Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys performing at Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal on March 19, 2008
Alicia Keys performing at Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal on March 19, 2008
Background information
Birth name Alicia Augello Cook
Also known as Lellow[1]
Born January 25, 1981 (1981-01-25) (age 28)
Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Genre(s) R&B, soul
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, pianist, cellist, composer, arranger, record producer, actress, music video director, philanthropist, author
Instrument(s) Singing, piano, keyboards, cello
Voice type(s) Contralto
Years active 1997–present
Label(s) Columbia, J
Website AliciaKeys.com

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981),[2] better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, pianist, cellist, and actress. Known for her distinctive, soulful contralto voice,[3] Keys has sold over thirty million albums worldwide[4][5] and has won numerous awards, including eleven Grammy Awards, seventeen Billboard Music Awards, and five American Music Awards.

Keys' debut album Songs in A Minor was a worldwide success, selling over eleven million copies,[6] and received five Grammy Awards in 2002, with Keys winning Best New Artist and also Song of the Year for "Fallin'". Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and quickly became another great success worldwide selling about nine million copies[7] and garnered Keys four Grammy Awards in 2005. After the successful Unplugged release in 2005, Keys returned to the music scene with her third studio album, As I Am, released in 2007, which has sold nearly six million copies[8] and established her as one of the best-selling artists of the decade.

Keys was inducted into the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Hot 100 Artists and was one of the few artists of her generation to be mentioned.[9]

Contents

Early life

Keys was born in a Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, in New York City, New York, the daughter and only child of Teresa "Terri" Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant.[10] Keys' mother is of Irish-Italian descent, and her father is Jamaican.[11] Keys describes herself as comfortable with her biracial heritage: "I grew up in New York and, thank God, I never had to go through that in regards to, 'You're not black enough, you're not white enough,' the whole kind of white/black-mixture thing. I never had to go through that. I went through prejudices and all, surely. But I never had to battle with those two parts of me."[12]

Keys' parents separated during her early childhood, and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.[13] In 1985, Keys and a group of other girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable's sleepover guests in an episode of The Cosby Show called "Slumber Party".[14]a[›] She began playing the piano when she was seven, learning classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and her favorite, Chopin.[15] Keys almost chose Wilde as her stage name at age sixteen until her manager suggested the name Keys after a dream he had. Keys felt that name represented her both as a performer and person.[16]

Keys graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School, a prestigious high school in Manhattan, as valedictorian at the age of sixteen in only three years. Although accepted to Columbia University, she dropped out four weeks later to pursue her musical career.[17] Keys signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def label, then distributed by Columbia Records. She co-wrote and recorded a song entitled "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1997 blockbuster, Men in Black. The song was Keys' first professional recording; however, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia Records ended quickly. Keys later met Clive Davis, who signed her to Arista Records, which has since disbanded.[2] Following Davis to his newly formed J Records label, she recorded the songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror", featured on the soundtracks to the films Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) respectively. Keys then released her debut album in 2001.

Music career

Songs in A Minor (2001)

Main article: Songs in A Minor

Keys released her first studio album on June 5, 2001. It sold 235,000 copies in its first week and went on to sell over ten million units worldwide,[6] establishing Keys' popularity both outside and inside the U.S., where she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001.[18] Critical reviews of the album were mostly positive.[19] On October 22, 2002, Songs in A Minor was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor, including eight remixes and seven unplugged versions of some of the songs from the original.

The album's first single, "Fallin'", gained radio airplay on many different radio formats and spent six weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[20] The album's second single, "A Woman's Worth", peaked at number three on the Hot 100.[21]

The album led Keys to win five Grammy Awards at the 44th Grammy Awards: 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; "Fallin'" was also nominated for Record of the Year. Keys became the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night, following Lauryn Hill at the 41st Grammy Awards.[22]

Keys performed Donny Hathaway's 1973 song "Someday We'll All Be Free" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes televised benefit concert following the September 11 attacks.[23]

In 2002, Keys collaborated with Christina Aguilera for the latter's upcoming album Stripped on a track entitled "Impossible", where Keys wrote, co-produced, and sang background vocals on the track.[24]

The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003)

