hope. Or courage. It blends the metaphysical and spiritual realms.
When it’s trained the right ways, with the right chants… other reactions become possible.
And on much larger scales.
I know all this, because I grew up with Celeste. We’re cousins, and our families grew up together.
From an early age, she was being trained to be a performer and superstar. Few have that special energy inside them, but she does. And she had a work-hard mentality chiselled into her from the beginning.
In school, she was a magnet to everyone. It was like every day was new hair cut day for her. People just wanted to constantly talk to her about everything she wore and did and thought.
Guys flocked to her, and the girls wanted to be her but weren’t jealous or spiteful. You couldn’t be towards Celeste. She was good to everyone, and it reflected right back.
Then there was Ben.
He was the only guy in school who didn’t melt no matter how warm she got. He looked at her like she was just another girl in class. No more, no less.
One day, at lunch, Celeste tried to win him over by asking him to the winter formal. Everyone in the caf was watching and listening. No one knew what he’d say.
Then he said, “No. You’re ugly and your voice hurts my ears.”
Everyone gasped.
A student laughed. Then another did. But they were quickly shush’d.
Ben walked away, not caring about the atom bomb he dropped, and no one knew what to say or do. Celeste just stood there, tears welling in her eyes.
It was cruel, what he said. And it impacted her for the rest of her life.
After that day, she was different. It was like there was a shadow behind her eyes. She wasn’t as open and friendly with people, however she still had that incredible charm. But Ben broke that innocent hopefulness that made her glow.
It was replaced by something else. Something more determined. She spent the rest of that year training even harder. It was like she had some singing competition coming up, but there wasn’t one until next fall.
The last day of school came and went, and there was an end of the year rager held at a senior’s parents house. It was a mansion of a home, with a huge backyard and pool. It was an absolute shit show of a party. People were jumping from the roof into the pool. Someone rode a bike into it. The whole thing could have been out of a music video. Everyone showed up. Even Ben.
I was with Celeste when she saw him enter the party, and I felt the energy around us shift. Like gravity got heavier. I had to sit down for a minute to get my head back, but then she was gone. She’d never been lost in a crowd before, because she burned so bright, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. She must have gone inside. I checked the whole mansion, but found nothing. Then I saw a doorway to the roof…
I heard her voice drift in on the wind, which shot ice up my spine. She was singing to Ben.
The specific notes made me feel uneasy.
I reached into my purse, pulling out the small fabric balls I used to stuff my ears when Celeste was singing. It was something I’d done since childhood, and seemed to dampen the effects of her voice.
I plugged both my ears, and crept outside.
I saw them sitting together on the roof. Ben was sitting with his legs open, and Celeste was kneeling between his legs, singing quietly to him. They were both fully clothed, and weren’t even in physical contact. It wasn’t romantic, but it was intimate. He looked dazed… hypnotized. Her eyes were fixed on him as she sang. It was like watching a snake charmer.
He began to hum along to the tune. His eyes slowly shut. Drool, dripped down his chin.
Then he stood up… Wavering over Celeste. She continued to hum, but grew louder. She turned and faced the backyard. The pool. She sang out to it… To the party below. To the pool fifteen feet further. And Ben followed her voice right over the edge.
I wanted to call out. But then Celeste would know I was there. And who knew what she could make me do. I lost my breath anyways. Or maybe her voice silenced me. I’ll never know. But I stayed silent.
Ben didn’t make it to the pool. He landed on the BBQ, his neck cracking back so far his forehead touched his spine. He died instantly.
It was ruled a drunken accident, as other students had been jumping from the roof earlier. And I was the only one who knew she was up there with him… Singing quietly to him.
Of course, I kept quiet, but stayed close. I was afraid because I didn’t know the extent of her abilities, and when our families spent the weekends together, I kept ear plugs in at night. Just in case she tried something while I was asleep. Whispering in my ear to commit some kind of atrocity on myself, or others…
But I stayed close. I wanted to understand her ability, and I’d also noticed that being on her “good side” would only help me. Our family was so close and so Team Celeste, you had to always be visible with your support.
It made sense. Our neighbourhood was filled with broken futures. So Team Celeste was like the last chopper out of Viet Nam. A rocketship of beauty, charm, and potential that would bring everyone up with her. Or at least, the ones on her “good side.”
The ones on her “bad side” I can only assume met an unfortunate end. There wasn’t only Ben. There was her first manager, Jerry, who tried to assault Celeste in the back of a limo. She didn’t want to press charges. She said she just wanted to move on.
But one night while we were staying with her family, I heard Celeste sneak out back while everyone was asleep. She went through the kitchen, taking the house phone and stretching its long cord out the back door.
I quietly followed, fabric plugs in hand and ready to pop in, and heard her call Jerry from outside.
She began to sing. I plugged my ears, only dimmed notes getting through. They made me feel nauseous. I snuck back to my room and hid under the sheets. Celeste came back inside about five minutes later, and the house went quiet again.
The next morning, Jerry’s body was found. He’d overdosed on Valium shortly after receiving a phone call.
Then there was her former bodyguard, Alonzo Jefferies, who was fired from her security detail following an alleged harassment. Two days later, Alonzo walked into traffic after receiving a phone call. After his death, and the others, Celeste also appeared stronger.
