| Alicia Keys |
Keys in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup kick-off concert. |
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Alicia Augello Cook |
| Also known as |
Lellow |
| Born |
(1981-01-25) January 25, 1981 (age 31) |
| Origin |
New York City, United States |
| Genres |
Soul, R&B, blues, hip hop, jazz, neo soul, electronic |
| Occupations |
singer-songwriter, record producer, actress |
| Instruments |
Vocals, piano, keyboards, cello, synthesizer, vocoder, guitar, bass guitar |
| Years active |
1997–present |
| Labels |
RCA, J, Arista, Columbia |
| Website |
aliciakeys.com |
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Keys was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. 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.[1] She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001.[2] The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'".[3] Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies.[4] The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005.[5] Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States.[6] She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.[2]
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 and 25 million singles, which makes her one of the best selling artists of all time. 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, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[7] Billboard magazine placed her number ten on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years.[8]
[edit] Life and career
[edit] 1981–2001: Early life and Career Beginnings
Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981, in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan, in New York City.[9][10][11] She is the only child of Teresa Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant.[12][13][14][15] Keys' mother is of Italian, Scottish, and Irish descent, and her father is African American;[16] Keys has expressed that she was comfortable with her biracial heritage because she felt she was able to "relate to different cultures".[10][17] Her parents separated when she was two and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.[18] In 1985, Keys made an appearance on The Cosby Show at the age of four, where she and a group of girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable's sleepover guests in the episode "Slumber Party".[19][20] Throughout her childhood, Keys was sent to music and dance classes by her mother.[21] She began playing the piano when she was seven and learned classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin.[12] Keys enrolled in the Professional Performing Arts School at the age of 12, where she majored in choir and began writing songs at the age of 14.[13][22] She graduated in four years as valedictorian at the age of 16.[23]
In 1994 Keys met long-term manager Jeff Robinson after she enrolled in his brother's after-school program.[24] The following year Robinson introduced Keys to her future A&R at Arista Records, Peter Edge, who later described his first impressions to HitQuarters: "I had never met a young R&B artist with that level of musicianship. So many people were just singing on top of loops and tracks, but she had the ability, not only to be part of hip-hop, but also to go way beyond that."[25] Edge helped Robinson create a showcase for Keys and also got involved in developing her demo material. He was keen to sign Keys himself but was unable to do so at that time due to being on the verge of leaving his present record company. Keys signed to Columbia Records soon after.[25] At the same time as signing a recording contract with Columbia Records, Keys was accepted into Columbia University. At first, Keys attempted to manage both but after four weeks dropped out of college to pursue her musical career fulltime.[23][26]
Keys signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and So So Def Recordings, where she appeared on the label's Christmas album performing "The Little Drummer Girl". She also co-wrote and recorded a song entitled "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.[26] The song was Keys' first professional recording; however, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia ended after a dispute with the label. Keys was unhappy with the label because her career had stalled during her two years under contract at Columbia due to executive indecision over her direction and major changes within the company.[25] Keys called Clive Davis, who sensed a "special, unique" artist from her performance and signed her to Arista Records, which later disbanded.[9][10] Keys almost chose Wilde as her stage name until her manager suggested the name Keys after a dream he had. Keys felt that name represented her both as a performer and person.[27] Following Davis to his newly formed J Records label, she worked with Kerry "Krucial" Brothers and recorded the songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror", which were featured on the soundtracks to the films Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), respectively.[28][29]
[edit] 2001–2002: Songs in A Minor
Keys released her first studio album, Songs in A Minor, in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 236,000 copies in its first week.[32] The album sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States,[33] where it was certified six times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[34] It went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide,[35] establishing Keys' popularity both inside and outside the United States, where she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001.[2] The album's lead single, "Fallin'", spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[36] The album's second single, "A Woman's Worth", was released in February 2002 and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, as her second Top 10 single in both charts.[37] The album's third single, "How Come You Don't Call Me", was released in June 2002 and peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's fourth single, "Girlfriend", was released in November 2002 in UK and peaked at number 82 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The following year, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor, which included eight remixes and seven unplugged versions of the songs from the original.
