A walk through the entry way into Alicia Keys' studio is like a walk through her personal hall of fame. Grace Jones, she says, is "one of the most powerful and individual women that you'll ever meet."
The artist Shepard Fairey created this image of a powerful woman specifically for Keys' studio hallway. She says it reminds her of Diana Ross or Angela Davis.
Whitney Houston has been a big inspiration for Keys ever since she was a little girl singing Houston's songs in front of the mirror. Later they became friends.
A couple of Keys' favorite songs as an up- and-coming singer practicing in front of the mirror were Houston's "I Want to Dance with Somebody," and Madonna's "Like a Virgin."
Keys new album, "Girl on Fire," was created and recorded in her studio. She remembers saying to herself at the time: "Whoa, magic stuff just happened."