Who Are Alicia Keys Parents? Know All About the Family of the Empire State of Mind Singer

There is a side of the popular singer Alicia Keys, which only her close ones see. Know all about the parents of the talented singer Alicia Keys.

Updated on Mar 27, 2024  |  10:44 AM IST |  100.6K
Who are Alicia Keys' parents?
Alicia Keys (IMDb)

Born Alicia Augello Cook, and widely known as Alicia Keys, the singer-songwriter has got lots of talents. This might interest you to know who are Alicia Keys' parents and after all these years, does she have a father? To intrigue you more, the Try Sleeping With a Broke singer comes from a descent of various ethnicities. 

Get to know the famous American singer and all about Alicia Keys' parents.

Who are Alicia Keys parents

Born on January 25, 1981, in New York, the multitalented artist Alicia Keys was raised by her mother, Terria Augello, in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.

Many fans of the No One singer have been curious about her father and have asked questions like, "Does Alicia Keys have a father?" To satisfy their curiosity, yes, she does have a father, and his name is Craig Cook.

Alicia Keys' parents separated when she was only six years old. After the couple parted ways, Craig Cook returned to his ex-girlfriend.

Regarding Alicia Keys' parents and family, the My Boo singer also has a younger brother named Cole Cook.

Who is Alicia Keys' mother?

Speaking of Alicia Keys' parents, many may already be familiar with her mother. For those who are not, Terria Augello was a well-known actress. She worked as a paralegal and part-time actress, and according to Augello's IMDb profile, she has played roles in movies such as Flyering, Empire, and Cornerstone.

Advertisement

To delve into Alicia Keys' parents, let's first discuss her mother. Terria Augello was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA, and was raised in Toledo, Ohio. She attended The New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Alicia Keys' mother was the fourth born among her nine siblings. Her parents are Donna Jean and Joseph "Little Joe" Augello.

To pursue her acting career, Terria moved to New York after completing her high school education and being accepted into New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

After only three dates with Alicia Keys' father, Terria was considering moving to Los Angeles to further her acting career. During this time, according to the Girl on Fire singer's 2020 memoir More Myself: A Journey, her mother mentioned that she discovered she was pregnant. Although initially confirming an abortion, Terria ultimately decided to keep the baby, who turned out to be Alicia Keys.

Does Alicia Keys have a father?

Yes, as mentioned earlier about Alicia Keys' parents, the singer does have a father. Craig Cook is the biological father of the A Woman's Worth singer. He worked as a flight attendant during his early years and later became a masseur.

His partners are Vergil DiSalvatore and Michael Cook. Although the singer is the only child of her mother, Cook later had two other children, including her brother Cole.

In a YouTube video made by the It's On Again artist, the singer visited her father to open up about her struggles due to the absence of a father figure in her life. The video, titled "My Father and I Get Real," featured Craig Cook and showed the two discussing the singer's life.

Keys can be seen asking her father all the questions she had wanted to ask him throughout her life. The visit to her father helped the artist understand Cook better and allowed Keys to move on and leave the past behind.

Alicia Keys' parents' nationality

When it comes to Alicia Keys' parents' nationalities, her mother has Italian, English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.

Similarly, her father also has a diverse background, as he is African-American with Jamaican roots.

This information helps clarify any questions about where Alicia Keys' parents are from.

What ethnicity is Alicia Keys?

Now that we know Alicia Keys' parents are of mixed descent, it's clear that the singer herself has a diverse ethnic background. This includes Italian, Scottish, and Irish ancestry from her mother's side, while her African-American heritage comes from her father.

Advertisement


Alicia Keys' grandmother

Alicia Keys has had two loving grandmothers. On her paternal side, it was Vergil DiSalvatore, with whom the singer shared a close relationship. However, in 2006, DiSalvatore passed away.

The American singer dedicated her song "Like You'll Never See Me Again" to her grandmother. In one of her YouTube videos, Keys mentioned that when DiSalvatore passed away, they were living together. She further noted that her grandmother had taken care of her throughout her entire life.

On her maternal side, Keys' grandmother was Donna Jean, an accomplished pianist and vocalist. Keys' grandfather from the maternal side was a disc jockey who had moved to Ohio with his family.

Tragically, the grandfather died of cardiac arrest shortly after the family had relocated to Toledo.


How many kids does Alicia Keys have?

Now that we know all about Alicia Keys' parents, let's explore whether Alicia Keys is a parent herself.

Just as she possesses the talent of being a multi-skilled artist – a pianist, singer, and actor – Alicia Keys also has the pleasure of being a mother to more than two children.

The You Don't Know My Name artist is a mother to five beautiful children. Although she is the biological mother to only two of the five, she loves them all equally.

Alicia Keys got married to Swizz Beatz, an American Producer in the year 2010. The couple had their first child on 14 October 2010, whom they named Egypt Daoud. 

Later, on December 27, 2014, they welcomed their second child together, Genesis Ali Dean. The older children are from Swizz's previous relationships. Their names are Prince Nasir, Kasseem Jr., and Nicole. To be precise, their mothers are Nicole Levy, Mashonda Tifrere, and Jahna Sebastian, respectively.

Alicia Keys is a renowned singer who has collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj. She has also released her own hit songs, including Girl on Fire and Like You'll Never See Me Again.


ALSO READ: Alicia Keys Gets Candid About Son Meeting Taylor Swift After 5 Years; Says He Was Worried

Advertisement

FAQs

Who is Alicia Keys Married to?
Alicia Keys got married to Swizz Beatz in 31 July 2010.

How many kids does Alicia Keys have?
Alicia Keys has five children.

Pinkvilla Pulse
Subscribe to our newsletter for entertainment exclusives, star interviews, and the latest lifestyle trends. Look No Further!
Subscribe
About The Author

An avid CBM follower, I like all things heavy, my music, my weights, and the movies. If you've

...

Advertisement

Latest Articles