Alicia Augello Cook, better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, was born in January 25, 1981 in New York City, New York. She is an American recording artist, musician and actress. Throughout her childhood, Keys was sent to music and dance classes by her mother. She began playing the piano when she was seven and began songs writing when she was 14. In 1994, Keys signed a recording contract with Columbia Records.

The song "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)", co-wrote n recorded by Keys was her first professional recording. However, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia ended after a dispute with the label. She then signed a contract with Arista Records, which later disbaneded.  Keys released her first studio album, Songs in A Minor, in June 2001. In U.S. it was certified six times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series. In December 2003, her next album The Diary of Alicia Keys was released. Her next album entitled Unplugged, debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Keys made her film debut in early 2007 in the crime film Smokin' Aces. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in November 2007; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week. Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009. In May 2009, Swizz Beatz (record producer, DJ, rapper and painter) announced that he and Keys are in a relationship and in May 2010 they announced that they were engaged n expecting a child together. Their marriage took place on on the French island of Corsica on July 31, 2010. On October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to a son, Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean, in New York City.

Keys won five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performancefor her album Songs in A Minor. She won Best R&B Song for "Fallin'", Best New Artist, and Best R&B Album; "Fallin'" was also nominated for Record of the Year. At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards;she won Best R&B Video for "If I Ain't Got You". Keys received five nominations for As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award and ultimately won two. In 2009, Keys was honored with the Golden Note Award by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for achieving  extraordinary career milestones.