The other thing many people don’t know about Celeste, is she wasn’t supposed to be where she is. She was placed there. In the 1990’s, there was an impressive, rising young talent named Aaliyah that you may remember. She came onto the scene hot, talented, intelligent, strong and fiercely independent… she had her own opinion. But she spoke it often.
The agencies tried to condition Aaliyah, but she was stronger than them. She started to speak out, more and more, to the people that were closest to her. She shared her worries and fears with her boyfriend, rapper Dane Dash, and another couple she was close to. The couple was Celeste and her boyfriend, who is now her longtime husband. You might say they’ve become the power couple of hip-hop and rap.
But back then, all four were just budding superstars on different paths. And one of those paths had to be blocked. A plan was set into motion. On the way to a music video shoot for her would-be-hit “Rock The Boat” in the Bahamas, Aaliyah’s plane crashed shortly after take-off. What most people don’t know, is she had voiced concerns about the safety of the plane, even to boyfriend, Dash. Upon further inquiry, the Cessna had been cited four times in the four years before the incident, including a safety violation. The pilot was found to have alcohol and cocaine in his system after the autopsy. He had also received probation for crack possession less than two weeks prior to the flight. The FAA had never been informed, or they would have uncertified him from flying.
The entire crash was meticulously put together. The picking of a pilot. The picking of the plane. Overloading capacity limits with bags and luggage. It’s horrible to think… but there are horrible people in the world. And they have orchestrated pervasive and profound occult manipulations on a whole societal level.
Aaliyah was starting to learn more and more about these people, and was going to come forward. Sadly, she never got to, and with everyone dying in the crash, no one came to blame. Aaliyah’s family sued the record label, and won. Not that they were the responsible ones…
This was all coordinated to be a blood sacrifice for the creation of the Divine Feminine Goddess. The death of Aaliyah, into the birth of Celeste. And here we are, two decades later, the sacrifice coming to fruition. The performer, Celeste, turned forty in September. For many, that age represents a rite of passage into the midlife.
But not for Celeste’s handlers. Or those with Biblical knowledge. It’s far more malevolent.
The number forty represents trial and privation in the Bible. Christ was tempted by the Devil while he spent forty days in the wilderness. There were forty days of the Great Flood and forty years of Moses wandering the desert. It’s also interesting to note that the planet Venus, named after the Goddess of fertility, desire, and love, forms a full pentagram in its orbital course and returns to the original point every forty years with a forty day regression.
Ultimately, the number represents the choice between life and death. During the performance, watch for something approximating a symbolic rebirth. It’s representative of killing the former self and being reborn to receive power from a large, public audience. And the more witnesses, the more energy is transferred.
There’s a certain bass level, that when put out and mixed with a specific pitch from a natural voice, creates a resonance wave that causes the listener’s pineal gland to vibrate.
The Pineal Gland is located in the centre of the brain, between the two hemispheres. It’s been referred to as the principal seat of the soul. And the place in which all our thoughts are formed. It’s also the only section of the brain that exists as a single part rather than one-half of a pair. In Hindu, it’s referred to as The Third Eye, or the Ajna Chakra.
The overwhelming majority of people have no idea of the spiritual abilities they can attain if they decalcify their Pineal Gland. If you want to start, get rid of your fluoride toothpaste, it causes the gland to shrink and atrophy over time. Also, drink chaga tea, iodine tablets, add a boric acid supplement, and eat plenty of foods high in chlorophyl.
The other way to decalcify, or awaken, is with the use of certain sounds that cause the gland to vibrate. When the voice and bass connect in harmony, the gland sparks and causes a sense of euphoria. This is because it has connected its owner with the collective consciousness of all the listeners.
You would think this is a beautiful event. The connected sharing of art. But the intent behind it… is evil.
The Collective Consciousness, or CC, is all harvested into something like a spiritual cloud, that is taken by one or several controllers of the energy. But one thing is certain, it is not given back. Your life force belongs to someone else now.
But not only are they draining you of life. They concentrate your body force. Your soul. Your will to live. They take your will to love. Your composure. Your joy. Love. Happiness. And they take it. It’s all energy that they can use for their own intents, while you suffer unknowingly.
The morning after the show, if you didn’t heed my advice and you watched and listened, take note of how you feel. The week ahead will seem longer. Friday will feel like next year. And next year will feel like a different life. Depression and anxiety will overwhelm you in waves.
This is the better scenario of the two possibilities for Sunday if she performs. The second one, is the one that frightens me.
What I fear is being planned, is not an energy harvest for Celeste. The other aim for a ritual on this scale, would be to use the audience as a mass, global blood sacrifice, offered up by Celeste in order for her to transcend to her next form.
If she does, the butterfly that emerges from her cocoon, wont just be able to control you with her voice. She’ll be able to hypnotize the entire planet with her mind.
She can tell everyone to be nicer to each other. To treat others respectfully. With empathy. With love. No more crime or war or hate.
Or… she might tell a large portion of us to fill our pockets with rocks and walk into the ocean.
One thing is certain, whatever you do, don’t listen to the Halftime show this Sunday.
