Experts probe crash that killed Aaliyah

Authorities in the Bahamas on Sunday pressed on with their investigation into the crash of a Cessna aircraft that took the lives of singer-actress Aaliyah and eight others shortly after takeoff on a flight bound for Opa-Locka, FL. Reporting on the tragedy, Boston Globe music critic Steve Morse commented today (Monday): “It ended the life of a singer who brought a special elegance to the hip-hop/soul genre, as well as a unique charisma to the screen.” In addition to recording two hit albums, Aaliyah, born Aaliyah Haughton 22 years ago, had also starred in last year’s Romeo Must Die and had completed filming the movie version of Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned, in which she played the title character. She had also signed to appear in the next two sequels of The Matrix. Her death extends the sizable list of performers who have died in the crashes of small private craft, including Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), Patsy Cline, Rick Nelson, Otis Redding, Jim Croce, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ronnie Van Zant, and John Denver.