Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys beautiful Smile

A person that I admire a lot is Alicia Keys whose real name is Alicia Augello - Cook. She is a popular R&B/soul vocalist and pianist. Alicia has two CD’s out and one about to come out. Those CD’s are called “Songs in Minor”, “The Diary of Alicia Keys”, and her upcoming CD “Alicia Keys Unplugged”. She also has a lot of songs out like, “If I ain’t Got You”, “Diary”, “You Don’t Know My Name”, “Fallin”, “A Woman’s Worth”, and many more. Keys was born to an Italian mother, a black father and also her maternal grandmother is Puerto Rican. I think that she is gorgeous in the inside and on the outside. Alicia Keys is a very good role–model.

Alicia has accomplished a lot in her life. Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway and many more were all of Alicia Keys inspiration. She took all of those genres of music and rolled them all into one, to create a style all on her own. Keys was also an “A” student through high school and performer at night. In the late 2003 Keys won 4 Grammy’s: Best R&B album for “The Diary of Alicia Keys”, best female R&B vocal performance for “If I Ain’t Got You”, best R&B song for “You Don’t Know My Name”, and best duo or group for “My Boo” with R&B singer Usher. Alicia Keys also has done charity work like donating money to charities in New York and other places in the world. I hope the Alicia keeps on accomplishing a lot in her life and make the music industry a lot more interesting.

Keys was born on January 25, 1981 in Manhattan, New York City. “It was kind of a cool spot, but 42nd street then was no heaven. Prostitutes, pimps, and drug dealers”, says Alicia Keys. Keys graduated as a valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts School, a public high school in Manhattan at the age of 16 years old. She briefly attended Columbia University on a scholarship before devoting herself to a full–time musical career. You think that people that live in the ghetto won’t make it big, well think again because if Alicia Keys can make it, you also can make it. So don’t get your hopes down, and go succeed your dreams.

Alicia singing and playing the piano (google.com)

"Alicia discovered her talent at only the age of four. She was auditioning for the part of Dorothy in her kindergarten’s version for the Wizard of Oz and her teacher realized that she had a voice that needed to be heard. In her pre-teens Keys was part of a 4-girl group calling themselves “Embish’n”, rehearsing day and night at the Police Athletic League on 124tth Street, with the Conrad Robinson as the group’s vocal coach. She was the lead singer and also played the piano. It soon became evident that the manager she had at the time in the fact that the girls wrote, played, and sang, but was more driven by the fact that he had four young ladies that were easy on the eye." Later on, Conrad introduced Alicia Keys to his brother and Alicia’s present manager, Jeff Robinson. With Jeff Robinson by her side Alicia had it all coming for her before she was old enough to have driver’s license. Finally, she had found a record deal that was just right for her which till’ this day is still her label, J Records. Alicia was put on J Records because of music mogul Clive Davis, who is still working with Keys till’ this day.

As you can see, Alicia Keys is a great idol, role – model, artist, anything you want to name her. She graduated high school as a valedictorian and was an “A” student. She’s on a great record deal and has had many hits. Such as “The Diary of Alicia Keys”, “Songs in Minor”, and many more. Keys might have not grown up in such a good neighborhood, but never gave up! Don’t give up on your dreams and always find inspiration in somebody because your hero is out there!!!!!!!