RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ALICIA KEYS

1.    Alicia Keys was born in Harlem, New York in the year 1980. She is a well known American soul singer-songwriter, pianist and actress. Her father, Craig Cook was a flight attendant and her mother, Teresa “Terria” Augello was a paralegal and a part-time actress.2.    Alicia Keys was very comfortable with her biracial heritage, even though her father was of Jamaican American descent and her mother was of Irish Italian descent.3.    Her parents separated during her early childhood. 4.    During her growing years in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, she was raised by her mother. 5.    In the year 1985, Alicia Keys along with a group of girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable’s sleepover guests in The Cosby Show called “Slumber Party”.6.    At the age of seven, Alicia Keys began playing the piano learning classical music by famous composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin. Her favorite composer was Chopin.7.    When Alicia Keys turned sixteen, she wanted Wilde to be her stage name, but her manager suggested the name Keys for her. Keys felt the name represented her both as a performer and person and therefore stuck to it.8.    At the age of sixteen in only three years, Alicia Keys graduated as a valedictorian from the Professional Performing Arts School, known to be a prestigious school in Manhattan.9.    Even though she was accepted at Columbian University, Alicia Keys had different plans for her future. In order to pursue her musical career, she decided to drop out.10.    Alicia Keys signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def label. 11.    In 1997 blockbuster “Men in Black”, the song “Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)" which appeared on the soundtrack was co-written and recorded by her. 12.    Even though the song was Keys’s first professional recording, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia Records was terminated very soon. 13.    Alicia Keys later joined Clive Davis, who signed her to Anista Records. She recorded the songs “Rock wit U” and “Rear View Mirror” with Clive Davis. These songs featured on the soundtracks to the films Shaft and Dr Doolittle 2 respectively.14.    Her debut album was “Songs in A Minor”.15.    “Songs in A Minor” was released on June 5, 2001 and became a colossal hit, selling over ten million units all over the world. Needless to say, Alicia Keys became a global music icon. 16.    Alicia Keys released her new album “The Diary of Alicia Keys”, on December 2, 2003. This album debuted at number one in the U.S., selling a whopping 618,000 copies on the first week itself.  It also became the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B artist. To this present day, a total of nine million copies have been sold all over the world.17.    Besides being a great singer, Alicia Keys is also a philanthropist. She is the Global Ambassador for Keep a Child Alive. This non-profit organization provides life-saving AIDS medicines to families stricken with HIV/AIDS in Africa.18.    Alicia Keys has visited African countries such as Uganda, Kenya and South Africa to promote care for children affected by AIDS.19.    Her work in Africa is documented in the documentary Alicia in Africa, which is set for a July 4, 2008 release.