Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), better known as Aaliyah (pronounced /əˈliːə/), was an American singer, dancer, actress, model, teen idol, and also one of the first internationally known teen icons. Introduced to audiences by R&B/pop singer R. Kelly, Aaliyah became famous during the mid-1990s with several hit records from the songwriting/production team of Missy Elliott and Timbaland..