2019.03.05 01:59 TishraDR [MF] Assassins of Rock
He was a frail, dying man, lying in a hospital bed in a hospice. He was half the man he used to be, his body was withering and shrinking. Cancer had ravaged him. He has been in the hospice for two days. He checked himself in wearing only silk pajamas and carrying a briefcase. Never speaking, except to ask the nurse not to speak to him. Nobody comes to see him nor does anyone call to check on him. On day three as the nurse comes in to check on him, he finally speaks, two words, “a priest.” The nurse, knowingly nods, finishes her business in the room, and leaves. She tells the head nurse the patient has requested a priest. Without a word the head nurse calls and requests a priest to visit the patient.
The priest arrives at the hospice. He is young and it’s obvious he is inexperienced and nervous. The head nurse greets him and explains that the man is dying and during his three days at the hospice has not spoken a word, other than requesting a priest. The priest enters the man’s room. The man is lying in bed, a glazed look in his eyes, clutching a pillow to his chest. “Good afternoon sir, my name is Father William. I understand that you called for a priest. How can I help you?” Father William asked in the most soothing tone he can muster. “Father William, I called you here, because I must confess my sins and try to right at least one of my wrongs.” The dying man stated.” Father William pulled up a chair, sat down, and pulled out his bible. “Please my son, tell me your confession.” Father William said.
“Father forgive me for I have sinned. I do not have much time left on this earth and even less strength to tell you my sins. I ask that you leave me uninterrupted, so that I may get them all out, while I am still alive to do so.” The man requested in a weak and raspy voice. Father William gave the man a nod. “Father I have broken the ten commandments. I have lied, I have stolen, I have killed. When I was a younger man, full of rage from my tortuous upbringing, I fell in with the wrong crowd. I began robbing shops, then people, then using guns to help in my thieving ways. I met a man who took me under his wing. He did not go by his birthname, instead choosing to be known only by his professional handle of “mort noire”. I called him M for short. He taught me various foreign languages, how to protect myself, how to use weapons, and how to kill. It wasn’t until after I learned French that I realized his name was Black Death.”
“M told me that he was a professional assassin. He is the man that killed Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin, and quite a few others. M was trained by the man who had killed Hank Williams, Vernon Isley, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, Eddie Cochran, Dorothy Dandridge, and Jayne Mansfield, to name a few. He was paid extra for Mansfield as she was also a movie star. He was trained, and so trained me, to kill, but to make it look like an accident. A car accident, a plane crash, accidental drowning, suicide, a drug overdose, alcohol poisoning, you name it, we did it. Nothing and no one were sacred to us. I myself am responsible for the deaths of many rock stars. When M retired in the mid-seventies, it was my turn to take the helm.”
“My first kill had to be big to ensure I would get future contracts. I didn’t want to kill him, but I had to or the contract would have gone to someone else and I would never work again. I killed Elvis. My first kill, but not necessarily my worst. After Elvis, I killed Marc Bolan, caused the plane crash that took the lives of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I was gaining a lot of notoriety in my field and the contracts kept coming. I killed Keith Moon, and I finished off the seventies with Sid Vicious.”
“Father, I have killed many, I remember all the names and how I did each one. I know this is long, but I feel for true forgiveness and to truly repent, I must name each and every one, they deserve that much at least. Nineteen Eighty would be just another decade of work for me. I took the lives of Bon Scott, Ian Curtis, Malcolm Owens, and John Bonham in 1980 alone. John Lennon, however, was not supposed to die. That damn Mark David Chapman just wanted to make a name for himself. He was being trained by our group and went rogue. Our group only kills by means that look accidental, we never use guns on rock stars. While we do take in contracts to kill this crime boss or that head of state, we always make sure that the deaths of rock stars are handled inconspicuously.”
“I murdered Harry Chapin, Randy Rhodes, James Honeyman Scott, Dennis Wilson, Candy Givens, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Steve Clark. He was a courtesy kill. I have only failed once in my attempts, once. In 1984 I was hired to kill Rick Allen. He is the drummer of Def Leppard. I taunted him on the road with my vehicle. He became enraged and tried to pass me. I very gently tapped his car in a pit maneuver. If it hadn’t been for that nurse that showed up, he would have died. He is one lucky fellow. As a result, I still owed the holder of the contract a kill. I bided my time and when I felt it was time, Mr. Clark’s life was mine.”
Father William, color drained from his face, palms sweaty, was unable to wrap his head around what he was hearing. He continued to listen quietly, all the while praying to God, could there be any forgiveness for this man?
The dying man continued his list. “I had the contract to kill Kurt Cobain, but unfortunately, someone close to him, got the job done first. After that, I waited for the next contract and murdered John Denver, Johan Holzel a/k/a Falco, Aaliyah, Layne Staley, Lisa Lopes, Dee Dee Ramone, Robbin Crosby, Paul Hester, Michael Jackson, Paul Gray, Mike Starr, Amy Winehouse, Jani Lane, Whitney Houston, Chris Kelly, Wayne Static, Scott Weiland, and Prince. Maybe it’s because I, myself, am so close to death that I finally understand the precious gift that life is. The more I feel it slipping away, the more anguish I feel over the choices and deeds in my life. I took the lives of all of these people and not for some greater good, but for money. I robbed families of their loved ones and I robbed the world of the music they had yet to make.”
