Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American recording artist, musician and actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began to play classical music on the piano. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. She later attended Columbia University before dropping out to pursue her music career. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records.

Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'". Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States. She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.

Keys made guest appearances on several television series in the following years, beginning with Charmed. She made her film debut in Smokin' Aces and went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in the same year and sold six million copies worldwide, earning Keys an additional three Grammy Awards. The following year, she appeared in The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. She released her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009, which became Keys' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom. Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000–2009 decade, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time. In 2010, VH 1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Discography:

 * Songs in A Minor (2001)
 * The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003)
 * As I Am (2007)
 * The Element of Freedom (2009)

Alicia Keys provides examples of:

 * Bi the Way:According to alicia-keys.net this doesn't extend to real life but some people remain unconvinced.
 * But Not Too Black: Her mom's of Irish, Scottish, and Italian descent. Alica said she was thankful this was one issue that really didn't have much affect on her childhood, though it is occasionally brought up by people now that she is famous.
 * Early Bird Cameo: Keys portrayed one of Rudy's friends on an episode of The Cosby Show.
 * Fake Mixed Race: Inverted, Keys is mixed herself, yet played a member of a family were all her relatives were black in her video for Unthinkable, as the video is about prejudice against interracial dating.
 * I Am Song: "Super Woman"
 * Past in The Rearview Mirror: "Rear View Mirror".
 * Rags to Riches
 * She's Got Legs