Keys’ parents separated during her early childhood, and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell’s Kitchen, also in Manhattan. In 1985, Keys and a group of other girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable’s sleepover guests in an episode of The Cosby Show called “Slumber Party”. She began playing the piano when she was seven, learning classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and her favorite, Chopin.