Songs in A Minor led Keys to win five awards at the 2002 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.[38] That same year, she collaborated with Christina Aguilera for the latter's upcoming album Stripped on a song entitled "Impossible", which Keys wrote, co-produced, and provided with background vocals.[39] During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series Charmed and American Dreams.[12]
[edit] 2003–2005: The Diary of Alicia Keys and Unplugged
Keys followed up her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in December 2003. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release, becoming the largest first-week sales for a female artist in 2003.[40] It sold 4.4 million copies in the United States and was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA.[34][41] It sold eight million copies worldwide,[42] becoming the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B artist.[43] The album's lead single, "You Don't Know My Name", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for eight consecutive weeks, her first Top 10 single in both charts since 2002's "A Woman's Worth ". The album's second single, "If I Ain't Got You", was released in February 2004 and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for six weeks. The album's third single, "Diary", peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, being their third consecutive Top 10 single in both charts. The album's fourth and final single, "Karma", which peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, first release to fail to achieve top ten status on both charts. "If I Ain't Got You" became the first single by a female artist to remain on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year.[44][45][46][47][48] Keys also collaborated with recording artist Usher on the song "My Boo" from his 2004 album, Confessions (Special Edition). The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for three weeks, became her first number-one single in Hot 100 since 2001's "Fallin'".
Keys won Best R&B Video for "If I Ain't Got You" at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she performed the song and "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder.[49][50] Later that year, Keys released her novel Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics. The title derived from one of her poems, "Love and Chains" from the line: "I don't mind drinking my tears for water."[51] 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".[52] The book sold over US$500,000 and Keys made The New York Times bestseller list in 2005.[53][54] The following year, she won a second consecutive award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for the video "Karma".[55] 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 at the 2005 Grammy Awards.[56] 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.[57]
Keys performed and taped her installment of the MTV Unplugged series in July 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[58] During this session, Keys added new arrangements to her original songs and performed a few choice covers.[59] The session was released on CD and DVD in October 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.[60] The album sold one million copies in the United States, where it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and two million copies worldwide.[12][34][61] The debut of Keys' Unplugged was the highest 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.[2] The album's first single, "Unbreakable", peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[62] It remained at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay for 11 weeks.[63] The album's second and final single, "Every Little Bit Hurts", was released in January 2006, it failed to enter the U.S. charts.
Keys opened a recording studio in Long Island, New York, called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.[64] 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, a production and songwriting team who assisted Keys in creating her albums as well as create music for other artists.[65]
[edit] 2006–2008: Film debut and As I Am
In 2006, Keys won three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Song for "Unbreakable".[66] She also received the Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[67] In 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 an original song, "Almost Everything Is Boinga Here".[68] That same year, Keys nearly suffered a mental breakdown. Her grandmother had died and her family was heavily dependent on her. She felt she needed to "escape" and went to Egypt for three weeks. She explained: "That trip was definitely the most crucial thing I've ever done for myself in my life to date. It was a very difficult time that I was dealing with, and it just came to the point where I really needed to—basically, I just needed to run away, honestly. And I needed to get as far away as possible."[69][70]
Keys made her film debut in early 2007 in the crime film Smokin' Aces, co-starring as an assassin named Georgia Sykes opposite Ben Affleck and Andy García. Keys received much praise from her co-stars in the film; Reynolds said that Keys was "so natural" and that she would "blow everybody away". Smokin' Aces had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $57,103,895 worldwide during its theatrical run.[71][72] In the same year, Keys earned further praise for her second film, The Nanny Diaries, based on the 2002 novel of the same name, where she co-starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. The Nanny Diaries had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $44,638,886 worldwide during its theatrical run.[73] She also guest starred as herself in the "One Man Is an Island" episode of the drama series Cane.[74]
Keys performing live, March 20, 2008
Keys released her third studio album, As I Am, in November 2007; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week. It gained Keys her largest first week sales of her career and became her 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.[75][76] The week became the second largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales week for a female solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels like Home in 2004.[77] The album has sold nearly four million copies in the United States and has been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA.[78][79] It has sold nearly six million copies worldwide.[80] Keys received five nominations for As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award and ultimately won two.[81] The album's lead single, "No One", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for ten consecutive weeks, became her first number-one single in Hot 100 since 2004's "My Boo" and becoming Keys' third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively.[82] The album's second single, "Like You'll Never See Me Again", was released in late 2007 and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for seven consecutive weeks. From October 27, 2007, when "No One" reached No. 1, through February 16, 2008, the last week "Like You'll Never See Me Again" was at No. 1, the Keys was on top of the chart for 17 weeks, more consecutive weeks than any other artist in Hot R&B/Hip/Hop Songs chart.[83] The album's third single, "Teenage Love Affair", which peaked at number 54 on the 'Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[83] The album's fourth and final single, "Superwoman", which peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[83][84]
