
Many music fans found it hard to believe that Alicia Keys was only 20 years old when she released her debut album, Songs In A Minor, in 2001. Her sophisticated blend of R&B, hip-hop, jazz and classical flavors was a sharp contrast to the prefab dance pop performed by most other female singers near her age, and her sultry, bluesy vocals seemed to come from the same deep emotional well that inspired legends like Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday and Lena Horne. While her sound was certainly contemporary, her approach reminded listeners of classic recording artists who were more concerned with making art than making cash.
“I tend to be a bit of a vintage fanatic,” admits Keys. “That’s the music that I love and the kind of energy that I like. There’s something about the Sixties and Seventies that’s always spoken to me since I was little. I always felt like I was born in the wrong decade. I was supposed to be alive when Nina Simone was alive. I was supposed to get that whole vibe of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield. There’s just something about the honesty, craftsmanship and integrity that existed during that time. There was a genuine passion that I share with those artists and that time. People did what they did because they loved what they did, not because they got paid exorbitant amounts of money or got massive amounts of recognition.” Like many of the artists who inspired her, Alicia is a consummate performer who writes and arranges most of her own music and an accomplished musician who plays several instruments, including piano, guitar, bass and cello. She started taking classical piano lessons when she was just seven, and she was educated at New York City’s Professional Performing Arts School, where she graduated as class valedictorian. The music industry quickly recognized her talent and potential, particularly Clive Davis, the former president and founder of Arista Records, who helped develop the careers of Whitney Houston, Sarah McLachlan, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith. When Davis left Arista and formed J Records, he brought along Alicia, who he had signed while he was still with Arista.
Experience the complete exclusive interview with Alicia Keys as it appears in our September hi-tech guide – READ or WATCH.
Learn more about her new virtual instrument software “Alicia’s Keys” from Native Instruments HERE.










