The 20-year old, who often opens her show by playing Tchaikovsky, smoothly croons the first verse, revealing herself as more than just another ingenue. In this moment, and throughout the songs on her debut album, Songs In A Minor, she exudes the impassioned depth of an old-school soul veteran. "I feel an emotional connection with artists like Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, and Nina Simone," she says. "I study them. My dream is to be that good someday." Many industry observes think that she's well on her way. Her album has strong prerelease buzz, and she's even gotten props from one of her idols, Roberta Flack. "Alicia has a remarkable gift," says Flack... "There's something unique and special that sets her apart." Born in Manhattan, this daughter of a black man and an Italian woman has been developing her talent since composing her first song, a puppy-love ode called "Butterflies," at the age of 14. From that point on, she aggressively pursued a music career, cutting demos and even recording briefly with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label, which resulted in her appearance on the imprint's 1998 Christmas album. But her career began taking off once she met industry legend and former Arista Records president Davis, who signed her to his new label, J Records. Keys says that she "clicked" with Davis because he allowed her to take creative control of her tunes. "He respected and encouraged my songwriting," she says. "And he believed that I was good enough to hold my own in the studio." Indeed, Keys serves as writer/producer on much of her album, including her first single, a haunting R&B ballad titled "Fallin'." But, true to her love of pioneering artists, the set also features a cover of the Prince classic "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" "My album has songs that I pray will stand the test of time," she says. - Next, Vibe Magazine (June, 2001). I met Alicia Keys once in the early 2000s, she was amazing! Listen below...