Alicia Keys adopted her signature braids at 13, when she discovered that it got her through humid Manhattan summers.
Birthday: January 25, 1980
With 2001's Songs in A Minor, Alicia Keys convinced an entire generation hooked on Britney, boy bands and backup dancers that the simplicity of a woman and her piano can have pop appeal. The 21-year-old's blend of R&B, hip hop and classical music earned her five Grammys.Keys, who has since sold 20 million albums worldwide and rounded out her Grammy collection to nine, grew up in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen where her single mother pushed her into the arts. At 16, she left Columbia University to embark on her music professionally, eventually finding constant supporters in manager Jeff Robinson and music mogul Clive Davis, who signed her to his J Records label.Keys, who has repeatedly appeared in PEOPLE's Most Beautiful issue,...
