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“One In A Million”: The Legacy Of Aaliyah, 20 Years After Death

A fan holds a sign in memory of actress and R&B singer Aaliyah  outside of the MTV studios in New York City on August 28, 2001.
A fan holds a sign in memory of actress and R&B singer Aaliyah outside of the MTV studios in New York City on August 28, 2001.

R&B icon Aaliyah died tragically in a plane crash on Aug. 25, 2001.

Twenty years later, her contributions to popular culture, music, and fashion are ubiquitous. And a devoted fanbase of those who remember the day she died, and those who discovered her decades later, are pushing to keep her legacy alive.

But much of her short career has been eclipsed by her personal and professional relationship with disgraced R&B superstar R. Kelly when she was a minor.

In her new biography, “Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah,” music journalist and super-fan Kathy Iandoli sets out to capture Aaliyah’s full life and legacy.

We talk with Iandoli about the princess of R&B and the much-anticipated release of some of her music on streaming platforms.

Copyright 2021 WAMU 88.5

Kathryn Fink
Kathryn Fink is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.