"No One" earned Keys the awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards.[85] Keys opened the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song "Learnin' the Blues" as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in video and "No One" with John Mayer later in the show.[86] Keys also won Best Female R&B Artist during the show.[87] She starred in "Fresh Takes", a commercial micro-series created by Dove Go Fresh, which premiered during The Hills on MTV from March to April 2008. The premiere celebrated the launch of new Dove Go Fresh.[88] She also signed a deal as spokesperson with Glacéau's VitaminWater to endorse the product,[89] and was in an American Express commercial for the "Are you a Cardmember?" campaign.[90] Keys, along with The White Stripes' guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, recorded the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the first duet in Bond soundtrack history.[91] In 2008, Keys was ranked in at number 80 the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists.[92] She also starred in The Secret Life of Bees, a film adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's acclaimed 2003 bestseller novel of the same name alongside Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning, Paul Bettany and Queen Latifah, released in October 2008 via Fox Searchlight. The Secret Life of Bees had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $39,947,322 worldwide during its theatrical run.[93] Her role earned her a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.[94] She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Superwoman".[95]
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 that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing".[22] Keys later wrote a statement clarifying the issues and saying her words were misinterpreted.[96] Later that year, 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 that the concert was sponsored by the firm and asked for "corrective actions". In response, the company withdrew its sponsorship.[97]
[edit] 2009–2010 The Element of Freedom, marriage and motherhood
Keys and manager Jeff Robinson signed a film production deal to develop live-action and animated projects with Disney. Their first film will be a remake of the 1958 comedy Bell, Book and Candle and will star Keys as a witch who casts a love spell to lure a rival's fiancé.[98] Keys and Robinson also formed a television production company called Big Pita.[99] Keys and Robinson will develop live-action and animated projects from their company, Big Pita and Little Pita, with Keys as producer, thespian, banner spearheading soundtrack and music supervision.[100]
Keys collaborated with the record producer Swizz Beatz to write and produce "Million Dollar Bill" for Whitney Houston's seventh studio album, I Look to You. Keys had approached Clive Davis for permission to submit a song for the album.[101] Keys also collaborated with the recording artist Jay-Z on the song "Empire State of Mind" from his 2009 album, The Blueprint 3. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became her fourth number-one single on that chart.[102] At the 53rd Grammy Awards ceremony, "Empire State of Mind" won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song. It had also been one of the five nominees for Record of the Year.[103]
The following month, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Keys with the Golden Note Award, an award given to artists "who have achieved extraordinary career milestones".[104] She collaborated with Spanish recording artist Alejandro Sanz for "Looking for Paradise", which topped the Hot Latin Songs chart, this was Keys' first number one on all three charts, which also made her the first African-American of non-Hispanic origin to reach #1 on the Hot Latin Tracks.[105] Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009.[106] It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 417,000 copies in its first week.[107] As part of the promotional drive for the album, she performed at the Cayman Island Jazz Festival on December 5, the final night of the three day festival which will be broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET).[108] The album's lead single, "Doesn't Mean Anything", has peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[106] Keys was ranked as the top R&B recording artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine and ranked at number five as artist of the decade, while her song, "No One", was ranked at number six on the magazine's songs of the decade.[109][110][111] In the United Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys' first album to top the UK Albums Chart.[112] The album's second single, "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart", was released in November 2009 and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's third single, "Put It in a Love Song", featuring Grammy-winner Beyoncé, peaked at number 60 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The music video for the single, which was filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been postponed several times, and later it was confirmed that Alicia Keys' team made a decision not to release the video. The album's fourth single, "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down", was released in February 2010 and peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 76 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's fifth single, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)", was released in May 2010 and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, for twelve consecutive weeks and became the album's most successful single, becoming Keys' eighth number-one single on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album's sixth and final single, "Wait Til You See My Smile", was released in December 2010 in the U.K only.
