Alicia Keys

Born and raised in Manhattan, Alicia Keys started palying piano when she was 5 years old. Her mother wouldn't let her quit She told her "You can quit anything else but you can never give up on your piano lessons."

At age 16, Alicia's outstanding grades allowed her to finish her education at The Performance Arts School of Manhattan early. She was then accepted to but never attended Columbia University as she put off college to concentrate on her music.

Alicia signed to Arista Records in 1998. She continued the process of writing, producing and recording the debut she'd been working on since she was 14.

When asked who influenced her musically she states: "Everybody from Beethoven, Chopin, Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, Biggie, Jay-Z, Tupac, Miles Davis -- all across the spectrum."

"Alicia's natural talents blossomed into a rare mix of hip-hop flavor and insightful, wise-beyond-her-years songwriting. Coupling this with the singer's spine-tingling vocal power, positively stirring live performances and expertise as a classically trained pianist, Alicia Keys could be this generation's Roberta Flack." -from her official site

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