Main article: The Diary of Alicia Keys

Keys followed up her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, released on December 2, 2003. The album was hailed by critics, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release and selling 4.4 million copies in the United States,[25][26] becoming the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B artist.[27] The has sold nine million copies worldwide.[28]

The singles "You Don't Know My Name" and "If I Ain't Got You" both reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the third single, "Diary", entered the top ten. The fourth single, "Karma", was less successful, peaking at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 but more successful on the Top 40 Mainstream peaking at number three. "If I Ain't Got You" became the first single by a female artist to remain on the sixty-three-year-old Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for more than one year, surpassing Mary J. Blige's "Your Child", which had remained on the chart for forty-nine weeks. Keys went on to become the best-selling female R&B artist of 2004.

At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, Keys won "Best R&B Video" for "If I Ain't Got You",[29] and also led Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder in their version of Wonder's "Higher Ground". In 2005, Keys won her second consecutive award for Best R&B Video for the video "Karma".[30]

At the 2005 Grammy Awards, Keys performed "If I Ain't Got You" and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of "Georgia on My Mind", the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by Ray Charles in 1960.[31] That evening, she won four Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Ain't Got You", Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name", Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for "My Boo" with Usher.[32] She was also nominated for Album of the Year for The Diary of Alicia Keys, Song of the Year for "If I Ain't Got You", Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!), and Best R&B Song for "My Boo".[33]

Unplugged (2005)

Main article: Unplugged (Alicia Keys album)

Keys performed and taped her installment of the MTV Unplugged series on July 14, 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[34] During this live session, Keys added brand-new arrangements to her original songs such as "A Woman's Worth" and the funk-driven "Heartburn", and performed a few choice covers. Part of Keys' audience also included her guest performers; she collaborated with rappers Common and Mos Def on "Love It or Leave It Alone", reggae artist Damian Marley on "Welcome to Jamrock", and Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine on a cover of The Rolling Stones' 1971 "Wild Horses". In addition to this, she had a cover of "Every Little Bit Hurts", previously recorded by singers such as Aretha Franklin and Brenda Holloway, Keys also premiered two new original songs: "Stolen Moments", which she co-wrote with producer Paul L. Green, and "Unbreakable", the album's lead single, which peaked at number four and number thirty-four on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the Hot 100 respectively. It was more successful on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay, where it stayed at number one for eleven weeks in late 2005.[35] The session was released on CD and DVD on October 11, 2005. Simply titled Unplugged, the album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 units sold in its first week of release. So far the album has sold one million copies in the United States[36] and two million copies worldwide.[6] The debut of Keys' Unplugged was the highest debut for an MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York and the first Unplugged by a female artist to debut at number one. The album received four nominations at the 2006 Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Unbreakable", Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Was Your Woman", Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for her rendition of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's classic "If This World Were Mine" with Jermaine Paul, Best R&B Song for "Unbreakable", and Best R&B Album. It also won three NAACP Image Awards that same year: Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Song for "Unbreakable", and Outstanding Music Video for "Unbreakable".[37]

As I Am (2007)

Main article: As I Am

Since late 2006, Keys worked on her third studio album, As I Am—whose title was confirmed in a red-carpet interview at the 2007 BET Awards on June 26[38]—, released on November 13, 2007. Keys talked to MTV in early 2007 about the album: "It's coming together incredibly. I am in love with this album. It's very fresh and new".[39] Rolling Stone magazine reported in December 2005 that Keys and her long-term songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers would start working seriously on the album in the later half of 2006.[40]

As I Am debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 742,000 copies, gaining Keys the second largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales week for a female solo artist since Norah Jones' 2004 album Feels Like Home, and also set a record as Keys' largest sales week of her career. As I Am became Keys fourth consecutive number one album, tying her with Britney Spears for the most consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 by a female artist. Since then, As I Am has sold over one million copies in two weeks of its debut, selling 359,000 copies in the second week. The lead single "No One" debuted at number seventy-one on the Billboard Hot 100, and has since peaked at number one, becoming Keys' third number one on the chart, and was also her fifth number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Furthermore, the song earned Keys the awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards on February 10. Keys opened the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song "Learnin' the Blues" as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in video. Later on, she performed "No One" with John Mayer. The album's second single, "Like You'll Never See Me Again", released in late 2007, reached the top fifteen of the Billboard Hot 100, and secured another R&B chart-topper for Keys. The album's third single was "Teenage Love Affair", which peaked at number three on the R&B chart after having debuted at number sixty. Keys performed the song at the BET Awards '08 on June 24, where she also performed '90s female R&B hits with their original performers: "Weak" with SWV, "Hold On" with En Vogue, and "Waterfalls" with TLC, SWV, and En Vogue. Keys also won Best Female R&B Artist during the show.[41]

