Alicia Keys is an American singer, pianist, and musician whose real name is Alicia J. Augello-Cook. Having sold over 41 million albums worldwide, she is regarded as one of the most successful artists of her generation. Throughout her career, she has won 9 Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, and 3 American Music Awards. Known as a constant figure in charity concerts and recognized as a dedicated philanthropist, Keys is an active member of the organization Keep a Child Alive, which focuses on fighting HIV/AIDS and protecting children. As part of this mission, she frequently visits African countries. On World AIDS Day in 2006, she reinterpreted the song Don't Give Up, originally performed by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, together with Bono, the lead vocalist of the band U2.

Alicia Keys was born on January 25, 1981, in New York City, as the only child of Scottish-Italian actress Teresa "Terri" Augello and Jamaican flight attendant Craig Cook. She grew up on 42nd Street and later described the neighborhood as a place that was far from paradise, marked by prostitution, drug dealing, and crime. After her parents divorced when she was very young, she turned to music with encouragement from her mother as a way to cope with these difficult circumstances. She began playing the piano at the age of seven.

In 1985, she appeared on the television program The Cosby Show with a group. During her teenage years, she attended the Professional Performing Arts School in New York, where she focused on classical music and performed works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Frederic Chopin. To further develop her vocal skills, she trained with Conrad Robinson. After graduating from the Professional Performing Arts School with high honors, Keys was accepted into Columbia University. However, she decided to leave her studies behind in order to pursue a full-time career in music.

During this period, Conrad Robinson introduced her to his brother Jeff Robinson, and together they worked to find the right record label. Eventually, she signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri’s label So So Def, which was affiliated with Columbia Records. She contributed the song Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing) to the soundtrack of the 1997 film Men In Black. Not long after, she ended her agreement with Dupri and moved to producer Clive Davis’s company Arista Records. Her time at Arista was brief, and she soon signed a contract with J-Records.

Before releasing her debut album, Keys performed the songs Rock Wit U and Rear View Mirror for the soundtracks of the films Shaft and Dr. Dolittle 2. She finally introduced her first studio album, Songs In A Minor, to the public. The album displayed strong classical music influences alongside elements of 1970s soul, all blended with hip hop to create a unique fusion. It received widespread acclaim, topped the American charts for an extended period, and reached number six in the United Kingdom. Singles released from the album included Fallin’, A Woman’s Worth, Girlfriend, and a new interpretation of Prince’s song How Come You Don’t Call Me.

Following her success, Alicia Keys won the “Best New Artist” award at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2002, she received five Grammy Awards. As the album’s popularity continued, she released Remixed & Unplugged In A Minor, featuring alternative versions of her songs. That same year, she rearranged and performed the song Impossible from Christina Aguilera’s album Stripped, collaborating with Aguilera on a duet.

In 2003, Keys released her second studio album, The Diary Of Alicia Keys. She worked with notable musicians such as Kanye West and Timbaland on the production. The album achieved major commercial success, earned four platinum certifications, and produced hit singles including You Don’t Know My Name, If I Ain’t Got You, Diary, and Karma. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, the album won three awards. In 2004, she also collaborated with Usher on the song My Boo from his album Confessions, which later won her another Grammy in 2005 for “Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.”

In 2005, she performed an unplugged concert at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, releasing the recording as an album. During this performance, she reimagined her earlier songs and performed Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones alongside Adam Levine of Maroon 5. The concert also featured appearances by Common, Mos Def, and Damian Marley, and included two new songs, Stolen Moments and Unbreakable. The album quickly climbed the American charts, while the singles Unbreakable and Every Little Bit Hurts achieved notable success.

In 2007, Keys released her third studio album, As I Am, collaborating with artists such as Timbaland, John Mayer, Marsha Ambrosius, and Linda Perry. That same year, she performed at the Live Earth concerts in New Jersey, where she sang Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones in a duet with Keith Urban. The album’s lead single, No One, was widely praised by both critics and audiences.

Also in 2007, Alicia Keys made her acting debut in the film Smokin’ Aces. This was followed by roles in The Nanny Diaries and, in 2008, Composition In Black And White, in which she starred alongside Halle Berry.

Alicia Keys is married to the musician known by the stage name Swizz Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean. A hip hop producer and rapper, Swizz Beatz is also the founder of Full Surface Records. After divorcing his first wife in 2010, he married Alicia Keys. The couple has two children together, named Egypt Daoud Dean and Genesis Ali Dean.

Alicia Keys – Albums:

2001 - Songs in A Minor
2003 - The Diary of Alicia Keys
2007 - As I Am
2009 - The Element of Freedom
2012 - Girl on Fire
2016 - Here

Alicia Keys – Films and Television:

1985 - The Cosby Show (Maria) (TV Series)
2003 - American Dreams (Fontella Bass) (TV Series)
2005 - Sesame Street (Herself) (TV Series)
2006 - The Backyardigans (Mommy Martian – voice) (TV Series)
2007 - Cane (Herself) (TV Series)
2007 - Elmo's Christmas Countdown (Herself) (TV Series)
2007 - Smokin' Aces (Georgia Sykes) (Feature Film)
2007 - The Nanny Diaries (Lynette) (Feature Film)
2008 - The Secret Life of Bees (June Boatwright) (Feature Film)
2008 - Dove 'Fresh Takes' (Alex) (TV Series)

Source: Biyografiler.com