Alicia Keys

Artist Image: Alicia Keys
Attribution
Image Credit: Mr_Dume (Vimeo: House of ICONS 2019 | Harper’s Bazaar (view archived source)), CC BY 3.0

Biography

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known by the pseudonym Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records. Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'" becoming the second American recording artist to win five Grammys in one night. Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States. She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994. Keys has made guest appearances on several television series, beginning with The Cosby Show. She made her film debut in Smokin' Aces and also went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in the same year and sold five million copies worldwide, earning Keys an additional three Grammy Awards. The following year, she appeared in The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. She released her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009, which became Keys' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom. She released her fifth album, Girl on Fire, in November 2012, which became Keys' fifth chart-topping album in the United States. Keys released her second live album, VH1 Storytellers, in June 2013. Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and sold over 35 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B songs artist of the 2000s decade. In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Billboard magazine placed her number ten on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. In February 2012, Keys was ranked 14th on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music list. Keys was ranked at number thirty-three on VH1's "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era" list.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1997
Number of Albums 55
Record Label RCA
Website aliciakeys.com
Wikipedia Alicia Keys on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

At what age did Alicia begin taking piano lessons?

7

...Alicia began taking piano lessons at age 7 at her mother's insistence. She proved to be such a prodigy that she was later accepted into the prestigiou...
What was Alicia's major?

choir

... Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan, where she majored in choir . Not only her musical talent but also her grades proved to be so except...
At what school did she major in choir?

Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan

...y that she was later accepted into the prestigious Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan , where she majored in choir. Not only her musical...
At what age was she allowed to graduate as valedictorian?

16

...so exceptional that she was allowed to graduate, as valedictorian, at age 16 . In 1998, she signed with Arista Records, and wrote, produced, and record...
When did she sign with Arista Records?

1998

...tional that she was allowed to graduate, as valedictorian, at age 16. In 1998 , she signed with Arista Records, and wrote, produced, and recorded her o...
What record label did she join in 1999?

J Records

...roduced, and recorded her own albums. In 1999, she left Arista to join J Records , headed by legendary music impresario Clive Davis, and her success ha...
Who was J Records headed by?

Clive Davis

...e left Arista to join J Records, headed by legendary music impresario Clive Davis , and her success has been meteoric. Her 2001 debut album, Songs in A...
How many Grammys did Diary win in 2005?

four

...sold 6 million copies and garnered five Grammys. Her album Diary won her four more Grammys in 2005. Family (3) Trivia (35) She was accepted by Columbi...
What was the name of the debut album that sold 6 million copies?

Songs in A Minor

...ve Davis, and her success has been meteoric. Her 2001 debut album, Songs in A Minor , sold 6 million copies and garnered five Grammys. Her album Diary ...
When did Songs in A Minor debut?

2001

...ary music impresario Clive Davis, and her success has been meteoric. Her 2001 debut album, Songs in A Minor, sold 6 million copies and garnered five G...
What magazines has she appeared on?

Vibe, Vanity Fair, Seventeen, and Teen

...ed one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002. She has appeared on the covers of Vibe, Vanity Fair, Seventeen, and Teen magazines....
What year was Alicia Keys born?

1985

...Alicia Keys (born Alicia J. AugelloCook, 25.1. 1985 ) Alicia Keys is an Americanborn R&B musician. She has sold over 25 million albums worldwide and won...
What is Alicia's net worth according to The Richest (2013)?

45 million

...hree American Music Awards. Net worth: Alicia Keys has a net worth of 45 million according to The Richest (2013). Childhood: Alicia was born in Harlem...
Where was Alicia born?

Harlem, New York

...ion according to The Richest (2013). Childhood: Alicia was born in Harlem, New York , to Teresa Augello (of Irish and Scottish heritage) and Craig Cook...
What is Craig Cook's nationality?

Jamaican

..., to Teresa Augello (of Irish and Scottish heritage) and Craig Cook (a Jamaican ). In 1985, she played one of a group of girls at Rudy Huxtable's sleep...
When did she begin to play the piano?

aged seven

...pover in hit comedy show, The Cosby Show. She began to play the piano aged seven and attended the Professional Performing Arts School aged only 16. Sh...
What was the name of the song she cowrote for the Men In Black soundtrack?

Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing),

...cowrote a track for the Men In Black film soundtrack, entitled Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing), though it was never released as a single. Arista records now ...
Keys was a bona fide superstar of what genre?

soul

...ng the stunning biracial Keys. With her classical training on the piano, soul stirring lyrics, and heartstopping voice, Keys had become a bona fide sup...
What instrument did Keys have classical training on?

piano

...ountering the stunning biracial Keys. With her classical training on the piano , soulstirring lyrics, and heartstopping voice, Keys had become a bona f...
How many Grammy Awards did Keys win for her album?

five

... the instruments, and coproduced the album. The album eventually won her five Grammy Awards. Since then, Keys has racked up several more Grammies, sol...
How many albums has Keys sold since her album's release?

tens of millions

...Awards. Since then, Keys has racked up several more Grammies, sold tens of millions more albums, and even launched an acting career. Simply put, Keys ...
What was Keys' father's race?

AfricanAmerican

...Early Age Keys was born on January 25, 1981, in New York City to an AfricanAmerican father and an ItalianAmerican mother. Her parents did not stay tog...
Keys was born in what city?

New York City

...e. Loved Music at an Early Age Keys was born on January 25, 1981, in New York City to an AfricanAmerican father and an ItalianAmerican mother. Her par...
What race was Keys born to?

biracial

... turn on the radio, or tune into MTV without encountering the stunning biracial Keys. With her classical training on the piano, soulstirring lyrics, a...
What ethnicity was her mother?

ItalianAmerican

...uary 25, 1981, in New York City to an AfricanAmerican father and an ItalianAmerican mother. Her parents did not stay together and Keys was raised by h...
Who raised Keys?

Terri Augello

...Her parents did not stay together and Keys was raised by her mother, Terri Augello , a paralegal and sometimes actress. As a child, Keys didn't see muc...
What was Alicia's father's name?

Craig Cook

...nd sometimes actress. As a child, Keys didn't see much of her father, Craig Cook ; however, they remained on good terms. Despite the difficult life of ...
What did Keys's mother do to nurture her child's passion?

enrolled Alicia in piano classes

...erty in which she often struggled, Keys's mother was determined to nourish her child's budding passion for music and enrolled Alicia in piano classes ....
What genre of music does Keys specialize in?

aching love ballads and feelgood motivational anthems

...d to refine her signature sound, specializing in aching love ballads and feelgood motivational anthems , appealing to an audience far beyond her R&B ba...
Keys earned routine recognition from the Recording Academy with how many additional Grammys?

ten

... Moreover, she earned routine recognition from the Recording Academy with ten additional Grammy Awards. Keys started her third decade of activity with...
Who was Keys raised by?

ItalianAmerican mother

...halid, and Brandi Carlile among the contributors. Raised by her ItalianAmerican mother , she enrolled in classical piano lessons at the age of seven an...
At what age did she begin to write songs?

seven

...anAmerican mother, she enrolled in classical piano lessons at the age of seven and began writing songs four years later. An education at the Professio...
What school helped develop her vocal skills?

Professional Performing Arts School

...began writing songs four years later. An education at the Professional Performing Arts School helped develop her vocal skills, and at the age of 16 sh...
What two Columbias loomed on the horizon for Keys?

Columbia University and Columbia Records

...ss valedictorian. Two Columbias loomed on the horizon: Columbia University and Columbia Records , both of which extended offers. Although she attempted...
Keys found it difficult to juggle what two things?

academic and professional commitments

...ake both options work, Keys found it difficult to juggle academic and professional commitments and chose to focus exclusively on her music career. Ass...
Which label did Keys work for?

Columbia Records

...rian. Two Columbias loomed on the horizon: Columbia University and Columbia Records , both of which extended offers. Although she attempted to make bot...
On what show did Keys appear?

The Oprah Winfrey Show

...d his own label, J Records, and welcomed Keys into the fold with an aggressive publicity campaign (including an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show )....
What is the original name of Alicia Keys?

Alicia Augello Cook

...Alicia Keys, original name Alicia Augello Cook , (born January 25, 1981, New York, New York, U.S.), American singersongwriter, pianist, and actress, wh...
When did she begin to compose?

14

...ing piano at age seven, concentrating on classical music and jazz. At age 14 she began composing, and two years later she graduated as valedictorian f...
What was the name of Keys' second album?

The Diary of Alicia Keys

...t new artist. The following year Keys released a second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys . She also recorded a duet with Usher called My Boo, which for ...
What was the name of the duet with Usher?

