Alicia Keys
Birth Name: Alicia J. Augello-Cook
Place of Birth: Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: January 25, 1980
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*maternal grandfather – Italian/Sicilian
*maternal grandmother – English, Irish, Scottish
Alicia Keys is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She is also known as Lellow.
Alicia’s father, Craig Cook, is African-American, and Alicia’s mother, Terri (Augello), is white. Alicia’s maternal grandfather was of Italian/Sicilian descent, while Alicia’s maternal grandmother was of English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry, with several of her family lines leading back to Connecticut of the 1600s. Alicia is married to hip hop recording artist and record producer Swizz Beatz, with whom she has two children.
Alicia has stated that as she grew up in New York she never had to experience feeling “not Black enough” or “not White enough.” However, she became comfortable with her biracial heritage as it allows her to relate to different cultures. She has said, “A lot of people believe I’m part Jamaican, though I’m not. I’m definitely black and Italian and a little Irish or Scottish.”
Alicia’s paternal grandfather is named Michael Cook.
Alicia’s maternal grandfather was Joseph Lawrence Augello (the son of Michelangelo/Michael Angelo Augello and Mary Carmen Zaffina). Joseph was born in Pennsylvania, to Italian parents. Alicia’s great-grandfather Michael was from Sciacca, Province of Agrigento, Sicily. Alicia’s great-grandmother Mary was the daughter of Giuseppe Zaffina and Rosa Scardamaglia, from Nicastro and Sambiase, now Lamezia Terme, Province of Catanzaro, Calabria.
Alicia’s maternal grandmother was Donna Jean Smith (the daughter of Thad T. Smith and Irma Margaret Heald). Donna was born in Michigan. Thad was the son of Henry Harrison Smith and Mary S. Jordan. Irma was the daughter of George Webster Heald and Margaret Ruxton. Alicia’s grandmother Donna’s ancestry was largely English, with many roots in New England, going back to the 1600s, and some ancestors who lived in Canada. She also had Irish and Scottish ancestry.
Sources: Genealogy of Alicia Keys – https://www.geni.com
Genealogies of Alicia Keys (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://humphrysfamilytree.com
http://www.wikitree.com
Notations about Alicia’s Italian background – http://www.tempieterre.it
http://www.calabriansmostfamous.com
Alicia’s maternal grandfather, Joseph Lawrence Augello, on 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Passenger record of Alicia’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Giuseppe Zaffina – https://familysearch.org
Passenger record of Alicia’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Rosa Scardamaglia – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Alicia’s maternal grandmother, Donna Jean (Smith) Augello – http://www.legacy.com
I’m excited for her new movie! She’s gonna play Lena Horne. They look so much alike
She’s going to be in a movie???? I sure hope she can act. I hate when singers try to be wannabe actors and vice versa.
I kno right! Every female former/still on now disney stars, are singers.
She’s beautiful, classy, and talented.
I luv her. My fav singer
I think her dad is black jamaican, like mya and not african american! But her mother is fully white, which makes her mulatto!
@gtlady
It says in that quote above:
A lot of people believe I’m part Jamaican, though I’m not. I’m definitely black and Italian and a little Irish or Scottish.
@fuzzybear44..her father being jamaican doesn’t make her jamaican..she’s not! I’m caribbean and I don’t claim alicia keys, even though I love her.
@gtlady
I know,that’s what the quote was saying
Although she is black she is still also white. She may consider herself black . My sister always says that we are black but, we are in fact also white.. Its weird how the world is
If you looked White like Shailene Woodley you would not be having this problem. People see what they see, they are not psychics.