Alicia Keys Raises $3.8 Million At Keep A Child Alive Foundation Gala

Alicia Keys and her Keep a Child Alive foundation’s gala raised $3.8 million in one night at their 12th annual Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Keys was joined onstage by Chris Rock, who emceed the event, where Gayle King, Carmelo Anthony, Baz Luhrmann, Clive Davis, Lewis Hamilton, David Byrne, Maxwell, Nigel Barker and Mr. Brainwash were all in stitches.

“The Great Gatsby” director Luhrmann revealed it was his first time at the gala, and he came because of his close friendship with Keys’ husband, Swizz Beatz, whom he nicknamed “Swizzy.”

“Alicia asked me to come along and I said absolutely,” he told Confidenti@l. “I know her well and I know Swizzy. Swizzy was the first person, with Jay-Z, to see ‘Gatsby.’ He saw a rough cut very early on. I’ve known Swizzy for a long time.”

Lenny Kravitz and Wale later joined Keys on stage, who had recovered nicely from last week’s New York Marathon, telling us it was difficult afterward.

“It was very hard to walk (the next day). Like the minute you sat down it was over for walking, it was really tricky,” she told us. “I felt (I lost steam) at mile 23. I was like, ‘I can’t believe these three more miles. Where are they? Why is this taking so long?’ So that was where I started to have a meltdown, but I did it!”

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