the black goddess

Alicia Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981 in New York City. She is the daughter and only child of Teresa Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Keys' mother is of Scottish, Irish, and Italian descent, and her father is African-American. Keys has expressed that she was comfortable with her biracial heritage because she felt she was able to "relate to different cultures.” Her parents separated when she was two and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. At age seven, Keys began to play classical music on the piano. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. She later attended Columbia University before dropping out to pursue her music career.