With tears creeping down his cheeks, he continued “Why you may ask, did I kill all these people? Why were there contracts out on rock stars? Who put out these contracts? I’ll tell you. It was the greedy corporate record company executives. Some of my targets were ordered killed, because my client or clients, depending on the target, believed record sales would skyrocket upon that target’s death. Others were killed because the record company executives had life insurance policies out on that target and they were eager to collect. I was making exorbitant fees on each kill. While I might have had objections, regarding certain targets I did not wish to see dead, the money was too good to turn down.” “Is it too late? Can I be forgiven for all these deaths? Can the blood on my hands ever be cleansed? Is it too late to repent? I do not know. I will face whatever punishment the lord has for me and will not deny my misdeeds, my crimes, my grievous sins. The only thing I can do is try to prevent my last kill.”
“In retrospect, I see now that I had been ill for the bulk of the last year. I told myself it was just age and continued to ignore all of my symptoms. Last week I received what would be the final contract of my career, although I did not know that at the time. My new target is a young, beautiful, up and coming super star. Her first album is set to release next week. She is not your typical musician. She is intelligent, modest, and very religious. She does not drink, do drugs, or even smoke. She is also a health nut. She takes care of her body and is careful of what she puts into it. She exercises and works out just about every day. She is only twenty years old, yet she has a plan for her future, is sure in who she is, and cannot be tempted. The studio execs cannot control her and this is the problem.”
“They, the execs, prefer their clients to be easy to sway, control, and use. This young lady is none of those. She refuses to dress sexy in skimpy outfits. She refuses to use sex to sell her voice. In fact, she believes the strength of her voice is all she needs to promote her music. Her lifestyle and moral character make it impossible to make her death look like a drug overdose. However, I decided that since she does work out so much and takes so many vitamins, the only way to kill her that would look plausible, would be to drug her vitamins with a chemical that would cause her to have a heart attack and would be untraceable in autopsy.”
“Last week I covertly broke into her house and replaced her new bottle of vitamins with a bottle laced with this chemical. Tomorrow she will open that new bottle having used up her last bottle and she will take one and die. My plan in place I sat back ready to see my target die. I was taken out of my self-boasting by a deep cough. I coughed so hard there was blood all over my hands. I knew this was bad and went to the doctor the following day. The news, of course, was cancer, stage four. It has spread to all my major organs and it was too late to treat. I was given one week to live. I wish the doctor was being over pessimistic, but each day since that diagnosis, I have been going downhill at an exceedingly fast pace. Which is why I checked into the hospice on Monday. My body is telling me that by Friday morning I will be gone.”
The man’s hands started shaking as he dropped his head into them. “With my life quickly coming to end I realized the value of life, all life. I knew I could not leave this world knowing I had taken yet another life. Father, I am too weak to stop this myself. This young lady cannot die! She has too much music in her to be silenced before she has even started. As I’ve told you, she is deeply religious. I believe that you can enter her house under the guise of wishing to discuss spiritual needs. Once in her home, ask for a glass of water, follow her to the kitchen, and once she hands you the glass of water, drop it. Let the glass shatter, profusely apologize as you attempt to pick up the shattered pieces. Cut your finger on one of the shards and ask for a band-aid. While she is in the bathroom getting your band-aid, you will have your opportunity to switch the vitamin bottles out. If you would please hand me my briefcase from the floor there.” The man asked while pointing at the briefcase.
Father William obliged and picked up the briefcase and handed it to the man. “Thank you” the man said as he opened the case. From the case the man pulled out a new bottle of vitamins and a slip of paper. “Father, this is the bottle I stole from her home and this is her address.” He said as he handed both the priest. “She keeps her vitamins on the counter next to the refrigerator. While she is in the bathroom, just grab the poisoned bottle and put it in your pocket and place her bottle back on the counter. When she returns with the band-aid, let her help you put it on, and then help her clean up the floor. Stay and speak with her as only a priest can. Take solace in the knowledge that you will have saved this young lady’s life.”
“Will you do this Father? I have no one else to ask. The life of an assassin is a lonely one. The only people I know are also assassins and it is not in their nature to save a life.”
The priest sat quietly contemplating the bottle of vitamins. As a priest, he has been taught to forgive and forget, nonetheless, he finds himself on one hand hating this man for killing so many talented musicians, while on the other hand feels for the man. The man is dying and in doing so has realized the sacred gift that life is. He is trying to rectify what he has done. Will God forgive this man? He doesn’t know. He feels a rage growing inside him. The priest is a music lover. This man has killed many of the musicians the priest loves. He loves Elvis’ music, especially his gospel songs. He is also very fond of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s music. He truly appreciated the guitar prowess of Randy Rhodes, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Steve Clark. In truth, Steve Clark was his favorite guitar player. He could feel so many emotions when he listened to Steve Clark play. Emotions that would draw him into another world, one where only music existed.
