Alicia Keys reunited with her father after years of strained ties and faint memories.
The singer describes the process of healing and mending the broken bond she shares with Craig Cook.
“The process started when my [paternal] grandmother became ill,” she said. “You realize what’s important when you see a person you love dearly and you’re not going to have them for long. It was important to her. And I saw [my father's] love for her. I realized he wasn’t an evil person so I said, ‘Can we start from this point on? Can we be friends? I can start to understand you and you can start to understand me.’”
She was only two years old when Alicia’s father abandoned his family, forcing her mother, Teresa, to raise their child alone.
Letting go of that past was never easy for the now married mother, but she’s learned the value of forgiving and healing.
“I would say in the process of growing up, you realize you’ve been holding on to anger,” she said. “I was angry then and am sure I had the right to be angry, but if you hold on to all this anger the only person you’re hurting is you.”
Egypt, Alicia and Swizz Beatz’s two-year-old son, has somehow acted as a catalyst to redeveloping their relationship as father and daughter.
“I think something happens when you become a grandparent," says the singer about her dad. “You have a different mind-set. There’s less pressure on the relationship, so maybe it’s closer. He was with Egypt last week and he loved it.”
Meanwhile, Alicia will be on tour (in the U.K.) in May for the first time since giving birth.
See Keys' tour schedule below:
Saturday 18th May, Liverpool, Echo Arena
Sunday 19th May, Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
Friday 24th May, Manchester, Manchester Arena
Saturday 25th May, Birmingham, NIA Arena
Tuesday 28th May, Nottingham, Nottingham Capital FM Arena
Thursday 30th May, London, The O2
I make $74h while I’m traveling the world. Last week I worked by my laptop in Rome, Monti Carlo and finally Paris…This week I’m back in the USA. All I do are easy tasks from this one cool site. check it out..http://qr.net/jNET
Its important for daughters to have a relationship with their fathers. Big shout out to mothers that do double duty and try their best to get these relationships to work. Baby daddys that aren’t involved with their kids lives need to step it out, ITS IMPORTANT!! Look at Rhianna, Evelyn Lozado (sp?), etc. This is what happens when you aren’t involved seriously!! I am glad for Alicia being able to let go of the past. Nice to hear this!!!