Alicia Keys Biography / Pictures

She was born on january 25 1981 in Manhattan, New York as a daughter of a white mother, Terri Augello, and a black father, Craig Cook. She was also raised in New York.

She first played a piano when she was seven. She learned classical music of Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin (which was her favorite). She wrote her first song Butterflyz at the age of fourteen, which can be found or her debut album. It was her mother who supported her for a great part while developing her talents.

Her debut album, Songs in A Minor, was commercially successful. With it she won five Grammy Awards in 2002 (see 2002 in music). Because she wrote her own songs and played several instruments with technical prowess, consumers saw Keys as an original voice at a time when the musical marketplace was flooded with pop bands that were little more than an attractive front for the creative energies of others. As such, she established a large fanbase of devoted fans, making her one of the most popular artists of the early years of the twenty-first century. Critical reviews were mostly positive, though many found Keys derivative, with a sound reminiscent of 1970s soul singers like Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye with hip hop influences that were less original than similar blends from nu soul artists like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and D'Angelo.

Keys graduated valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts School, a public high school in Manhattan. She attended Columbia University on scholarship briefly before devoting full time to her music career.

The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003)

2003 is the year of release for her second album The Diary of Alicia Keys with the first released single You don't know my name.

The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003).After relentless touring, Alicia followed up her successful debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, released in December 2003. The album was hailed by critics and debuted at #1 selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release in the United States. The Diary of Alicia Keys is currently 7 times platinum worldwide[2]. "You Don't Know My Name" and the soulful "If I Ain't Got You" both became Top 5 hit singles, with the later "Karma" also receiving considerable attention.

At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards Keys led Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder in a stomping rave-up of Wonder's "Higher Ground". At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she gave a powerful performance of the album's second single, "If I Ain't Got You", and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a stirring rendition of "Georgia On My Mind", the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by the late Ray Charles. That night she went home with four Grammy Awards (Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Ain't Got You"; Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name"; and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "My Boo" with Usher).

MTV Unplugged (2005)

Keys performed and taped her installment of the " MTV Unplugged" series in July at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which is due for a release on CD and DVD. During this live session, Keys added brand-new arrangements to her original songs such as "A Woman's Worth" and "Heartburn," and performed a few choice covers. Part of Keys' audience also included her guest performers, she collaborated with several top acts such as rappers Common and Mos Def for "Love It or Leave It Alone," reggae artist Damian Marley for "Welcome to Jam Rock" and Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine for a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses."

In addition to a cover of "Every Little Bit Hurts," previously performed by female greats like Aretha Franklin and Brenda Holloway, Keys also unveiled two new original songs: "Stolen Moments", which she co-wrote with soul legend Al Green, and "Unbreakable." Keys' "MTV Unplugged" album is due Oct. 11, 2005 via J Records.The set will be led by the new single "Unbreakable," which will impact U.S. radio outlets on Sept. 12.

Miscellaneous

Keys became an Honorary Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on September 24, 2004.

Besides being a musician, she is a soon-to-be actress; Keys will play piano wunderkind Philippa Schuyler in an upcoming movie entitled Composition in Black and White. She also in talks play a ruthless assassin alongside Ben Affleck in a movie entitled Smokin Aces source.

In July 2005, Alicia keys was voted the second most powerful artist in the pop industry, she was pipped from the #1 position by fellow R&B star Usher in the Los Angeles Times 2005 Pop Power List, reports The Sun. The list was compiled by 21 industry bigwigs including producers Jermaine Dupri, Rick Rubin and rap mogul Russell Simmons.
The Top 10 included: 1. Usher 2. Alicia Keys 3. Coldplay 4. Eminem 5. Beyonce Knowles 6. Justin Timberlake 7. Outkast 8. 50 Cent 9. Kanye West 10. Dr Dre

Keys is dating producer Kerry "Crucial" Brothers.