This man’s deeds had curtailed the future music he would have loved to hear from a great many bands and musicians. He thought of God and Jesus. He felt in his heart that they would forgive him and above all would want the priest to save this young lady. “Yes, I will do it, my son. I will go right now. I will come back tomorrow to visit you again to let you know how I did and to give you your last rites.” The priest said as he gently held his hand on the dying man’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Father William, you are saving the life of a truly beautiful person.” The man said as the priest got up to leave. The priest left the room and stopped at the nurse’s station. “I will be back to see him tomorrow.” The priest informed the nurse, who was seated behind the desk. He nodded his head at the nurse and left. He put the address listed on the piece of paper he was given into the GPS in his phone. When the directions came up, he hit the road off to do what priests are supposed to do, save lives and save souls. He put in a Def Leppard CD and clicked through the songs until he reached Switch 625 and listened to the instrumental as he headed to the young lady’s home.
As he arrived at his destination, the priest inhaled a long, deep breath. He could feel a knot develop in the pit on his stomach as he approached the front door. He reminded himself that he is trying to save her life and found the nerve to push the doorbell. As he waited for the door to open, he reflected on his love of music. He chuckled to himself when he thought about the circumstances that led him to become a priest instead of a musician. He had no talent, only a profound love of God. The door opened and a beautiful, young blonde, with mesmerizing blue eyes said “Can I help you Father?” For a moment, he was so nervous, he forgot what he should say. He gathered himself and said “Good afternoon young lady, I have been going door to door throughout the neighborhood to discuss any spiritual needs people may have. May I come in and speak with you?” He asked. “Oh, do come in Father and get out of the heat. Can I get you something to drink?” She asked. “Yes, please, I would love a glass of water, if it’s not too much.” He replied. “Not at all.” She quipped.
The priest followed her to the kitchen and quietly watched as she filled a glass with water for him. “You don’t mind tap water, do you?” She asked. “Not at all, thank you so much.” He replied as she handed him the glass. He very lightly took the glass and let it slip from his fingers crashing to the floor. “I am so sorry my hands are so sweaty from being out in the heat all day.” He stated as he kneeled down to pick up the broken pieces of glass. He made sure to cut a finger on a particularly sharp piece. “Oh my, I believe I’ve cut myself, do you happen to have a band-aid?” He asked. “Yes, let me run to the bathroom and get you one, please, leave the glass, I will clean it up when I return.” She said as she headed to the bathroom. No sooner had she turned the corner out of the kitchen did the priest pull out the bottle of vitamins from his pocket. He placed the bottle on the counter next to the poisoned bottle of vitamins, picked up the poisoned bottle, and slipped it into his pocket. He bent back down to the floor, and carefully this time, picked up the broken shards. As he was grabbing a towel off another counter, the young lady returned to the kitchen.
“Let me see that finger.” She said as she opened the packaging of the band-aid. While she applied the bandage, he apologized for making a mess and breaking her glass. “It’s no problem, Father, it happens to everyone.” She soothed as she bent over to finish cleaning the floor. Once finished, she prepared him another glass of water and invited him to sit down in the living room. They spent the better part of an hour discussing God, the bible, and her spirituality. The priest was very impressed with her obvious knowledge of the bible and her love for God. He knew the dying man was right. This woman deserved to live. She was truly one of God’s creatures, as God had imagined them to be. He thanked her for her time and left her with his card should she have need of his services in the future. She thanked him and indicated she would love to see his service this Sunday. They shook hands and he left.
When the priest got into his car, he let out a very long sigh of relief. He tapped the bottle in his pocket and thanked God for using him as a tool to save this woman’s life. He turned the music back on and drove back to the church. There were inquiries about why he was gone so long today and he insisted it was for a confession and it was a very long one. He had dinner and turned to his bible for a nice study prior to going to bed. He had a long day, emotionally draining, and spiritually fruitful.
In the morning, the priest rolled out of bed, and dressed in his attire. He went to his computer, as he liked to read the news before breakfast, and read the story of the death of a young woman. The article indicated that the young woman had a heart attack. The article stated she was releasing a record album next week, and how terribly sad it was. The priest ran to the bathroom and threw up. As he hugged the toilet bowl, he asked himself “how could this be possible? I switched out the bottles. I put the clean bottle on the right and picked up the poisoned bottle from the left. I put it in my pocket!” He ran to his bedroom and searched through the pockets of his clothes. He found the bottle and opened it. The safety label was intact. There were no holes of any sort whatsoever that he could see. He wracked his brain. Did I switch the bottles right? He was sure he had, but looking at this bottle, he was sure he had not. He had failed. He had to let the man know of his failure. He also had to give the man absolution through his last rites.
As he drove to the hospice the scenario played over and over in his head. How had he messed up? Did he try to do it too fast? Did he worry too much about cleaning up the glass and in the process missed the switch and just put the bottle back in his pocket? He prayed, no pleaded with God. He begged for forgiveness for his mistake. He begged God to not hold this death again the dying man, the man who tried to right at least one of his wrongs. He asked God to take care of the young woman. She had a good soul and she deserved entry to Heaven. He was so lost in his thoughts and failure that he almost passed the hospice. He found a parking spot and headed to the dying man’s room.
As he threw the door open, the first thing to greet him, was an empty bed. “Oh God, no, the man has died already and without his last rites. Please God forgive him.” He thought to himself. He turned around to go to the nurse’s station to ask the nurse when the man passed only to see the nurse standing behind him. “He got up and left last night. He left his briefcase on the bed with a note on it saying to give it to you. You know, we never even knew his name.” The nurse said as she handed him the briefcase. Confused, the priest wandered over to the nurse’s station and placed the briefcase on the desk and opened it. The priest was shocked by the contents.
