Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys
Keys in 2013
Born
Alicia Augello Cook

(1981-01-25) January 25, 1981 (age 43)
New York City, U.S.
Other namesLellow
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • pianist
  • author
  • actress
Years active1985–present
OrganizationKeep a Child Alive
Works
Spouse
​
(m. 2010)​
Children2
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
Labels
Websitealiciakeys.com
Signature

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981),[3][4][5][6][7] known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs when she was the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at the age of 15. After disputes with the label, she signed with J Records to release her debut studio album, Songs in A Minor (2001). Met with critical acclaim and commercial success, the album sold over 12 million copies worldwide and won five awards at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. It contained the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Fallin'." Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), was met with continued success, selling eight million units worldwide and spawning the singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!).[8] Its release earned an additional four Grammy Awards.[9]

Her 2004 duet with Usher, "My Boo", became her second number-one single in the US. Keys' first live album, Unplugged (2005), spawned the single "Unbreakable" and made her the first female artist to have an MTV Unplugged project debut atop the Billboard 200. Her third album, As I Am (2007), sold seven million units worldwide and yielded her third Billboard Hot 100-number one single, "No One." In 2007, Keys made her film debut in the action-thriller Smokin' Aces, and performed the theme song to the James Bond film Quantum of Solace with her single "Another Way to Die" (with Jack White) the following year.[10] Her fourth album, The Element of Freedom (2009), peaked atop the UK Albums Chart, sold four million copies worldwide, and was supported by the singles "Doesn't Mean Anything", "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart", and "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)." That same year, she guest appeared on Jay-Z's 2009 single "Empire State of Mind", which became her fourth number-one hit in the US. Her fifth album, Girl on Fire (2012), was her fourth non-consecutive album to peak the Billboard 200, and was supported by its lead single of the same name; her sixth album, Here (2016), peaked at number two on the chart. Her seventh and eighth studio albums, Alicia (2020) and Keys (2021), spawned the singles "Show Me Love" (featuring Miguel), "Underdog", "Lala" and "Best of Me". Her ninth, Santa Baby (2022), was a holiday album and her first independent release. In 2023, she wrote, composed and co-produced her first Broadway musical, Hell's Kitchen.

Keys has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She was named by Billboard as the Top Artist of the 2000s in the R&B/Hip-Hop category,[11] and placed tenth on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. She has received numerous accolades in her career, including 16 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and an award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and National Music Publishers Association. VH1 included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music lists, while Time has named her in their 100 list of most influential people in 2005 and 2017. Keys is also acclaimed for her humanitarian work, philanthropy, and activism. She co-founded the nonprofit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Child Alive in 2003, for which she serves as Global Ambassador.

  1. ^ "Alicia's keys to success". BBC. February 14, 2005. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  2. ^ Clarke, Betty (September 21, 2016). "Alicia Keys review – soul singer opens door to blistering basement bash". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan 19-25". Associated Press. January 13, 2020. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023. Singer Alicia Keys is 40
  4. ^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan 24-30". Associated Press. January 19, 2021. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2023. Singer Alicia Keys is 41
  5. ^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan 23-29". Associated Press. January 18, 2022. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023. Singer Alicia Keys is 42
  6. ^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan 22-28". Associated Press. January 17, 2023. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023. Singer Alicia Keys is 43
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rolling Stone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Batey, Angus (November 10, 2007). "The ascent of Alicia Keys". The Times. London. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  9. ^ "2005 Grammy Award Winners". CBS News. February 13, 2005. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  10. ^ Michaels, Sean (July 30, 2008). "Jack White and Alicia Keys duet for Bond theme". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Bentley, Rick (September 29, 2021). "'Big Sky' uses twin ploy; Alicia Keys has her life exposed". KGET.com. KGET-TV. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.