Where was Alicia Keys born?

Alicia Keys was born in Manhattan, New York City. Her birth name is Alicia Augello Cook, and she was born on January 25, 1981, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.

Keys was raised primarily by her mother, Teresa Augello, in Manhattan Plaza, a subsidized artists' housing complex near the theater district. That urban upbringing strongly shaped her musical identity and later inspired Hell's Kitchen, the semi-autobiographical Broadway musical built around her songs and early life.

A common mix-up is to answer simply “New York,” which is broadly correct but less specific. Manhattan is one of New York City's five boroughs, and Hell's Kitchen is a neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan. Keys began playing piano at age seven and later attended the Professional Performing Arts School before launching her recording career.