John Legend

Background

Singer, songwriter, actor, and producer John Legend is a man of many talents. Born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio, he is of African-American descent. He is the eldest of four siblings. He comes from a family of musicians as his father played drums, his mother was a church choir singer, and his grandmother was the church organist. He was homeschooled by his mother before he enrolled at North High School in Springfield at the age of 12. From an early age, he showed an interest in music, learning to play the piano at the age of four.

After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied English and also served as the president of the pop and jazz acapella group, the Counterparts. While he was still in college, he was introduced to singer Lauryn Hill, who invited him to play the piano for her song ‘Everything is Everything’ in 1998. He produced a self-titled demo in 2000 and an independent album in 2001, which he handed out to people attending his shows. He also sent his demo album to record labels. It was in 2001 that a friend introduced him to Kanye West who was then an upcoming hip-hop artist. West hired Legend to sing the hooks on his songs before he signed on to the former’s music label. He adopted the stage name John Legend, inspired by a suggestion from the poet J. Ivy.

In 2004, Legend released his debut studio album “Get Lifted,” ranking seventh on the U.S. Billboard 200. It became an international success, certified platinum, and won him a Grammy Award for ‘Best R&B Album’ in 2006. Some of his career-defining hits include ‘Ordinary People’ and ‘All of Me,’ with the latter becoming one of the best-selling digital singles of all time. His fame led him to appear in an episode of “Sesame Street” as well as a half-time performance in the N.B.A. All-Star Game 2006. In 2008, he made his movie debut through a supporting role in “Soul Men.” In 2013, he married his girlfriend Chrissy Teigen.

Aside from writing music and releasing albums one after another, he also collaborated with singers like Meghan Trainor, Kelly Clarkson, and David Guetta. In 2017, he sang a duet with Ariana Grande for the Disney movie “Beauty and the Beast.” He likewise produced and voiced the lead character in the short animation film “Crow: The Legend” and was cast to play Jesus Christ in the live concert production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” He became one of the six new Google Assistant voices in 2018. Then, in 2019, he coached aspiring singer Maelyn Jarmon to victory in “The Voice” singing reality competition. Later that year, he was named Sexiest Man Alive by “People” magazine. Legend signed a contract with Republic Records in 2021.