Alicia Keys (born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981 in Manhattan, New York)
is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and
pianist.
Family and musical background
Alicia was born to an Irish-Italian mother, Terri Augello, and a Jamaican
father, Craig Cook, and was raised in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood
of New York City. Her maternal grandmother is Puerto Rican. Keys
began playing piano when she was seven. She learned classical music
by playing composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin, who was
her favorite composer. She wrote her first song "Butterflyz" at
the age of fourteen; the song can be found on her debut album. Keys'
mother was the one who most supported her during the time she was
developing her talents. Keys' mother and father seperated during
her early childhood, thus she was raised by her mother during her
formative years. However, Keys has now reconciled her relationship
with her father.
Education
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. Following her mentor Clive Davis
to his newly-formed J Records label, she 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.
Professional music career
Songs in A minor (2001): The Debut
Alicia burst onto the music scene in June 2001 with her debut release
Songs In A Minor on Clive Davis’ J Records. Songs in A Minor
was a commercially successful album when it debuted at #1 on the Billboard
200 selling over 235,000 copies in its first week and going on to sell
more than 10 million units worldwide symbolizing the international
impact she has as an artist. [2]. Its first single "Fallin'" was
a huge hit as well, gaining airplay on many different radio formats
and spending six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Keys also gained
visibility with her resolute performance of Donny Hathaway's "Someday
We'll All Be Free" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes televised
benefit concert following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
A subsequent single, "A Woman's Worth", made the Top 10 as
well. With the album she won five Grammy Awards in 2002, including
Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'".
Because she wrote her own songs and played several instruments very well, 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 21st century. Critical reviews were mostly positive. Keys' work had a sound similar to 1970s soul singers such as Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye along with hip hop influences like those apparent in neo soul artists such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo. However some critics went further by accusing her of outright plagiarism, especially in the case of her single "Fallin'", which interpolates James Brown's "It's A Man's World" right down to the string arrangement.
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[3]. "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.
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