Keys at the Walmart Shareholders Meeting 2011.
In May 2009, Swizz Beatz announced that he and Keys were romantically involved,[113] and in May 2010, a representative for Keys and Swizz Beatz confirmed that they were engaged and expecting a child together.[114] During the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the couple took part of a union and had the unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony, which took place in the Illovo suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.[115] Keys and Swizz Beatz were married on the French island of Corsica on July 31, 2010.[116][117] On October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to a son, Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean, in New York City.[118]
[edit] 2011–present: Other ventures and upcoming album
In June 2011, Songs in A Minor was re-released as deluxe and collector's editions in commemoration of its 10th anniversary.[119] To support the release, Keys embarked on a four-city promotional tour, entitled Piano & I: A One Night Only Event With Alicia Keys, featuring only her piano. Keys is also set to co-produce the Broadway premiere of Stick Fly, which will open in December 2011.[120] On September 26, 2011, was the premiere of Project 5 known as Five, short film that marks the debut of Alicia Keys as a director. It is a documentary of five episodes that tell stories of five women who were victims of breast cancer and how it affected their lives. The production also has co-direction of the actresses Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and film director Patty Jenkins.[121]
on September 23, she performed at iHeart Music Festival and sang her new song "A Place Of My Own", which is present in her fifth studio album.[122][123] On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding J Records along with Arista Records and Jive Records. With the shutdown, Keys (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material on RCA Records.[124][125] On Saturday February 18, 2012, Alicia performed "Send Me an Angel" at Whitney Houston's memorial at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.[126]On April 26, 2012, Alicia Keys Performed a new song "Not Even a King", gracing the stage of MTV Up Front, the music network’s showcase of its summer television lineup. Accompanied only by a piano, Keys hit the keys and sang her heart out, treating the audience to the brand-new song from her upcoming (and as yet untitled) new album[1][2].
[edit] Artistry
[edit] Musical style
An accomplished pianist, Keys incorporates piano into a majority of her songs and often writes about love, heartbreak and female empowerment.[10][53] She has cited several musicians as her inspirations, including Prince, Nina Simone, Barbra Streisand, Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder.[127][128][129] Keys' style is rooted in gospel and vintage soul music, supplemented by bass and programmed drumbeats.[130] She heavily incorporates classical piano with R&B, soul and jazz into her music.[131][132] She began experimenting with other genres, including pop and rock, in her third studio album, As I Am,[130][133][134] transitioning from neo soul to a 1980s and 1990s R&B sound with her fourth album, The Element of Freedom.[135][136] Patrick Huguenin of the New York Daily News stated that her incorporation of classical piano riffs contributed to her breakout success.[44] Jet magazine states she "thrives" by touching her fans with "piano mastery, words and melodious voice".[137] The Independent described her style as consisting of "crawling blues coupled with a hip-hop backbeat", noting that her lyrics "rarely stray from matters of the heart".[138] Blender magazine referred to her as "the first new pop artist of the millennium who was capable of changing music."[139]
[edit] Songwriting, voice and achievments
Keys playing the piano while performing, surrounded by three backing vocalists
Keys has a vocal range of a contralto, which spans three octaves.[44][140] She can sing from B flat over an octave below middle C (B♭2) to B below soprano C (B5). Often referred to as the "Princess of Soul",[30][138] Keys has been commended as having a strong, raw and impassioned voice;[141][142] others feel that her voice is "emotionally manufactured" at times and that she pushes her voice out of its natural range.[141][142] Keys' songwriting is often criticized for lack of depth, which has led to her writing abilities being called limited.[141] Her lyrics have been called generic, clichéd and that her songs revolve around generalities.[130][141] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune feels that she "[pokes] around for multi-format hits rather than trying to project any sort of artistic vision".[142] Diversely, Jon Pareles of Blender magazine stated that the musical composition of her songs makes up for their lyrical weakness,[133] while Gregory Stephen Tate of The Village Voice compared Keys' writing and production to 1970s music.[143]
Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and is listed on the Recording Industry Association of America's best-selling artists in the United States, with 15 million certified albums.[144] She has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has established herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time.[19][143][145]
[edit] Philanthropy
Keys is the co-founder and Global Ambassador of Keep a Child Alive, a non-profit organization that provides medicine to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa.[146] 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 2005. Keys and Bono's version of the song was retitled "Don't Give Up (Africa)" to reflect the nature of the charity it was benefiting.[147][148] She visited African countries such as Uganda, Kenya and South Africa to promote care for children affected by AIDS.[149][150][151] Her work in Africa was documented in the documentary Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland and was available in April 2008.[152]
Keys has also donated to Frum tha Ground Up, a non-profit organization that aids children and teenagers with scholarships.[153][154] She performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the worldwide Live 8 concerts to raise awareness of the poverty in Africa and to pressure the G8 leaders to take action.[155] In 2005, Keys performed on ReAct Now: Music & Relief and Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, two benefit programs that raised money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.[156][157] In July 2007, Keys and Keith Urban performed The Rolling Stones' 1969 song "Gimme Shelter" at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the American leg of the Live Earth concerts.[158][159]
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.[160] She participated in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert which took place at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2007, along with other various artists.[161] She recorded a theme song for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. She joined Joss Stone and Jay-Z on the effort, which served as a theme song for Obama's campaign.[162] For her work, Keys was honored at the 2009 BET Awards with the Humanitarian Award.[163] Keys performed the song "Prelude to a Kiss", retitled "Send Me an Angel", from her 2007 album As I Am for the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[164]
[edit] Discography
- Live albums
Keys at Tokyo Summer Sonic 2008.
[edit] Filmography
List of television and films credits
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1985 |
The Cosby Show |
Maria |
"Slumber Party" (Season 1, Episode 22) |
| 2001 |
Charmed |
P3 VIP Patron (uncredited) |
"Size Matters" (Season 4, Episode 5) |
| 2001—2010 |
Saturday Night Live |
Herself / Musical Guest |
"Reese Witherspoon/Alicia Keys" (Season 27, Episode 1)
"Charles Barkley/Alicia Keys" (Season 35, Episode 11) |
| 2003 |
American Dreams |
Fontella Bass |
"Rescue Me" (Season 2, Episode 6) |
| 2003 |
The Proud Family |
Herself (voice) |
"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (Season 3, Episode 46) |
| 2005 |
Sesame Street |
Herself |
Episode #36.26 (Season 36, Episode 26) |
| 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 |
| 2007 |
Smokin' Aces |
Georgia Sykes |
Debut film |
| 2007 |
The Nanny Diaries |
Lynette |
|
| 2008 |
Dove: Fresh Takes |
Alex |
Lead role |
| 2008 |
The Secret Life of Bees |
June Boatwright |
Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |
| 2011 |
Five |
Director |
Nominated - Directors Guild of America Award |
| 2012 |
Firelight |
Executive Producer |
|
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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- ^ "Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Receive Zulu Blessing in Africa". Rap-Up. http://www.rap-up.com/2010/06/22/alicia-keys-and-swizz-beatz-receive-zulu-blessing-in-africa/. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Baertlein, Lisa (August 2, 2010). "Alicia Keys Marries Swizz Beatz". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. http://www.billboard.com/news/alicia-keys-marries-swizz-beatz-in-france-1004107126.story#/news/alicia-keys-marries-swizz-beatz-in-france-1004107126.story. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Serpe, Gina (August 1, 2010). "Call Her Mrs. Beatz: Alicia Keys Weds!". EOnline. EOnline. http://au.eonline.com/uberblog/b193211_call_her_mrs_beatz_alicia_keys_weds.html. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
