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American Morning

Aaliyah Memorial Service in Process

Aired August 31, 2001 - 11:07   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: This hour, family and friends are saying goodbye to 22-year-old singer and actress Aaliyah. A private funeral service is being held right now.

Aaliyah and eight others were killed last weekend when their small plane crashed in the Bahamas.

Our Jodi Ross is outside St. Ignatius Church in New York City. Jodi, hello.

JODI ROSS CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. You are right, the memorial service, a private memorial service, has been going on for about an hour now for Aaliyah. Family members and friends inside. Her remains were brought here in a horse-drawn carriage from a funeral home about four black away. It's a 100-year-old plated glass hearse, on that back of that carriage that brought her body here.

She -- what we have found out is that inside were a confirmed list of celebrities now, famous faces that you'll know. The rapper J.Z. is here, Puff Daddy or some people know him as P. Diddy, also Little Kim we saw go in earlier as well. Another prominent person is Gladys Knight. Now, that is Aaliyah's aunt, she was married to Aaliyah's uncle. As a matter of fact, Gladys Knight gave Aaliyah one of her first shots on stage when she was 11 years old, back in Las Vegas. Gladys Knight invited her onstage, and I think the bug bit.

Also inside is Damon Dash. Now, he's been linked with Aaliyah as a boyfriend. Recently Damon Dash was on MTV and he told them that they were planning to be married, but we do know him as Aaliyah's boyfriend.

Also, Maya, the singer, Ananda Lewis, a VJ from MTV. Also, Timbaland, the producer who's worked with Aaliyah on all three albums. Mike Tyson, we were told, Delroy Lindo as well. Now, he was the actor who played Aaliyah's father in her debut feature film, which was "Romeo Must Die." Also, Kevin Taylor, who's actually a producer from BET, who, if you can believe, was supposed to be on Aaliyah's flight that day, that doomed flight, but the plane was too crowded and he missed that flight. But he is here today to give his wishes and send condolences.

KAGAN: Jodi Ross. Jodi -- go ahead. Did you have something else to add? ROSS: Yes. After the service, Daryn, I wanted to tell you, which we think will wrap fairly soon. Again, as I've mentioned before, there are 22 trained doves who are supposed to fly above the church, one for each year that the singer lived. That is scheduled to happen, we believe, as soon as the mass ends.

You probably can't see it over my shoulders, but there are baskets out here that we do think contain the doves, two separate baskets, perhaps 11 doves in each one that we think will be released in a fairly short amount of time.

KAGAN: All right. Jodi Ross in New York. Jodi, thank you.

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