In 2010, Keys wed her producer beau Swizz Beatz in n a private home on the Mediterranean Sea. Keys is also the co-founder and Global Ambassador of Keep a Child Alive, a non-profit organization that provides medicine to families in Africa effected by HIV and AIDS. In 2008, she teamed up with Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, and Jennifer Hudson in The Secret Life of Bees. In addition to her musical talents, Keys is also an accomplished actress, appearing as Lynette in The Nanny Diaries opposite Scarlett Johansson in 2007. She has won over a dozen Grammy awards to date. In 2002, Keys won five of the six Grammys she was nominated for, including Best New Artist, Song of the Year, and Best R&B Album. She was soon signed by Columbia Records where she knocked out hit after hit like “Fallin'” and “If I Ain’t Got You.”
25, 1981 in New York City.Īt 16, Keys graduated a year early from the Professional Performing Arts School as valedictorian and moved on to pursue a musical career. Says Keys, “It took me a while to get to a place where everyone else’s opinion and thought didn’t dictate my own.Alicia Augello Cook, better known as Alicia Keys, was born on Jan. She tells Marie Claire she made the music she wanted and didn’t let other people’s opinions drive her work. Keys’ latest album reflects her most authentic self. She also launched a beauty brand called Keys Soulcare. Keys is set to release her next album, titled Keys, in 2022. She has partnered with brands such as BlackBerry, Dove, Citibank, and Levi’s. Aside from singing and acting, Keys also earns money from endorsement deals. This is an $80 million increase from her net worth of $70 million in 2019. Alicia Keys’ net worthĪs of this writing, Alicia Keys has an estimated net worth of $150 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In 2001, Keys appeared in an episode of Charmed titled “Size Matters.” Her other acting roles include appearances in American Dreams, Smokin’ Aces, The Nanny Diaries, The Secret Life of Bees, and Empire. One of her first television appearances was in a 1985 episode of The Cosby Show titled “Slumber Party.” She played the role of Maria. Keys started as a model and actor before making it big in the music industry. “Are they really going to understand who I am in two hours? Can they capture it?” Alicia Keys’ acting career Alicia Keys with her Grammys | VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images “It’s scary, because when you put yourself out there, you can only hope that you can make the person understand you in that hour or two you have with them,” adds Keys. She wanted to make sure those responsible for her branding understood how she wanted to be presented. Keys also had concerns about how she would come across to fans. “So therefore, sometimes it can create its own pressure if I allow it, and sometimes I do.” “There are times, I’m not going to lie, when I feel a little bogged down and I want to meet all the expectations,” says Keys.
She wanted to make everyone happy, and this often created a weight on her shoulders. At the time, she said there were moments when she felt overwhelmed. This album resulted in the hit singles “Diary,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “You Don’t Know My Name.”ĭuring a 2001 interview with Fader, Keys discussed the pressures of fame. 1 single “Fallin.” Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003. Keys released her debut album, Songs in A Minor in 2001, which resulted in her first Billboard Hot 100 No. Keys later studied choir at Manhattan’s Professional Performance Arts School. Her mother encouraged her to hone her skills as a pianist.
She began taking piano lessons at the age of 7 and starting writing songs when she was 12 years old. Keys (born Alicia Augello Cook) was raised in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City.