- ^ Greer, Carlos (October 15, 2010). "Alicia Keys Has a Baby Boy". People. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20434638,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ^ James Dinh (April 13, 2011). "Alicia Keys Announces 10th Anniversary Edition Of Songs In A Minor". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661882/alicia-keys-songs-in-a-minor-concert.jhtml. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (2011-06-28). "Alicia Keys Heads To Broadway – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666508/alicia-keys-stick-fly-broadway.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- ^ Zakarin, Jordan (March 29, 2011). "'Project Five': Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore Directing Film For 'Lifetime'". Huffingtonpost.com. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/29/project-five-jennifer-aniston_n_842136.html. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- ^ "Alicia Keys Debuts “A Place Of My Own” At iHeartRadio Music Festival | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on". Idolator.com. 2011-09-24. http://idolator.com/6024002/alicia-keys-debuts-a-place-of-my-own. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- ^ "Google News". News.google.com.br. http://news.google.com.br/news/more?hl=en&q=A+Place+Of+My+Own&gs_upl=47961l47961l1l48421l1l1l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=dsx42p3KjIV_WRMlyfw-MO6MimWTM&ei=MCd-TqDDO-m80AGf5b2VDQ&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQqgIwAA. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- ^ "RCA's New Executive Team Named Under CEO Peter Edge Amid Layoffs (Update)". Billboard.biz. 2011-08-23. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/rca-s-new-executive-team-named-under-ceo-1005324782.story. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- ^ "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2268707. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- ^ Kleinman, Jacob. "Whitney Houston Funeral: Alicia Keys Performs "Prelude To A Kiss"". International Business Times. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/300933/20120218/whintey-houston-funeral-alicia-keys-angel-video.htm. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
- ^ "Keys to Success". People. Time. August 27, 2001. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20135193,00.html. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ^ Fiore, Raymond (April 21, 2006). "Opening Doors". Entertainment Weekly (Time). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1186026,00.html. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ Horan, Tom (November 29, 2003). "CD of the week: The Diary of Alicia Keys by Alicia Keys". The Daily Telegraph (London: News Limited). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3607474/CD-of-the-week-The-Diary-of-Alicia-Keys-by-Alicia-Keys.html. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
- ^ a b c Pareles, Jon (September 9, 2007). "A Neo-Soul Star as She Is: Nurturing Her Inner Rebel". The New York Times (The New York Times Company): pp. 1–2. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/arts/music/09pare.html. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ MacDonald, Patrick (September 19, 2008). "Six years after 'Minor' success, Alicia Keys is a major star". The Seattle Times (The Seattle Times Company). http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2008188607_keys19.html. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ Neal, Mark Anthony. "Song in A Minor: A Major Debut". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/k/keysalicia-songs.shtml. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Pareles, Jon (November 13, 2007). "Alicia Keys – As I Am on Blender". Blender. Alpha Media Group. http://www.blender.com/guide/new/54849/as-i-am.html. Retrieved February 4, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "As I Am – Overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1213242. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ Ratliff, Ben (December 13, 2009). "News CDs from Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Jimmy Buffett – Review". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/arts/music/14choi.html. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
- ^ "Alicia Keys and the Freedom of love". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. December 14, 2009. http://blogs.chron.com/peep/2009/12/alicia_keys_and_the_freedom_of_1.html. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
- ^ "Alicia Keys Wraps Up Busy Year With Awards, Hit CD, Tour And Poetry Book?". Jet (Johnson Publishing Company) 106 (24): 61. 2004. http://books.google.com/?id=F78DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58&dq=alicia+keys+voice#PPA61,M1. Retrieved December 25, 2008.
- ^ a b "Alicia Keys: Soul princess". The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). November 18, 2005. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/alicia-keys-soul-princess-515710.html. Retrieved December 25, 2008.
