Aaliyah

Missy Elliott Remembers Aaliyah, Nine Years Later

'I miss her every day,' late singer's collaborator tells MTV News.

It's been 9 years since Aaliyah Dana Haughton died in a plane crash and left an immense void in the hearts of her family, friends and fans.

The singer's star was still rising when her life was cut short. She released multiplatinum albums and had just started her film career, but there was always a sense that her journey would be a long one, destined for greatness.

Traces of her style and influence are apparent in contemporary artists, but her legacy is most evident in her collaborators, including Timbaland, Ginuwine and Missy Elliot.

Missy spoke with MTV News via e-mail and shared some of her favorite Aaliyah memories.

MTV: When you look around today at some of the current R&B stars, who do you see traces of Aaliyah's influence in?

Karl Malone

Sloan: Malone, Stockton Did All the Work

”You don’t get here without a lot of help from a lot of people,” said Jerry Sloan, who is the longest tenured coach in major professional sports.

Entering his 22nd season coaching the Jazz, Sloan likes to say his 1,137 victories — including 1,043 with Utah — are as much a product of longevity and having good players as anything he has done as a coach.

”I don’t want to step in John and Karl’s way. They’re the ones that did all the work. They’re the ones that probably helped keep me here, along with Larry Miller,” Sloan said. ”I certainly don’t want to take anything away from them by me tagging along. I tagged along for a long time.”