Jonathan Mannion was the last photographer to work with Aaliyah before her death in 2001. He’s one of the best photographers in the game, having shot over 300 album covers and worked with Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Aaliyah, Outkast, Kendrick Lamar and more.
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Mannion recently ran into Page Six at “Moët & Chandon: Nectar of the Culture,” where he spoke about having vivid memories of the time they worked together.
“I had to do 10 shots in four hours. She would say let’s have a moment of singing and she would belt out some tunes, so it was like hearing an angelic voice,” he told Page Six on Tuesday.
“It was a relentless pace. She was charming, elegant and graceful all the way through. There is star power, and then there is something else. I really think she is the definition of grace and elegance.”
Mannion was hired to shoot Aaliyah for promotion on her self-titled album. The R&B star passed during a plane crash only a month after the project’s release. She was in the process of filming a music video for her single “Rock the Boat.”
To this day, Aaliyah is still regarded as one of the best R&B singers of all time.
