Alicia Augello Cook widely known as Alicia Keys is an American record artist, musician, actress and an author.
She was born on January 25th 1981 in Manhattan, New York to parents Teresa Augello and Craig Cook.
Her parents separated when she was two years old and was brought up by her mother.
She learnt music and dance throughout her childhood.
Soon she began playing the piano when she was only seven years old.
She was accepted into the Professional Performing Arts School at the age of 12 and majored in choir.
She also began to write songs by the age of 14 and graduated as valedictorian after three years and enrolled in the Columbia University.
She also had a contract with the Columbia Records and opted out of the college to pursue her music career.
She began her career in 1997 when she appeared in the album "The Little Drummer Girl" for "So So Def Recordings".
She also co-wrote and recorded the song "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)" that later appeared as soundtrack in "Men in Black".
Later she ended her contract with them and joined Clive Davis in J Records where she recorded "Rock wit U" that appeared in the soundtracks of the movie "Shaft" in 2000 and "Rear View Mirror" which was taken as the soundtrack in "Dr.
Dolittle" the next year.
She shot to international fame with "Songs in a Minor", her first studio album, and sold 12 million copies worldwide in 2001.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it as six times Platinum.
She was tagged as the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist.
She went on to win five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards making her the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night.
She won the Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for "Fallin", Best New Artist, and Best R&B Album.
Her second album "The Diary of Alicia Keys" also became a hit and sold eight million copies worldwide.
Her song "If I Ain't Got You" remained in the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year and it became the first single sung by a female artist to remain for over a year.
She also published a book by the name "Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics".
It made a swooping US$500,000 and was listed in the New York Times bestseller.
She also made appeared in cameos in television series like the "Charmed" and "American Dreams".
She was born on January 25th 1981 in Manhattan, New York to parents Teresa Augello and Craig Cook.
Her parents separated when she was two years old and was brought up by her mother.
She learnt music and dance throughout her childhood.
Soon she began playing the piano when she was only seven years old.
She was accepted into the Professional Performing Arts School at the age of 12 and majored in choir.
She also began to write songs by the age of 14 and graduated as valedictorian after three years and enrolled in the Columbia University.
She also had a contract with the Columbia Records and opted out of the college to pursue her music career.
She began her career in 1997 when she appeared in the album "The Little Drummer Girl" for "So So Def Recordings".
She also co-wrote and recorded the song "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)" that later appeared as soundtrack in "Men in Black".
Later she ended her contract with them and joined Clive Davis in J Records where she recorded "Rock wit U" that appeared in the soundtracks of the movie "Shaft" in 2000 and "Rear View Mirror" which was taken as the soundtrack in "Dr.
Dolittle" the next year.
She shot to international fame with "Songs in a Minor", her first studio album, and sold 12 million copies worldwide in 2001.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it as six times Platinum.
She was tagged as the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist.
She went on to win five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards making her the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night.
She won the Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for "Fallin", Best New Artist, and Best R&B Album.
Her second album "The Diary of Alicia Keys" also became a hit and sold eight million copies worldwide.
Her song "If I Ain't Got You" remained in the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year and it became the first single sung by a female artist to remain for over a year.
She also published a book by the name "Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics".
It made a swooping US$500,000 and was listed in the New York Times bestseller.
She also made appeared in cameos in television series like the "Charmed" and "American Dreams".
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