Alicia Keys Sings Songs From New Album

Oct. 11, 2005 — -- Alicia Keys first appeared on "Good Morning America" in 2001.

Nine Grammy awards, and 17 million records later, Keys, 24, returned to "GMA" this morning to perform songs from her latest album, "Alicia Keys Unplugged."

Keys' album marks the return of the MTV accoustic "Unplugged" series. On "Alicia Keys Unplugged," the artist sings covers of Rolling Stones and Brenda Holloway songs and is joined by artists Common, Mos Def, Damian Marley and Adam Levine of Maroon 5.

"It is very much about expressing the true essence of music," Keys said.

The CD and DVD from the MTV performance in September are available in stores today.

Keys is also busy promoting the TIME Magazine Black Ball which benefits the Keep A Child Alive campaign, which raises funds and awareness to provide AIDS/HIV medicines to children in Africa. You can learn more about Keep A Child Alive at www.keepachildalive.org.

"I'm just bursting about it, I can't even contain it any longer, " Keys said of the Black Ball, which she is hosting. "It's really beautiful work."

Keys also has performed in three Hurricane Katrina benefits.

Keys is a New York City native, born to Italian mother Terri Augello and Jamaican father Craig Cook. She was raised by her mother after her parents separated.

Keys started playing piano, concentrating on classical music, when she was 7. At 16, she graduated as valedictorian form the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City, and briefly attended Columbia University before dedicating herself to music.

Keys was the first artist signed by Clive Davis' J Records label in 1998.

Her debut album, "Songs In A Minor," sold more than 10 million copies. The follow-up, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," sold more than 7 million copies.

In 2005, TIME named Keys one of the "most influential people in the world."