Slideshow of concert at the end of story.

After a crowd-pleasing entrance, Alicia Keys sang and danced her way through some of her upbeat tunes. (Photos by Warren Roseborough)

Raw talent at the FedEx Forum and I was there – second row on the floor – to see it all.  The Alicia Keys “As I Am” tour brought American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and Ne-Yo to Memphis for a night of classic pop and R&B.  Though I really went to see Keys, I was very pleased to see both Sparks and Ne-Yo perform.

I gained a true respect for Sparks whose platinum single with Chris Brown “No Air” is now one of my favorite songs.  Grammy award-winning Ne-Yo was also an eye- and ear-pleaser putting on a ‘rat pack’ themed performance with women dancers dressed in 1940’s attire for his new album “Year of the Gentleman.”

The moment that I was waiting for – Keys’ entrance – was thrilling. Her black, baby grand piano rolled onto the stage amid beaming lights and smoke.  Everyone in the crowd stood and screamed, thinking that Keys would be sitting there stroking the keys. She wasn’t. Then the lights went down and came back up. And this time Keys was sitting there on the piano. The crowd went wild.

The first few songs were some of Keys’ upbeat selections such as “Ghetto Story” and “Teenage Love Affair.” She sang and danced in her silver glitter platform shoes before facing the crowd and posing a question: “Now, can I do what I love?”  As the crowd cheered, ‘yes,’ Keys took her place at the piano and hummed ballads from all three of her multi-platinum albums.

Keys’ voice is rich and original and she sings from a place deep inside on every song.  Her music has carried me through several hard episodes in my life.  Every one of her songs has meaning to me.  Her lyrics are motivational and inspirational.  Each song tells a story.  Listening to her reminds me of listening to music from the Stax and Motown era when artists were appreciated for their talent and not just their physical appearance.

A strong figure in the fight against AIDS, Keys sang “Prelude to a Kiss” from her latest album, “As I Am,” and then asked the crowd to participate in a text messaging campaign that donates the proceeds to children living with the disease in African countries.

I knew that Keys wouldn’t leave the stage without singing the two songs that made me fall in love with her music – her first single, “Fallin,” and “No One.”  So just as the show was coming to an end she sang them both.  At that moment, my night was complete.