Alicia Keys Talks Swizz Beatz, First Record Deal, & Clive Davis on 'Oprah's Master Class'

Alicia Keys delves into the past and opens up about her career, marriage, and motherhood on the season premiere of “Oprah’s Master Class.” The R&B songbird reminisces about meeting her mentor Clive Davis for the first time and falling in love with Swizz Beatz (“He’s just bubbling over with life”), who taught her to be more spontaneous and open to life.

Before she signed with Clive, she did a deal with Columbia Records. The label tempted her with a white baby grand piano. “To me, that white baby grand piano was everything,” said Alicia. “We obviously did not do the deal for only a piano.”

But they did give her a piano, albeit not the same white one, and she still has it to this day.

Oprah also uploaded a clip of Alicia making her national television debut on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2001. Since then, she has gone on to sell more than 35 million records worldwide and win 14 Grammys.

Learn more about the extraordinary life of Alicia Keys when the episode airs Sunday, March 3, at 10/9c on OWN.