Alicia Augello-Cook is Alicia Keys’ true name. Her father is African-American and her mom is Italian and Irish. “It’s like the piano keys,” Alicia Keys explains why she chose her stage name. “It can also open a lot of doors.”
Terria Joseph (née Teresa M.) and Alicia Keys were born in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. At the urging of her mother, Alicia began taking piano lessons at the age of seven. She was such a good child that she was accepted into Manhattan’s famous Professional Performing Arts School, where she studied chorus. Alicia Keys was born on January 25, 1981, in New York, as Alicia Augello Cook.
Keys was reared by her mother as a child and now works as a part-time actress and paralegal. Her mother works as an actress and paralegal while her father is a flight attendant. The American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress rose to fame in the early 2000s because of her unique blend of R&B and soul music. In 2001, Alicia Keys launched her debut album.
