Hill hired him to play piano on " Everything Is Everything", a song from her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. While in college, Legend was introduced to Lauryn Hill by a friend. Legend was also a member of the Sphinx Senior Society and Onyx Senior Honor Society. His lead vocals on the group's recording of Joan Osborne's " One of Us" (written by fellow Penn alum Eric Bazilian of the Hooters) received critical acclaim, landing the song on the track list of the 1998 Best of Collegiate a Cappella compilation CD. Legend was offered admission to Harvard University and scholarships to Georgetown University and Morehouse College he ultimately decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania.Īt college, Legend served as the president and musical director of the co-ed jazz and pop a cappella group the Counterparts. At the age of 15, Legend won a Black History Month essay competition run by McDonalds, following the prompt "How do you intend to make Black history?" with an essay about how he intended to be a successful musician, according to an interview on the Carlos Watson Show. Īt the age of 12, Legend attended North High School in Springfield, Ohio, from which he graduated as salutatorian of his class four years later. Because of his academic talent, he skipped two grades. At the age of 7, he performed with his church choir. His father was a drummer, while "his mother sang and directed the church choir, and his grandmother was the church organist." In 2004, Legend stated that his parents were divorced for 12 years before reuniting. He is the eldest of four children of Phyllis Elaine (née Lloyd), a seamstress, and Ronald Lamar Stephens, a factory worker at International Harvester (now Navistar). Legend was born John Roger Stephens on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. 2.5 2016–present: International recognition and resurgence.Since 2019, Legend has been featured as a coach on The Voice. Legend is also the recipient of the NAACP's President's Award. He received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his acting role, and won for his role as a producer of the show, making him the first black man and second youngest person to have won all four of the major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). In 2018, Legend portrayed Jesus Christ in NBC's adaptation of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. In 2017, Legend won a Tony Award for co-producing Jitney for the Broadway stage. He has received a total of twelve Grammy Awards. Legend won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award in 2015 for co-writing the song " Glory" from the film Selma. In 2007, Legend received the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Legend has since released the albums Darkness and Light (2016), A Legendary Christmas (2018), and Bigger Love (2020). In 2015, he was featured on the single " Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor, which reached the top ten in the U.S. His fourth studio album, Love in the Future (2013), spawned the single " All of Me", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been certified 13× platinum by the RIAA. Legend would later collaborate with The Roots on the album Wake Up! (2010). In June 2008, he released the live album John Legend: Live from Philadelphia.
The lead single from his third album Evolver (2008), " Green Light" featuring André 3000, reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
His second studio album Once Again (2006), spawned the single " Save Room", and became his second top ten album on the Billboard 200 chart. The album earned him eight nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, including nominations for the singles " So High" with Lauryn Hill and " Ordinary People", with the latter song winning for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, while also earning him awards for Best New Artist and Best R&B Album. He then signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music and released his debut album Get Lifted (2004), which reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Everything Is Everything", and making uncredited guest appearances on Jay-Z's " Encore" and Alicia Keys's " You Don't Know My Name". John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, actor, and record producer.
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