Keys has confirmed that "Superwoman" will be the fourth and final single from the album As I Am.[42]

Alicia Keys and the White Stripes' Jack White have recorded the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond film, which hits U.S. theaters Nov. 14. The song, "Another Way to Die", became the first duet in Bond soundtrack history. White wrote and produced the song and he plays the guitar and drums while Keys plays the piano. The pair filmed a video for the song in Toronto on September 6, 2008 , whilst Keys was at the Toronto International Film Festival promoting her new film "The Secret Life of Bees" while White was there with "It Might Get Loud," a documentary on the electric guitar.[43] The song received its worldwide radio premiere on September 18, 2008.[44] Initial reviews of the song have been mixed, some critics anticipate that the song could grow in popularity the more it is played on radio and performed live by the musicians. The soundtrack to the movie was released October 28. The score for the film was composed by David Arnold. Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis had previously been rumored as the vocalists for the latest Bond theme.[45] Keys and White have been lined up to appear on a special Bond-themed X Factor live show in late 2008. The pair have agreed to give a performance of their duet "Another Way to Die".[46] The music of the their duet is to feature in a Coca Cola advertisement.[47][48] The album was released on Keys' label, J Records, and therefore counts as Alicia Keys' fourth (at least in part) studio album, although Keys herself only appears on the one track, "Another Way To Die" (the rest of the album contains the David Arnold incidental score).

On October 20, 2008, TV Guide reported that Keys received five American Music Award nominations for As I Am and will be performing at the award ceremony on November 23, 2008 along with Kanye West , Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and others.[49]

Keys has opened a new recording studio in Long Island, New York called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.[50] The studio was designed by renowned studio architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studios. Keys and Brothers are the co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises,[40] a production and songwriting team who assisted Keys in creating her award-winning albums as well as create music for other artists.

Keys also is preparing to record a theme song for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Keys who joins Joss Stone and Jay-Z on the effort, was approached by the presidential nominee according to The Sun to record a track that will serve as a theme song for his campaign.[51][52]

Film and television career

TV

Keys was first seen on the television screen on the Cosby Show in 1985. She was on the "Slumber Party" episode, which originally aired on March 28, 1985. She played the part of Maria, one of Rudy's (Keshia Knight Pulliam) friends. She is listed in the credits as Alicia Cook.

During the early 2000s, Keys made small cameos in such television series as Charmed and American Dreams. In early October 2006, she played the voice of Mommy Martian in the "Mission to Mars" episode of the children's television series The Backyardigans, in which she sang the song "Almost Everything Is Boinga Here". Keys guest starred as herself in the "One Man Is an Island" episode of the drama series Cane, first aired on November 6, 2007.

Keys starred in "Fresh Takes," a micro-series created by Dove go fresh, aimed at giving women a fresh take on life in their twenties. The series, premiered during "The Hills" on MTV in March to April 2008. The series followed three girlfriends as they embark on their adult lives juggling the pressures of being a 20-something woman – career, relationship, beauty, family and friends – all intensified by their own critical inner voice. Amidst these pressures, friendship, humor and honesty help them realize a wider definition of success and ultimately feel beautiful. This premiere celebrated the launch of new Dove go fresh – a fragrance-driven product collection.