In the briefcase, the priest saw a huge sum of cash and a note. “Thank you, priest, without your help, my plan would have failed.”
submitted by TishraDR to shortstories [link] [comments]
The priest arrives at the hospice. He is young and it’s obvious he is inexperienced and nervous. The head nurse greets him and explains that the man is dying and during his three days at the hospice has not spoken a word, other than requesting a priest. The priest enters the man’s room. The man is lying in bed, a glazed look in his eyes, clutching a pillow to his chest. “Good afternoon sir, my name is Father William. I understand that you called for a priest. How can I help you?” Father William asked in the most soothing tone he can muster. “Father William, I called you here, because I must confess my sins and try to right at least one of my wrongs.” The dying man stated.” Father William pulled up a chair, sat down, and pulled out his bible. “Please my son, tell me your confession.” Father William said.
“Father forgive me for I have sinned. I do not have much time left on this earth and even less strength to tell you my sins. I ask that you leave me uninterrupted, so that I may get them all out, while I am still alive to do so.” The man requested in a weak and raspy voice. Father William gave the man a nod. “Father I have broken the ten commandments. I have lied, I have stolen, I have killed. When I was a younger man, full of rage from my tortuous upbringing, I fell in with the wrong crowd. I began robbing shops, then people, then using guns to help in my thieving ways. I met a man who took me under his wing. He did not go by his birthname, instead choosing to be known only by his professional handle of “mort noire”. I called him M for short. He taught me various foreign languages, how to protect myself, how to use weapons, and how to kill. It wasn’t until after I learned French that I realized his name was Black Death.”
“M told me that he was a professional assassin. He is the man that killed Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin, and quite a few others. M was trained by the man who had killed Hank Williams, Vernon Isley, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, Eddie Cochran, Dorothy Dandridge, and Jayne Mansfield, to name a few. He was paid extra for Mansfield as she was also a movie star. He was trained, and so trained me, to kill, but to make it look like an accident. A car accident, a plane crash, accidental drowning, suicide, a drug overdose, alcohol poisoning, you name it, we did it. Nothing and no one were sacred to us. I myself am responsible for the deaths of many rock stars. When M retired in the mid-seventies, it was my turn to take the helm.”
“My first kill had to be big to ensure I would get future contracts. I didn’t want to kill him, but I had to or the contract would have gone to someone else and I would never work again. I killed Elvis. My first kill, but not necessarily my worst. After Elvis, I killed Marc Bolan, caused the plane crash that took the lives of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I was gaining a lot of notoriety in my field and the contracts kept coming. I killed Keith Moon, and I finished off the seventies with Sid Vicious.”
“Father, I have killed many, I remember all the names and how I did each one. I know this is long, but I feel for true forgiveness and to truly repent, I must name each and every one, they deserve that much at least. Nineteen Eighty would be just another decade of work for me. I took the lives of Bon Scott, Ian Curtis, Malcolm Owens, and John Bonham in 1980 alone. John Lennon, however, was not supposed to die. That damn Mark David Chapman just wanted to make a name for himself. He was being trained by our group and went rogue. Our group only kills by means that look accidental, we never use guns on rock stars. While we do take in contracts to kill this crime boss or that head of state, we always make sure that the deaths of rock stars are handled inconspicuously.”
“I murdered Harry Chapin, Randy Rhodes, James Honeyman Scott, Dennis Wilson, Candy Givens, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Steve Clark. He was a courtesy kill. I have only failed once in my attempts, once. In 1984 I was hired to kill Rick Allen. He is the drummer of Def Leppard. I taunted him on the road with my vehicle. He became enraged and tried to pass me. I very gently tapped his car in a pit maneuver. If it hadn’t been for that nurse that showed up, he would have died. He is one lucky fellow. As a result, I still owed the holder of the contract a kill. I bided my time and when I felt it was time, Mr. Clark’s life was mine.”
Father William, color drained from his face, palms sweaty, was unable to wrap his head around what he was hearing. He continued to listen quietly, all the while praying to God, could there be any forgiveness for this man?
The dying man continued his list. “I had the contract to kill Kurt Cobain, but unfortunately, someone close to him, got the job done first. After that, I waited for the next contract and murdered John Denver, Johan Holzel a/k/a Falco, Aaliyah, Layne Staley, Lisa Lopes, Dee Dee Ramone, Robbin Crosby, Paul Hester, Michael Jackson, Paul Gray, Mike Starr, Amy Winehouse, Jani Lane, Whitney Houston, Chris Kelly, Wayne Static, Scott Weiland, and Prince. Maybe it’s because I, myself, am so close to death that I finally understand the precious gift that life is. The more I feel it slipping away, the more anguish I feel over the choices and deeds in my life. I took the lives of all of these people and not for some greater good, but for money. I robbed families of their loved ones and I robbed the world of the music they had yet to make.”
