"You've got to have a good spirit on the inside. That's what's really going to make you look like you're ready to rock the world."

• Born Alicia Augello Cook on Jan. 25, 1981, in New York

• Alicia Keys scored her first No. 1 hit in 2001 with "Fallin'." The song was featured on her debut studio album, Songs In A Minor, which topped the Billboard 200.

• At the 44th GRAMMY Awards in 2002, Keys won her first five career awards, including Best New Artist and Song Of The Year for "Fallin'." That year, she made her GRAMMY debut with a medley performance of "Fallin'" and "A Woman's Worth" alongside flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes.

• Keys appeared on the "Slumber Party" episode of "The Cosby Show" in 1985 as one of Rudy Huxtable's friends.

• She performed "Blackbird" at the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute concert for Paul McCartney. The annual gala raises funds for MusiCares, which provides services and resources that cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies for music people.

• In 2003 Keys co-founded Keep a Child Alive, an organization dedicated to supporting treatment, care and support for children and families affected by HIV.