Film

Keys made her big-screen debut in early 2007 in the crime film Smokin' Aces, co-starring as an assassin named Georgia Sykes opposite Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta, Common, Andy Garcia, Taraji P. Henson, Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds. Keys received much praise from her co-stars in the film; Reynolds said that Keys had "natural" acting ability as he was surprised she had not starred in films before.[53]

Keys earned further praise for her second film outing, The Nanny Diaries—based on the 2002 novel of the same name by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus—, released on August 24, 2007, in which she co-stars alongside Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans as Lynette, Johansson's character Annie's best friend. Brooklyn's Kingsborough Community College was used to film the college graduation scene for the film.[54]

Keys and her long-term manager Jeff Robinson have signed a first-look film production deal to develop live-action and animated projects with Disney, Variety reports. Their first film, a remake of the 1958 comedy Bell, Book and Candle, will star Keys as a witch who casts a love spell to lure a rival's fiancé.[55] Keys and Robinson have also formed a television production company called Big Pita.[56] Their first project will be a CW Network TV series inspired by Keys' experiences as a biracial child growing up in New York, similar to the network's Everybody Hates Chris.[57] Keys has been tapped to executively produce an upcoming TV drama. The title and airing date are presently unconfirmed.[58] Keys and Robinson said they will develop live-action and animated projects at their company, Big Pita, Little Pita, with Keys participating as producer, thesp, banner spearheading soundtrack, and music supervision.

Keys starred in a film adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's acclaimed 2003 bestseller The Secret Life of Bees alongside Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah, released on October 17, 2008 via Fox Searchlight. Gina Prince-Bythewood directed the film.[59][60][61]

Keys will also play 1940s biracial piano child prodigy Philippa Schuyler in an upcoming film entitled Composition in Black and White.[62] It is based on the 1995 biographical book of the same name by Kathryn Talalay and follows the story of Philippa Schuyler. "The challenge, in order to actually be able to play classical piano as a woman of mixed race, was by far more than I could ever imagine", Keys said. "That's what intrigued me about that role". The biopic will tell the difficult tale of Schuyler's controversial career, love-hate relationship with her mother, and the black community, her second career as a writer, and her eventual death in a helicopter accident. "Her story is very deep, even up to the point where the relationship between her and her mother gets very strained and she chooses to go to Europe and pass as a Spanish woman in order to be able to play, in order to be able to live a more normal life", Keys said, adding that she and Halle Berry hoped to start shooting in early 2008. "As of right now, we're still in the first, second draft of the script", she said. "So a little bit of time—at least a year".

When questioned about reincarnation, she answered affirmatively and added euphemistically "...dang, I wish I would have just been a regular 12 year-old." Then she concluded, ".. I feel I connect with the '30s and '40s. Maybe in some way I was alive then, and came back for this time now."[63]

Philanthropy

Besides being a musician, Keys is also a philanthropist. She is the Global Ambassador for Keep a Child Alive, a non-profit organization that provides life-saving AIDS medicines directly to children and families with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Keys and U2 lead singer Bono recorded a cover version of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush's "Don't Give Up", in recognition of World AIDS Day 2006. Keys and Bono's version of the song was retitled "Don't Give Up (Africa)" to show the two musicians' support for helping to raise awareness of people living with HIV and AIDS and acknowledging the twenty-five million Africans (forty million people worldwide) living with the disease.

Keys has visited African countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa[64][65] to promote care for children affected by AIDS. Keys, the global ambassador and co-founder of Keep a Child Alive, jet in on a four-day working visit in Masaka, Uganda on April 10, 2006 to bolster the HIV/AIDS crusade and give a ray of hope to families and children devastated by the scourge.[66] Keys visited sites funded by the organization "and brought footage home to the American public to encourage them to do more to help", according to a KACA statement. Throughout her visit, a film crew followed and documented the progress at both of these facilities for American news outlets.

Keys is also a spokeswoman for Frum tha Ground Up, a charity devoted to inspiring, encouraging, and motivating American youths to achieve success on all levels. Keys also participated in other humanitarian efforts in 2005 by performing at several exclusive concerts and television shows. On July 2, Keys performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the worldwide Live 8 concerts. The mission of the concerts was to raise awareness of the on-going poverty in Africa and to pressure the G8 leaders to take action by doubling aid, canceling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa. In August 2005, Keys performed on ReAct Now: Music & Relief, a benefit program shown on music video channels to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. The following month, Keys performed at Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, another Hurricane Katrina benefit concert.