With tears creeping down his cheeks, he continued “Why you may ask, did I kill all these people? Why were there contracts out on rock stars? Who put out these contracts? I’ll tell you. It was the greedy corporate record company executives. Some of my targets were ordered killed, because my client or clients, depending on the target, believed record sales would skyrocket upon that target’s death. Others were killed because the record company executives had life insurance policies out on that target and they were eager to collect. I was making exorbitant fees on each kill. While I might have had objections, regarding certain targets I did not wish to see dead, the money was too good to turn down.” “Is it too late? Can I be forgiven for all these deaths? Can the blood on my hands ever be cleansed? Is it too late to repent? I do not know. I will face whatever punishment the lord has for me and will not deny my misdeeds, my crimes, my grievous sins. The only thing I can do is try to prevent my last kill.”
“In retrospect, I see now that I had been ill for the bulk of the last year. I told myself it was just age and continued to ignore all of my symptoms. Last week I received what would be the final contract of my career, although I did not know that at the time. My new target is a young, beautiful, up and coming super star. Her first album is set to release next week. She is not your typical musician. She is intelligent, modest, and very religious. She does not drink, do drugs, or even smoke. She is also a health nut. She takes care of her body and is careful of what she puts into it. She exercises and works out just about every day. She is only twenty years old, yet she has a plan for her future, is sure in who she is, and cannot be tempted. The studio execs cannot control her and this is the problem.”
“They, the execs, prefer their clients to be easy to sway, control, and use. This young lady is none of those. She refuses to dress sexy in skimpy outfits. She refuses to use sex to sell her voice. In fact, she believes the strength of her voice is all she needs to promote her music. Her lifestyle and moral character make it impossible to make her death look like a drug overdose. However, I decided that since she does work out so much and takes so many vitamins, the only way to kill her that would look plausible, would be to drug her vitamins with a chemical that would cause her to have a heart attack and would be untraceable in autopsy.”
“Last week I covertly broke into her house and replaced her new bottle of vitamins with a bottle laced with this chemical. Tomorrow she will open that new bottle having used up her last bottle and she will take one and die. My plan in place I sat back ready to see my target die. I was taken out of my self-boasting by a deep cough. I coughed so hard there was blood all over my hands. I knew this was bad and went to the doctor the following day. The news, of course, was cancer, stage four. It has spread to all my major organs and it was too late to treat. I was given one week to live. I wish the doctor was being over pessimistic, but each day since that diagnosis, I have been going downhill at an exceedingly fast pace. Which is why I checked into the hospice on Monday. My body is telling me that by Friday morning I will be gone.”
The man’s hands started shaking as he dropped his head into them. “With my life quickly coming to end I realized the value of life, all life. I knew I could not leave this world knowing I had taken yet another life. Father, I am too weak to stop this myself. This young lady cannot die! She has too much music in her to be silenced before she has even started. As I’ve told you, she is deeply religious. I believe that you can enter her house under the guise of wishing to discuss spiritual needs. Once in her home, ask for a glass of water, follow her to the kitchen, and once she hands you the glass of water, drop it. Let the glass shatter, profusely apologize as you attempt to pick up the shattered pieces. Cut your finger on one of the shards and ask for a band-aid. While she is in the bathroom getting your band-aid, you will have your opportunity to switch the vitamin bottles out. If you would please hand me my briefcase from the floor there.” The man asked while pointing at the briefcase.
Father William obliged and picked up the briefcase and handed it to the man. “Thank you” the man said as he opened the case. From the case the man pulled out a new bottle of vitamins and a slip of paper. “Father, this is the bottle I stole from her home and this is her address.” He said as he handed both the priest. “She keeps her vitamins on the counter next to the refrigerator. While she is in the bathroom, just grab the poisoned bottle and put it in your pocket and place her bottle back on the counter. When she returns with the band-aid, let her help you put it on, and then help her clean up the floor. Stay and speak with her as only a priest can. Take solace in the knowledge that you will have saved this young lady’s life.”
“Will you do this Father? I have no one else to ask. The life of an assassin is a lonely one. The only people I know are also assassins and it is not in their nature to save a life.”
The priest sat quietly contemplating the bottle of vitamins. As a priest, he has been taught to forgive and forget, nonetheless, he finds himself on one hand hating this man for killing so many talented musicians, while on the other hand feels for the man. The man is dying and in doing so has realized the sacred gift that life is. He is trying to rectify what he has done. Will God forgive this man? He doesn’t know. He feels a rage growing inside him. The priest is a music lover. This man has killed many of the musicians the priest loves. He loves Elvis’ music, especially his gospel songs. He is also very fond of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s music. He truly appreciated the guitar prowess of Randy Rhodes, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Steve Clark. In truth, Steve Clark was his favorite guitar player. He could feel so many emotions when he listened to Steve Clark play. Emotions that would draw him into another world, one where only music existed.
This man’s deeds had curtailed the future music he would have loved to hear from a great many bands and musicians. He thought of God and Jesus. He felt in his heart that they would forgive him and above all would want the priest to save this young lady. “Yes, I will do it, my son. I will go right now. I will come back tomorrow to visit you again to let you know how I did and to give you your last rites.” The priest said as he gently held his hand on the dying man’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Father William, you are saving the life of a truly beautiful person.” The man said as the priest got up to leave. The priest left the room and stopped at the nurse’s station. “I will be back to see him tomorrow.” The priest informed the nurse, who was seated behind the desk. He nodded his head at the nurse and left. He put the address listed on the piece of paper he was given into the GPS in his phone. When the directions came up, he hit the road off to do what priests are supposed to do, save lives and save souls. He put in a Def Leppard CD and clicked through the songs until he reached Switch 625 and listened to the instrumental as he headed to the young lady’s home.