My Boo

...m, The Diary of Alicia Keys. She also recorded a duet with Usher called My Boo , which for six weeks was the number one song on Billboard s Hot 100 cha...
What is the zodiac sign of Alicia?

Aquarius

...New York, United States of America Official site: Horoscope: Aquarius Alicia Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook to Terri Augello, an ItalianIrish paral...
How old was Alicia when she entered New York's Professional Performing Arts School?

12

...lessons aged seven, and within two years was playing Chopin sonatas. Aged 12 , Alicia entered New York's Professional Performing Arts School to study v...
What was Alicia's first full-fledged release?

Songs In A Minor

...ke of Shaft, but it was her first fullfledged release, the soulful Songs In A Minor that took her to the top of the charts in 2001. Heartfelt lyrics h...
What helped set Alicia's output apart from her contemporaries?

Heartfelt lyrics

...l Songs In A Minor that took her to the top of the charts in 2001. Heartfelt lyrics helped set apart the youngster's output from the lessthanprofound ...
Alicia is more often compared to what genre of singers?

classic R&B

...something private. Though Alicia is the same age as Britney Spears, she's more often compared with classic R&B singers than her teen pop counterparts....
Who was Alicia Keys' mother?

Nikki Augelloa

..., in New York, New York. Growing up, Keys was raised by her mother, Nikki Augelloa parttime actress and paralegal. She began piano lessons at age 7 an...
At what school was Keys majoring in choir?

Professional Performance Arts School

...he instrument led Keys to attend Manhattan's prestigious Professional Performance Arts School , where she majored in choir. Having excelled academicall...
What record label did Keys sign with in 1998?

Arista Records

...ter what amounted to a bidding war for her talents, she signed with Arista Records in 1998. While she was accepted to Columbia University on a full sc...
How long did Keys stay at Columbia University?

fourweek

...she was accepted to Columbia University on a full scholarship, after a fourweek stint at the school, Keys departed to devote herself fully to her musi...
When was Keys signed by Columbia Records?

15 years old

...ined pianist, Keys began composing songs by age 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records. After disputes with the label, she signed with ...
What year did Keys release her first live album?

2005

... second numberone single. Keys released her first live album, Unplugged ( 2005 ), and became the first woman to have an MTV Unplugged album debut at num...
What was Keys' third album called?

As I Am

...an to have an MTV Unplugged album debut at number one. Her third album, As I Am (2007), sold seven million copies worldwide and produced the Hot 100 n...
How many copies of As I Am were sold worldwide?

seven million

...ged album debut at number one. Her third album, As I Am (2007), sold seven million copies worldwide and produced the Hot 100 numberone single No One. ...
When was her duet My Boo with Usher released?

2004

..., and Diary. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards. In 2004 , her duet My Boo with Usher became her second numberone single. Keys rel...
What number one single was produced by Keys?

No One

...even million copies worldwide and produced the Hot 100 numberone single No One . In 2007, Keys made her film debut in the actionthriller film Smokin' A...
What major was Alicia Keys majoring in?

voice

...Education: Attended Columbia University, voice major. Sidelights Innovative, dynamic, and dropdead gorgeous are words that have been used to describe ...
What are the words that have been used to describe Keys?

Innovative, dynamic, and dropdead gorgeous

...Attended Columbia University, voice major. Sidelights Innovative, dynamic, and dropdead gorgeous are words that have been used to describe Alicia Keys...
Keys has released a book of what?

poems

...ps and bounds. In her short career span, she has also released a book of poems and her songs' lyrics. Not one to get comfortable in any juncture, Keys...
Keys was scheduled to make her film debut in what year?

2006

...table in any juncture, Keys was also scheduled to make her film debut in 2006 . Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981, in New York City...
What year was Keys born?

1981

...her film debut in 2006. Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981 , in New York City. Her parents, Craig Cook and Terri Augello, did not st...
Where was she raised?

Hell's Kitchen

... for long, and Keys was raised mostly by her mother. She grew up in Hell's Kitchen , a tough neighborhood in Manhattan. Though Keys is biracial, she co...
What ethnicity does Keys consider herself to be?

black

...eighborhood in Manhattan. Though Keys is biracial, she considers herself black . However, she still loves both sides of her heritage, and it was a noni...