The sudden death of 22-year-old singer and actress Aaliyah Houghton on August 25, 2001 garnered loads of memoriams for the tragic loss of one of entertainment’s most promising stars. Fans gathered for a candlelight vigil, created makeshift memorial sites, and left flowers at her grave. Posthumous music videos for “More Than a Woman,” “Rock the Boat,” and “I Care 4 U” left touching notes to her memory and corralled her family and friends, TV specials honored her life, and a compilation album of old and unreleased tracks released in December 2002.
But as time filled the space since her passing, another trend began to emerge.