- ^ "Alicia Keys: Album review". Blender. Blender. February 12, 2003. http://www.blender.com/guide/new/51866/diary-alicia-keys.html. Retrieved May 18, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Alicia Keys: She sings, she acts, she smoulders". Canwest News Service. Canwest Mediaworks Publications. October 15, 2008. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=f04af0a4-3aa8-477c-b783-903549139ac3. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Freedom du Lac, J. (November 13, 2007). "Alicia Keys, Still Warming Up". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201967.html. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ a b c Kot, Greg (November 11, 2007). "Drab production keeps Alicia Keys' promise unfulfilled". Chicago Tribune (Tribune Company). http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2007/11/drab-production.html. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ a b Tate, Gregory Stephen (November 20, 2007). "Extensions of a Woman". The Village Voice. New Times Media. pp. 1–2. http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-11-20/music/extensions-of-a-woman/. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – Top Selling Artists". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTopArt&action=. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
- ^ Orf, Chris Hansen (July 22, 2008). "R&B queen Alicia Keys to play Dodge Theatre". East Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081014112443/http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/121327. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- ^ "Green Family Foundation Sponsors Alicia Keys' Keep a Child Alive College Student...". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). November 20, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS145550+20-Nov-2008+PRN20081120. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- ^ "Alicia Keys And Bono Team Up For Charity Track". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. December 1, 2005. http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2005/12/alicia_keys_bono_dont_give_up_africa/. Retrieved December 16, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ "Bono and Keys duet on Africa song". BBC. December 4, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4497232.stm. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
- ^ "For The Record: Quick News On Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Obie Trice, Notorious B.I.G., Jessica Simpson & More". MTV News. April 10, 2006. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1528266/20060410/coldplay.jhtml. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
- ^ "Alicia Keys and 'Keep a Child Alive' Visit AHF's Ithembalabantu Clinic, Free AIDS Clinic in Durban, South Africa Run by AIDS Healthcare Foundation". PR Newswire. April 16, 2006. http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=168584. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
- ^ "Alicia Keys in Kenya for HIV Project". USA Today (Gannett Company). April 6, 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-04-06-alicia-keys_x.htm. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
- ^ "Alicia Keys' Documentary "Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland" Available...". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). April 7, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS189864+07-Apr-2008+BW20080407. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
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- ^ "Frum Tha Ground Up Story Page". USA Today (Gannett Company). January 22, 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-01-21-alicia-keys_x.htm. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
- ^ Wolinsky, David (June 27, 2005). "Keys, Peas Join Live 8". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7425214/keys_peas_join_live_8. Retrieved December 16, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ Moss, Corey (September 2, 2005). "Kelly, Stones, Kanye Added To Massive Disaster-Relief Special". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1508922/20050902/clarkson_kelly.jhtml. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
- ^ "Celebrity-Studded Benefit Raises Funds for Hurricane Katrina Survivors; Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast". FindArticles (CBS Corporation). December 6, 2005. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Dec_6/ai_n15896288/. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
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- ^ "Nobel Peace Prize Concert". Nobel Peace Prize. http://nobelpeaceprize.org/concert/history/index.php. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
- ^ Watson, Roland; Costello, Miles; Fleming, Sam (August 12, 2008). "Joss Stone to record song for Barack Obama". The Times (London: News Corporation). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4511270.ece. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ Ditzian, Eric (June 29, 2009). "BET Awards Salute Michael Jackson With Heartfelt Tributes". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1614877/20090629/story.jhtml. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
- ^ Reid, Shaheem (January 22, 2010). "Alicia Keys Performs 'Prelude to a Kiss' During 'Hope for Haiti Now'". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1630327/20100122/keys_alicia.jhtml. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
[edit] Further reading
[edit] External links
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Alicia Keys
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- 2000
- Itaal Shur & Rob Thomas - "Smooth"
- 2001
- Adam Clayton, David Evans, Larry Mullen, Jr. & Paul Hewson - "Beautiful Day"
- 2002
- Alicia Keys - "Fallin'"
- 2003
- Jesse Harris - "Don't Know Why"
- 2004
- Richard Marx & Luther Vandross - "Dance with My Father"
- 2005
- John Mayer - "Daughters"
- 2006
- Adam Clayton, David Evans, Larry Mullen, Jr. & Paul Hewson - "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"
- 2007
- Emily Burns Irwin, Martha Maguire, Natalie Maines Pasdar & Dan Wilson - "Not Ready to Make Nice"
- 2008
- Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"
- 2009
- Guy Berryman, Jonathan Buckland, William Champion & Christopher Martin - "Viva la Vida"
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Keys, Alicia |
| Alternative names |
Augello Cook, Alicia |
| Short description |
American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress |
| Date of birth |
January 25, 1981 |
| Place of birth |
New York City, New York, United States |
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