Alicia Keys Gushes about Bob Dylan almost as much as he Gushes after Her
Tips hat to singer-turned-actresses and Golden Globe nominees Beyoncé, Hudson
By Gayl Murphy for Hollywood Today
HOLLYWOOD-CA (rushprnews) May 16, 2007 — As multi-Platinum, eight-time Grammy winning Renaissance Woman Alicia Keys prepares to take her career to the daring next level as actress and movie/TV producer, she took a moment to talk about some people dear to her.
Yet who knew Bob Dylan was so tangled up in Alicia Keys? Well he is. And, always one to share a feeling or two, Dylan shared his about her in his not-so recently released, Grammy nominated 44th album “Modern Times.”
So imagine sultry Keys’ reaction when she heard Dylan wrote a song with her in it – where he’s not only “thinking ’bout” her to the point of “crying”, he’s also “wondering where in the world” she could be.
Ooh, smoldering. Could this be another pop-tabloid romance in the making? NOT, but it REALLY was a big surprise to Keys.
“I could not believe it. The first person who told me was John Mayer. He said, ‘You’re never gonna believe this, but I just heard that Dylan has your name in his song.’ What? I was totally not expecting it but then I couldn’t wait to hear it.”
With “Modern Times” one of Dylan’s best-reviewed albums, Keys’ flattered grin is stretched from ear to ear. “It was a big honor because he’s such a lyrical genius and storyteller with so much history. As a writer myself I admire him. I thanked him greatly.”
But Dylan’s not the only superstar nominee for ’07 that Keys is chatting about these days, as the soon-to-be movie star makes the rounds promoting her first big-time film release, the action film “Smokin’ Aces” with Ben Affleck and Andy Garcia. “This movie is something, boy!”
As she is adding “actress” to her pedigree, she turns her sights to Beyoncé, another singer/songwriter whose successfully made the jump from music to films and snagged a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination mid-air for her role in “DreamGirls.”
“I’ve known Beyoncé for awhile. We did meet each other when we were on Columbia Records and went on label retreats, where they would show the different artists who were coming out. I think we feel the same way about being able to express ourselves.”
With DreamGirls up for five Globes, including the nom for Beyoncé and Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson, Keys, says, “I think it’s wonderful because they’re both two talented women.”
“From the beginning of time, many of the great artists were always triple threats (acting, singing and dancing). I think going back in that direction now, to be able to encompass so many styles and do it with so much class is fantastic.”
Yet Keys will become a multiple threat in another way: musician-producer-actress. The new year will see her roll the dice in a daunting new career direction. Besides “Smokin’ Aces,” she stars in “The Nanny Diaries” with Scarlet Johansson and Paul Giamatti, currently in post-production for The Weinstein Company.
Furthermore, her production company Little Pita, Big Pita (for Pain In The Ass) with manager Jim Robinson has a deal with Disney with first up being a remake of the bewitching 1958 film “Bell Book and Candle.”
The original film featured Kim Novak as a contemporary witch, whose love spell goes wrong. James Stewart and Jack Lemmon co-starred. Keys will of course play the role Novak played in the original.
In addition, the busy young lady has a dramatic TV series in development at the CW, formerly UPN. Teamed with writer Felicia D. Henderson (“Moesha,” “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) who has CW ties through the network’s genre hit “Everybody Hates Chris,” Keys will go back to her past for the plot.
The untitled hour-long drama will be loosely based on Keys growing up as a musical prodigy in Hell’s Kitchen in New York with her single working mom. Keys was raised by her Irish-Italian mother, her Jamaican father left when she was two-years-old. She was signing in school production at age 4 started taking classical piano lessons at age 7.
And now, she is becoming more than the old-school triple threat she so admires. Keys will soon have more hyphens in front of her name than an old-fashioned telegram.
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