Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), better known as Aaliyah, was an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. Introduced to audiences by R&B singer R. Kelly, Aaliyah became famous during the mid-1990s with several hit records from the songwriting/production team of Missy Elliott and Timbaland and their associate Steve "Static" Garrett. Aaliyah soon joined Timbaland's R&B and hip hop collective, the Superfriends Clique.