Keys is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

On July 7, 2007, Keys and Keith Urban performed The Rolling Stones' 1969 hit "Gimme Shelter" at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the American leg of the Live Earth concerts.

Keys participated at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert which took place at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2007, together with a variety of artists. The concert was broadcast to over one hundred countries.[67]

Her work in Africa is documented in the documentary "Alicia in Africa" released on July 4, 2008.[68]

Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics

In 2004, Keys released her novel Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics. The title derives from one of her poems, "Love and Chains" from the line: "I don't mind drinking my tears for water."[69] She said the title is the foundation of her writing because, "everything I have ever written has stemmed from my tears of joy, of pain, of sorrow, of depression, even of question."[70] The book went on to sale over $500,000.[71]

Endorsements

Controversy

In an interview with Blender magazine, Keys' allegedly said "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" and went on to say that it was created by "the government". The magazine also claimed she said "Tupac and Biggie were essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing."[74] Keys wrote a statement clarifying the issues and saying her words were misinterpreted.[75]

On July 28, 2008, Keys was criticized by anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the A Mild cigarette brand sponsored by tobacco firm Philip Morris. She apologized after discovering a concert was sponsored by the firm and asked for "corrective actions". As a result, the company withdrew their sponsorship.[76]

Discography

Studio albums

Main article: Alicia Keys discography

Other albums

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role
2007 Smokin' Aces Georgia Sykes
The Nanny Diaries Lynette
2008 The Secret Life of Bees June Boatwright

Television

Year Title Role Episode
1985 The Cosby Show Maria "Slumber Party" (season 1, episode 22)
2003 American Dreams Fontella Bass "Rescue Me" (season 2, episode 6)
2005 Sesame Street Herself Season 36
2006 The Backyardigans Mommy Martian (voice) "Mission to Mars" (season 2, episode 1)
2007 Cane Herself "One Man Is an Island" (season 1, episode 7)
2007 Elmo's Christmas Countdown Herself Christmas television special
2008 Dove 'Fresh Takes' Alex Starred in all five episodes

Tours

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of Alicia Keys awards

Further reading

Notes

^ a: The episode became the only time Keys was credited under her real name.

