Keys makes amends with estranged dad

Alicia Keys has finally decided to patch up her relationship with her father, following years of estrangement.

Keys grew up without her father, Craig Cook, having much of a presence in her life. And after years of distance, Keys has decided it's time to build a relationship with her dad.

She says: "The healing process between a father and a daughter is delicate and takes time. For me it is a process that is still underway, but it began because I was tired of always being upset when I thought about my father.

"I was tired of holding onto this big cloud of pain and unanswered questions inside. I was tired of holding a grudge that was only causing me to be bitter and sarcastic.

"I came to the realisation that people can't and will not always be how you want them to be, or how you expect them to be. I had to come to a place where I could begin to let go.

"That doesn't mean that you forget it. It just means you begin to let it go."