John Biography

John Legend Biography

He went from playing gospel and singing in the church choir to hip-hop superstardom thanks to collaborations with hitmakers such as Kanye West. A look at a legend in the making.

Whether you call it fate, destiny or “a calling”, the fact is that some people are born to sing and create music. Music industry's newcomer John Legend actually reveals that from the age of five or six, he expected to be 'discovered.'
He has done session work with Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Jay-Z and the Black Eyed Peas. He also played piano on Lauren Hill's 'Everything Is Everything', off the 1998 Grammy-winning album 'The Miseducation Of Lauren Hill', before catching the eye of hit maker Kanye West, who co-wrote and produced some of the tracks on ‘Get Lifted’.
With 'Get Lifted', his major label debut album on Columbia Records, Legend demonstrates a rare ability to fuse classic old school soul music with the edgy flavour of 21st century hip-hop.
John Legend was the joint most nominated artist, with eight nominations at the 48th Grammy Awards where he won the awards for Best New Artist, Best Male R&B vocal performance for 'Ordinary People' and best R&B album for his debut, 'Get Lifted'.

"I come from a city where 40 percent to 50 percent of our kids drop out of high school. I did well in high school and then went to an Ivy League school, but I was the exception. We need to do more to make sure every kid has a quality education."

– John Legend

 Early Life and Career

Long before earning a famous reputation as a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, John Legend was born John Roger Stephens on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. A child prodigy, Legend's grandmother taught him how to play the piano, and he grew up singing in the church choir. He went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where he directed a coed a cappella group. After graduation, he switched gears and worked for Boston Consulting Group but continued to perform in nightclubs in New York City.