References

  1. ↑ "The Diary Of Alicia Keys [CD & DVD [Limited] - Alicia Keys]". Epinions (February 2, 2004). Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Alicia Keys Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-11-02.
  3. ↑ Huguenin, Patrick (2008-10-11). "'Secret Life of Bees' star Alicia Keys' hive of activity". New York Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved on 2008-12-04.
  4. ↑ [1]
  5. ↑ Orf, Chris Hansen (2008-07-22). "R&B queen Alicia Keys to play Dodge Theatre". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Donovan, Dave (October 19, 2007). "Alicia Keys, Melissa Etheridge, Annie Lennox, Juanes, KT Tunstall, Earth, Wind & Fire and Junoon to celebrate peace through music at 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11 in Norway" (PDF). Nobel Peace Prize. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  7. ↑ Iwuagwu, Chibuzor (September 30, 2004). "The Diary of Alicia Keys re-releases this fall". The Equinox. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  8. ↑ J Records
  9. ↑ "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists (80-61)". Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
  10. ↑ Catlin, Roger (February 7, 2002). "ALICIA KEYS: MUSIC'S HOTTEST NEW ACT - 10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW". The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  11. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (2006-01-12). "Alicia Keys' Early Years To Be Made Into A TV Series". MTV. Retrieved on 2008-11-03.
  12. ↑ "Alicia Keys - Keys Avoids Mixed Race Abuse". Contactmusic.com (2004-12-01). Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
  13. ↑ Ojumu, Akin (2003-11-16). "Soul sister". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
  14. ↑ "Slumber Party". The Cosby Show. March 28, 1985. No. 1, episode 22.
  15. ↑ Akassy, Hugues-Denver. "Singer Alicia Keys Pours Heart into AIDS Fight in Africa". Orbite Television. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
  16. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (2006-01-18). "Alicia Keys Nearly Spills Secrets To Jane". MTV News. Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
  17. ↑ Pareles, Jon (2002-01-27). "Music; To Be Alicia Keys: Young, Gifted and in Control". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
  18. ↑ Anitai, Tamar (2007-11-12). "MTV Artist Of The Week: Alicia Keys". MTV. Retrieved on 2008-11-09.
  19. ↑ See reviews in Songs in A Minor.
  20. ↑ Martens, Todd (2001-12-04). "Alicia Keys' U.S. Tour Bows Jan. 22". Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-11-09.
  21. ↑ Jeckell, Barry A.; Mitchell, Gail (2002-05-02). "'Totally Hits 2002' Packs In 20 Top Tracks". Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-11-09.
  22. ↑ "Yes, America, Amy Winehouse Is a Star". BBC America (February 11, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  23. ↑ Samuels, Allison (2001-12-31). "Alicia Keys". Newsweek. Retrieved on 2008-11-09.
  24. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (2002-06-25). "Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys Party Up For 'Impossible'". MTV. Retrieved on 2008-11-09.
  25. ↑ Letkemann, Jessica (2007-11-14). "Keys Doubles Dion's Online Buzz". Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-11-14.
  26. ↑ Hope, Clover (2006-02-03). "Keys Pleasantly Surprised By Grammy Nominations". Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-11-14.
  27. ↑ Ah-young, Chung (2008-06-03). "R&B Diva Alicia Keys in Town". The Korea Times. Retrieved on 2008-11-14.
  28. ↑ Iwuagwu, Chibuzor (September 30, 2004). "The Diary of Alicia Keys re-releases this fall". The Equinox. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  29. ↑ "MTV Awards 2004: The winners". BBC (2004-08-30). Retrieved on 2008-11-14.
  30. ↑ Barkham, Patrick (2005-08-30). "Green Day takes top honours at MTV awards ceremony". The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-11-14.
  31. ↑ "Late Ray Charles tops Grammy Awards". The Guardian (2002-02-15). Retrieved on 2008-11-14.
  32. ↑ "2005 Grammy Award Winners". CBS News (2005-02-13). Retrieved on 2008-11-09.
  33. ↑ "Grammy Award nominees in top categories". USA Today (2004-12-07). Retrieved on 2008-11-09.
  34. ↑ Jenison, David (October 19, 2005). "Keys Plugs In at No. 1". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
  35. ↑ "Hot Adult R&B Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-09-07.
  36. ↑ Hope, Clover (January 24, 2006). "Keys Craves 'Strange As Hell' Collaborations". Billboard. Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
  37. ↑ "Image Awards Honor Foxx, Keys, Carey". Billboard (February 26, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
  38. ↑ Keck, William (June 27, 2007). "Grand night for divas at BET Awards". USA Today. Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
  39. ↑ Carroll, Larry (January 2, 2007). "Alicia Keys Kills — Literally — In Film Debut, 'Smokin' Aces'". MTV Movie News. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Leroy, Dan (December 7, 2005). "Alicia Collaborator Krucial Goes Solo". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
  41. ↑ "Kanye West, UGK Win Big At BET Awards, But Ne-Yo, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne Performances Steal The Show". MTV (2008-06-25). Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
  42. ↑ "Alicia Mulls Next Album, New Single". Billboard (2008-04-28). Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
