WENN
Alicia J. Augello-Cook was born on January 25, 1980 in Manhattan to an Irish-Italian mother and Jamaican father. Keys was raised in a low-income home in Hell's Kitchen by her mother after her parents separated early in her childhood. Her first taste of fame occured in 1985, when Keys and a group of other girls won parts on The Cosby Show. She began playing the piano when she was 7.
Keys graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School as valedictorian when she was 16, and although accepted to Columbia University with a scholarship, she decided to pursue her musical career rather than attend unversity. Her demo deal was signed with Columbia records, but shortly after her first professional recording was never released as a single her contract with Columbia records ended.
Her debut album was released in 2001, with songs appearing in the films Shaft and Dr. Doolittle. Since then she has released 3 more albums as well as starring alongside Ben Affleck and others in Smokin' Aces. Her most recent movie was The Nanny Diaries, in which she plays Scarlett Johanssen's character's best friend Lynette. She and her manager, Jeff Robinson have signed a film production deal to develop some projects with Disney and she is also scheduled to appear in the upcoming film Composition in Black and White.
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