Alicia Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook to Terri Augello, an Italian-Irish paralegal, and Craig Cook, an African-American flight attendant, in 1981. Her parents split when she was just two, and she was raised by her mum in the tough Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York. Singing since she could speak, she started piano lessons aged seven, and within two years was playing Chopin sonatas.
Aged 12, Alicia entered New York’s Professional Performing Arts School to study voice, dance and after her classical piano teacher said he had nothing left to show her jazz piano.
Is Alicia Keys related to Whitney Houston?
Alicia Keys is not related to Whitney Houston, but they certainly knew each other and seem to have been casual friends. At one time they were both working for the same record label, and they knew each other through being in the music business.
Alicia later said that she really admired Whitney and loved her voice. She sang at Whitney’s funeral to show how much she respected Whitney’s talent.