Name: Alicia Augello Cook
Nickname: Alicia
Known As: Alicia Keys
Birth Date: January 25, 1980
Birth Place: New York, NY, USA
Occupation: Singer/Songwriter/Composer/Pianist
"A Minor is one of my all-time favorite keys to play in. It's a very moody key, and also 'A' is the first letter of my name. It just represents the songs through my eyes."
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| Alicia Keys was born on January 25, 1980. She is an American R&B/soul singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and pianist. Keys is a renowned artist who has sold over 20 million albums and singles worldwide and won numerous awards, including 9 Grammys, 10 Billboard Music Awards and 3 American Music Awards.
Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook to an Irish/Italian mother, Terri Augello, and a Jamaican father, Craig Cook, in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, and was raised in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. She began playing piano when she was seven, learning classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and her favorite Chopin. She wrote her first song Butterflyz at the age of fourteen; the song was later recorded for her debut album. Keys' mother and father separated during her early childhood, thus she was raised by her mother during her formative years; her mother was the one who most supported her during the time she was developing her musical talents. The press reported in 2005 that Keys was attempting to reconcile with her dad. However, Keys denied this and said her words were misinterpreted.
Keys graduated as valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts School, a public high school in Manhattan at the age of sixteen. She briefly attended Columbia University on a scholarship before devoting herself to a full-time musical career. Keys signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def label, then distributed to Columbia Records. She wrote and recorded a song entitled Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing) which appeared on the soundtrack for the 1997 blockbuster, Men In Black. The song was Keys' first professional recording, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia Records was ended quickly and Keys later met Clive Davis who signed her to Arista Records, which has since disbanded. Following her mentor Clive Davis to his newly-formed J Records label, she recorded songs Rear View Mirror and Rock Wit U which featured on the soundtracks to the movies Shaft and Nutty Professor: The Klumps respectively, both the films and the soundtracks were released in 2000. Keys then released her debut album Songs In A Minor in 2001, the title being a reference to both her classical aspirations and to the fact that she wrote most of the songs at a very young age. |
| Accepted by Columbia University at age 16, but dropped out to pursue her music career.
Named one of People Magazine's "Breakthrough Stars of 2001".
Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.
Appeared on the covers of Vibe, Vanity Fair, SevenTeen, and Teen magazines.
Began to play the piano at age 7.
Lives in New York City.
Was the first artist to sign with J Records.
Wrote her first song at the age of 14.
Her maternal grandmother is of Puerto Rican descent.
Graduated a performing arts high school at age 16.
Is a honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (2004)
Before coming up with the last name Keys, she had at one point considered calling herself Alicia Wild.
Won the award for Best R'n'B at the 2004 Mtv Europe Music Awards.
Wrote and produced "Impossible", one of the songs on Christina Aguilera's album, "Stripped".
Mother is of Puerto Rican and Italian descent. Father is African-American. |