  43. ↑ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080906.WBfilmfest20080906135135/WBStory/WBfilmfest
  44. ↑ http://www.gigwise.com/news/46174/jack-white-and-alicia-keys-james-bond-theme-given-world-premiere
  45. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003832786
  46. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/xfactor/a126258/alicia-keys-to-perform-on-x-factor.html
  47. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a130122/whites-bond-theme-to-feature-in-coke-ad.html
  48. ↑ http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/11/advertising.thewhitestripes
  49. ↑ Alicia Keys, Kanye West to Rock AMA Stage" TV Guide. October 20, 2008. Retrieved on October 24, 2008.
  50. ↑ Weiss, David (October 1, 2005). "Alicia Keys Opens Recording Studio in New York". Mix. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
  51. ↑ http://www.singersroom.com/news/entertainment-story-2106.asp
  52. ↑ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4511270.ece
  53. ↑ "Interview : Alicia Keys". Moviehole.net (December 28, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
  54. ↑ Carroll, Larry (April 13, 2006). "Alicia Keys Works Her Hollywood Mojo, Joins Johansson In 'Nanny Diaries'". MTV Movie News. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
  55. ↑ MTV News staff report (July 14, 2006). "For The Record: Quick News On Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, 'Snakes On A Plane' & More". MTV News. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  56. ↑ Elber, Lynn (January 18, 2006). "Alicia Keys forms production company". The Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  57. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (January 12, 2006). "Alicia Keys' Early Years To Be Made Into A TV Series". MTV News. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  58. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie and Speight, Kimberly (January 12, 2006). "Keys, Simmons Bringing Projects To TV". Billboard. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  59. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven (December 20, 2007). "Dakota Fanning and Alicia Keys drawn to "Bees"". Reuters. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  60. ↑ Bolden, Janeé (December 21, 2007). "Alicia Keys In Talks To Join Queen Latifah & Jennifer Hudson In Upcoming Movie". SOHH Soulful. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  61. ↑ DPA (December 26, 2007). "HOLLYWOOD BRIEFS: Dakota Fanning, Alicia Keys as beekeepers". EarthTimes.org. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  62. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (May 14, 2004). "Alicia Keys To Play Biracial Piano Prodigy In First Movie". MTV Movie News. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
  63. ↑ Reader's Digest, December 2005, p. 121
  64. ↑ "Alicia Keys and 'Keep a Child Alive' Visit AHF's Ithembalabantu Clinic, Free AIDS Clinic in Durban, South Africa Run by AIDS Healthcare Foundation". PRNewswire (April 18, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
  65. ↑ "Alicia Keys in Kenya for HIV Project". CBS News (April 6, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-04.
  66. ↑ "Alicia Keys and 'Keep a Child Alive' to Visit AHF's Masaka Healthcare Center, Free AIDS Clinic Run by AIDS Healthcare Foundation/Uganda CARES". AIDS Healthcare Foundation (April 10, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
  67. ↑ "Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2007". NobelPeacePrize.org. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  68. ↑ "Alicia Keys...New Superwoman Clip". alicakeys.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-20.
  69. ↑ "The Poetry of Alicia Keys". CBS News (2004-11-11). Retrieved on 2008-12-04.
  70. ↑ "In Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics". FindArticles. CBS Corporation (2004-11). Retrieved on 2008-12-04.
  71. ↑ Lafranco, Robert (2005-02-10). "Money Makers". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved on 2008-12-04.
  72. ↑ Alicia Keys And Dove Give Women A Fresh Take On Life In Their Twenties - With Video
  73. ↑ BAAALLIN!! Alicia Keys Signs A $50M Deal With Vitamin Water!!!
  74. ↑ Weiner, Jonah (2008-03-19). "Alicia Keys: Unlocked". Blender. Retrieved on 2008-11-16.
  75. ↑ "Alicia Keys Statement Regarding Blender Magazine". The Earth Times (2008-04-15). Retrieved on 2008-11-16.
  76. ↑ "Keys 'sorry' for tobacco adverts". BBC (2008-07-28). Retrieved on 2008-07-28.

External links

Alicia Keys
Studio albums
Songs in A Minor · The Diary of Alicia Keys · As I Am
Other albums
Unplugged
Singles
"Fallin'" · "A Woman's Worth" · "How Come You Don't Call Me" · "Girlfriend" · "You Don't Know My Name" · "If I Ain't Got You" · "Diary" · "Karma" · "Unbreakable" · "Every Little Bit Hurts" · "No One" · "Like You'll Never See Me Again" · "Teenage Love Affair" · "Superwoman"
Other singles
"Gangsta Lovin'" · "My Boo" · "Ghetto Story Chapter 2" · "Another Way to Die"
Filmography
Smokin' Aces · The Nanny Diaries · The Secret Life of Bees
Related articles
Discography · Awards and nominations
Persondata
NAME Keys, Alicia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Augello Cook, Alicia
SHORT DESCRIPTION American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
DATE OF BIRTH January 25, 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City, New York, United States
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH