Posted by | Ray Cornelius
“No wind, no rain” could stop Alicia Keys from presenting her annual Black Ball benefiting her HIV-AIDS non-profit Keep a Child Alive.
The ‘Girl on Fire’ singer held the high profile affair this past Thursday evening at New York City’s famed Apollo Theater in spite of having to reschedule last month due to Hurricane Sandy.
Oddly enough, the super storm actually encouraged Keys to press forward considering the children her organization serves face storms on a daily basis.
“There are places in the world where Keep a Child Alive serves where they have a Hurricane Sandy every day,” Keys said in an interview on the red carpet. “They don’t have electricity, they don’t have heat … and that made me more invigorated to make sure this Black Ball happened.”
This year’s event recognized world music diva Angelique Kidjo and media mogul Oprah Winfrey for their philanthropic efforts. Winfrey told Keys, while receiving her award, that the honor meant she was ‘moving in the right direction.’
“You try to keep a child alive and I try to educate them as best as I can,” Winfrey said referring to her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
Other highlights of the evening included performances by Jennifer Hudson, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes and a special duet between Keys and one of her musical idols, Bonnie Raitt.
The View’s Whoopi Goldberg also served as the evening’s host.
Check out these hot photos below from the Black Ball…
A radiant Alicia Keys
Keys’ Husband Swizz Beatz and supermodel Chanel Iman
Padma Lakshmi, Alicia Keys and honoree Angelique Kidjo