As the 10-year anniversary of the death of famed singer-actress Aaliyah draws near (Aug. 25), many fans will, once again, commemorate the life and music of the late singer. Last month, it was announced that BET would be treating fans to an hourlong tribute special for Aaliyah called “Aaliyah: One in a Million” and recently the network released a preview of the special.
In the minute-long preview, Aaliyah’s friends and musical architects, Timbaland and Missy Elliott, explained how they originally linked up with the genre-bending siren.
“We did a record called ‘Sugar & Spice’ that Timbaland and another young man took to Atlantic Records, and when they heard that record they liked the sound and it was something different they had never heard before,” explained Elliott. “So they said, ‘Let’s put you all in the studio with Aaliyah.’ And we were excited.”
As Timbaland explains, Aaliyah, although not convinced that the song fit her mature style, saw potential in the two music maestros, and joined them in the studio to craft her groundbreaking 1996 classic, One in a Million.
“I gotta thank her [Aaliyah] because she heard the specialness in us. Because with ‘Sugar & Spice,’ she said, ‘there’s something special about Tim and Missy…” said Timbaland.
BET’s “Aaliyah: One in a Million” airs on Thursday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. EST/PST. – nicholas robinson
