Alicia Keys (born Alicia Augello-Cook on January 25, 1981 in Manhattan, New York City, USA) is a popular R&B vocalist and pianist.

She was born to a white mother, Terri Augello, and a black father, Craig Cook and was raised in New York.

She began playing piano when she was seven. She learned classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin, who was her favorite composer. She wrote her first song "Butterflyz" at the age of fourteen; the song can be found on her debut album ... (read more )