She graduated in three years as valedictorian at the age of 16.
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. She began playing the piano when she was seven and learned classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin. Throughout her childhood, Keys was sent to music and dance classes by her mother. 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".
Her parents separated when she was two and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. Keys' mother is of Italian, Scottish, and Irish descent, and her father is African American Keys has expressed that she was comfortable with her biracial heritage because she felt she was able to "relate to different cultures". She is the only child of Teresa Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981, in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan, in New York City, New York.
She made her film debut in Smokin' Aces and went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007.
Keys made guest appearances on several television series in the following years, beginning with Charmed. Keys became the first female to have an album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994. Later that year, she released her first live album, "Unplugged" Alica Keys hit number one in the U.S. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies. Also, Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the hit song "Fallin". The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano.
She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City.
Vocals, piano, keyboards, cello, synthesizer, vocoder, guitar, bass guitarĪlicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress Keys in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup kick-off concert.