NEW YORK (AP) — Alicia Keys kicked off Grammy Award week with an award — and was serenaded with “Happy Birthday”
The 15-time Grammy winner and her husband, Swizz Beatz, were both honored Thursday with an honor from the Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing. It was also Keys’ 37th birthday and media crews welcomed her on the red carpet with the traditional song.
Keys felt the moment was surreal since she was being honored on her birthday at the Grammys and in her hometown, walking distance from where she grew up in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
“I’m like, OK, they’re going to set up the Grammys, kick it off with my birthday. My husband and I (are being) honored simultaneously in this most prestigious moment, and then we’re going to just keep going from there and it’s going to be a magnificent week. I do feel like this was made for me,” Keys said.
Beatz said it doesn’t get much better than being honored with your wife. He called the dual awards “a celebration of her life but also a celebration of our life as creatives.”
Keys’ hits include “Girl On Fire,” ”Fallin,’” “No One,” ”A Woman’s Worth” and “Superwoman,” many of which salute strong women. TV personality Gayle King came to honor Keys and said many of her songs are especially relevant.
“Alicia Keys is very good when it comes to doing women anthems,” King said. “She is a walking talking example of what a woman in power should be. She does that every single day. She walks the walk and she talks the talk.”
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