- Byname of:
- John Roger Stephens
- Born:
- December 28, 1978, Springfield, Ohio, U.S. (age 47)
John Legend
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Who is John Legend?
John Legend, born December 28, 1978, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist known for blending R&B and soul music. Legend was the first African American man to win all four major North American entertainment awards (EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
Legend's musical journey began in church, where his mother directed the choir, and he took piano lessons. He later attended the University of Pennsylvania and, after graduation, worked by day and played in nightclubs by night, selling self-produced CDs. In 2001, he met Kanye West and contributed to tracks by artists like Alicia Keys and the Black-Eyed Peas, adopting the name John Legend.
His debut album, Get Lifted (2004), earned eight Grammy nominations and won Best R&B Album. In 2017, Legend co-produced August Wilson’s Jitney on Broadway, winning a Tony Award. He met Chrissy Teigen in 2007, marrying her in 2013.
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What kind of music does John Legend make?
John Legend is an American singer-songwriter and pianist known for his fusion of R&B and soul music. His major-label debut album, Get Lifted, released in 2004, was heavily influenced by the ballad "Ordinary People" and rose to the top of the European and American popular-music and rhythm-and-blues charts. "All of Me," from his 2013 album Love in the Future, was a smash hit, and his song "Glory" with rapper Common, written for the film Selma (2014), won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for best original song.
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What are some of John Legend's most famous songs?
John Legend, born John Stephens, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist known for blending R&B and soul music.
Some of his most famous songs include:
* "Ordinary People," which boosted his debut album Get Lifted in 2004 and won a Grammy.
* "Heaven," which earned Legend his second Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance.
* "All of Me," a smash hit single from his 2013 album Love in the Future.
* "Love Me Now," a hit song from his 2016 album Darkness and Light.
* "Glory," a collaboration with Common for the film Selma, which won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for best original song.1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What awards has John Legend won for his music?
John Legend is an American singer-songwriter and pianist known for blending R&B and soul music. He is the first African American man to win all four major North American entertainment awards (EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
Legend's major-label debut album, Get Lifted (2004), earned him eight Grammy Award nominations and wins for best R&B album and best male R&B vocal performance. He also won best new artist. His second Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance was for his single "Heaven." Legend also shared a Grammy with Joss Stone and Van Hunt for their rendition of "Family Affair".
His 2010 collaboration with the Roots, Wake Up!, won three Grammys, including best R&B album. In 2014, "Glory," a collaboration with Common for the film Selma, won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for best original song. His album Bigger Love (2020) won a Grammy for best R&B album. In 2017, he received a Tony Award for co-producing August Wilson’s Jitney. Legend earned a Creative Arts Emmy Award in 2018 for his role as a coproducer of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, completing his EGOT.
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How did John Legend start his music career?
John Legend's music career began with a strong foundation in music from his early life, including piano lessons and singing in the church choir. While working for a consulting group in New York City, he performed in nightclubs and released self-produced CDs John Stephens.
A key moment occurred in 2001 when he met Kanye West, which led to Legend contributing to tracks by artists such as Alicia Keys and the Black-Eyed Peas. He then worked on West's debut album, The College Dropout, and signed with West's label, G.O.O.D. Records. In 2004, Legend released his major-label debut, Get Lifted, which featured "Ordinary People" and earned him three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist.
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What other activities or causes is John Legend known for besides music?
John Legend is known for his philanthropic efforts, especially his work to improve educational opportunities in poor communities. In 2017, he co-produced August Wilson’s Jitney on Broadway, which won a Tony Award for best play revival. The following year, Legend played the title role in a live telecast of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. As a co-producer, he also won a Creative Arts Emmy Award when the show won for best live variety special. In 2019, Legend became a coach on The Voice.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
John Legend (born December 28, 1978, Springfield, Ohio, U.S.) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist who achieved success in the early 21st century with his fusion of R&B and soul music. He also was a sought-after session musician. Legend was the first African American man to win all four major North American entertainment awards (EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
Stephens was born into a musically gifted working-class family. His mother directed a church choir, while his grandmother played organ and his father and brother played drums at the church. He took piano lessons and sang in the church choir as a child. His parents homeschooled him for several of his elementary-school years. After he graduated from high school, he attended the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1999). He then moved to New York City, working for the Boston Consulting Group by day and playing piano and singing in nightclubs; he sold self-produced CDs (John Stephens [2000] and Live at Jimmy’s Uptown [2001]) at those appearances. In 2001 he was introduced to the up-and-coming producer Kanye West and began contributing keyboard music and backing vocals to tracks by other artists, among them Alicia Keys, Talib Kweli, and the Black-Eyed Peas. During that time he adopted the stage name John Legend.
Legend worked on West’s debut album as a rap musician, The College Dropout (2004). After West formed his own label (G.O.O.D. Records) with Sony Music, the first album he produced was Legend’s major-label debut, Get Lifted, released in the final week of 2004. Buoyed by the ballad “Ordinary People,” the album rose up European and American popular-music and rhythm-and-blues charts. It garnered eight Grammy Award nominations and won for best R&B album and best male R&B vocal performance. In addition, Legend took the award for best new artist. His sophomore effort, Once Again (2006), won plaudits as well as Legend’s second Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance (for the single “Heaven”). Legend was a cowinner (with Joss Stone and Van Hunt) of the award for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for their rendition of the Sly and the Family Stone song “Family Affair” on the tribute album Different Strokes by Different Folks.
Legend’s popularity continued with his 2008 studio release, Evolver. His 2010 collaboration with the Roots, Wake Up!, won three Grammys—best R&B album, best traditional R&B vocal performance (“Hang On in There”), and best R&B song (“Shine”). In 2013 his album Love in the Future yielded the smash hit single “All of Me.” The following year Legend and rapper Common recorded the gospel-influenced song “Glory,” written by them for the film Selma (2014). The song, which invokes a call to end racial injustice, won both a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for best original song.
Legend’s fifth studio album, Darkness and Light (2016), yielded the hit song “Love Me Now” and featured collaborations with Chance the Rapper, Miguel, and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes. Bigger Love appeared in 2020, and it later won a Grammy for best R&B album. Two years later he released Legend, a double album that drew particular praise for its uptempo tracks.
In 2017 Legend coproduced August Wilson’s Jitney on Broadway, and he received a Tony Award when the drama was named best play revival. The following year Legend played the title role in a well-received live telecast of the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. As a coproducer, he garnered a Creative Arts Emmy Award when the show won for best live variety special. With that honor, he completed his EGOT. In 2019 Legend became a coach on the televised singing competition The Voice.
Legend also won praise for his philanthropic efforts, in particular his work to improve educational opportunities in poor communities.
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