As he arrived at his destination, the priest inhaled a long, deep breath. He could feel a knot develop in the pit on his stomach as he approached the front door. He reminded himself that he is trying to save her life and found the nerve to push the doorbell. As he waited for the door to open, he reflected on his love of music. He chuckled to himself when he thought about the circumstances that led him to become a priest instead of a musician. He had no talent, only a profound love of God. The door opened and a beautiful, young blonde, with mesmerizing blue eyes said “Can I help you Father?” For a moment, he was so nervous, he forgot what he should say. He gathered himself and said “Good afternoon young lady, I have been going door to door throughout the neighborhood to discuss any spiritual needs people may have. May I come in and speak with you?” He asked. “Oh, do come in Father and get out of the heat. Can I get you something to drink?” She asked. “Yes, please, I would love a glass of water, if it’s not too much.” He replied. “Not at all.” She quipped.
The priest followed her to the kitchen and quietly watched as she filled a glass with water for him. “You don’t mind tap water, do you?” She asked. “Not at all, thank you so much.” He replied as she handed him the glass. He very lightly took the glass and let it slip from his fingers crashing to the floor. “I am so sorry my hands are so sweaty from being out in the heat all day.” He stated as he kneeled down to pick up the broken pieces of glass. He made sure to cut a finger on a particularly sharp piece. “Oh my, I believe I’ve cut myself, do you happen to have a band-aid?” He asked. “Yes, let me run to the bathroom and get you one, please, leave the glass, I will clean it up when I return.” She said as she headed to the bathroom. No sooner had she turned the corner out of the kitchen did the priest pull out the bottle of vitamins from his pocket. He placed the bottle on the counter next to the poisoned bottle of vitamins, picked up the poisoned bottle, and slipped it into his pocket. He bent back down to the floor, and carefully this time, picked up the broken shards. As he was grabbing a towel off another counter, the young lady returned to the kitchen.
“Let me see that finger.” She said as she opened the packaging of the band-aid. While she applied the bandage, he apologized for making a mess and breaking her glass. “It’s no problem, Father, it happens to everyone.” She soothed as she bent over to finish cleaning the floor. Once finished, she prepared him another glass of water and invited him to sit down in the living room. They spent the better part of an hour discussing God, the bible, and her spirituality. The priest was very impressed with her obvious knowledge of the bible and her love for God. He knew the dying man was right. This woman deserved to live. She was truly one of God’s creatures, as God had imagined them to be. He thanked her for her time and left her with his card should she have need of his services in the future. She thanked him and indicated she would love to see his service this Sunday. They shook hands and he left.
When the priest got into his car, he let out a very long sigh of relief. He tapped the bottle in his pocket and thanked God for using him as a tool to save this woman’s life. He turned the music back on and drove back to the church. There were inquiries about why he was gone so long today and he insisted it was for a confession and it was a very long one. He had dinner and turned to his bible for a nice study prior to going to bed. He had a long day, emotionally draining, and spiritually fruitful.
In the morning, the priest rolled out of bed, and dressed in his attire. He went to his computer, as he liked to read the news before breakfast, and read the story of the death of a young woman. The article indicated that the young woman had a heart attack. The article stated she was releasing a record album next week, and how terribly sad it was. The priest ran to the bathroom and threw up. As he hugged the toilet bowl, he asked himself “how could this be possible? I switched out the bottles. I put the clean bottle on the right and picked up the poisoned bottle from the left. I put it in my pocket!” He ran to his bedroom and searched through the pockets of his clothes. He found the bottle and opened it. The safety label was intact. There were no holes of any sort whatsoever that he could see. He wracked his brain. Did I switch the bottles right? He was sure he had, but looking at this bottle, he was sure he had not. He had failed. He had to let the man know of his failure. He also had to give the man absolution through his last rites.
As he drove to the hospice the scenario played over and over in his head. How had he messed up? Did he try to do it too fast? Did he worry too much about cleaning up the glass and in the process missed the switch and just put the bottle back in his pocket? He prayed, no pleaded with God. He begged for forgiveness for his mistake. He begged God to not hold this death again the dying man, the man who tried to right at least one of his wrongs. He asked God to take care of the young woman. She had a good soul and she deserved entry to Heaven. He was so lost in his thoughts and failure that he almost passed the hospice. He found a parking spot and headed to the dying man’s room.
As he threw the door open, the first thing to greet him, was an empty bed. “Oh God, no, the man has died already and without his last rites. Please God forgive him.” He thought to himself. He turned around to go to the nurse’s station to ask the nurse when the man passed only to see the nurse standing behind him. “He got up and left last night. He left his briefcase on the bed with a note on it saying to give it to you. You know, we never even knew his name.” The nurse said as she handed him the briefcase. Confused, the priest wandered over to the nurse’s station and placed the briefcase on the desk and opened it. The priest was shocked by the contents.
In the briefcase, the priest saw a huge sum of cash and a note. “Thank you, priest, without your help, my plan would have failed.”