Alicia Keys

With her sophisticated mix of classic and contemporary R&B, Alicia Keys claimed fame in the early 2000's. Raised by an Italian-American mother Teresa, who was also a part-time actress, Alicia was enrolled into classical piano lessons at the age of 7 & began writing songs at age 11. She studied at the Professional Performing Arts School , which helped hone her vocal skills & at 16, Keys graduated as the class valedictorian.

Keys' debut album, ‘Songs in A Minor’ went platinum five times over & was praised not only for its lyric maturity but also for its musical polish. When Keys’ released her second album ‘The Diary of Alicia Keys’it debuted at No.1! Considered a musical icon, Keys was named by Billboard the top R&B artist of the 2000s decade and has been named as one of the ‘100 most influential people’ by Times. She also hosted the Grammy Awards in 2019. Keys published a memoir ‘More Myself: A Journey’ in 2020, reflecting on her gritty New York City upbringing.