John Legend facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Legend
Legend in 2019
Born	John Roger Stephens (1978-12-28) December 28, 1978 (age 46) Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
Education	University of Pennsylvania (BA)
Occupation	Singer songwriter pianist record producer actor
Years active	1998–present
Works	Discography filmography production
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Chrissy Teigen ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	R&B pop hip hop soul neo soul
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Republic Columbia GOOD Sony Urban
Signature

John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He started his music career working behind the scenes for other artists. He played piano for Lauryn Hill and sang backup for Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

He was the first artist to sign with rapper Kanye West's GOOD Music record label. Through this label, he released his first album, Get Lifted (2004). This album became very popular, reaching the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. It also featured his first hit song, "Ordinary People".

John Legend has won many awards, including 12 Grammy Awards. In 2015, he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his song "Glory" with Common, from the movie Selma. In 2018, he became one of the few people to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award (EGOT). He won a Tony Award for producing the play Jitney and an Emmy for producing Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, where he also played the main role. Since 2019, Legend has also been a vocal coach on the TV show The Voice.

Early Life and Education

John Roger Stephens was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. He is the oldest of four children. His mother was a seamstress, and his father worked in a factory. Music was a big part of his family. His dad played drums, his mom sang in and led the church choir, and his grandmother played the church organ.

John Legend started playing the piano when he was just four years old. By age seven, he was singing with his church choir. He was a very smart student and skipped two grades in school.

When he was 12, he started North High School in Springfield, Ohio. He graduated as the second-best student in his class. At 15, he won an essay contest by McDonald's about how he planned to make Black history as a successful musician.

At 16, he went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. There, he led a jazz and pop singing group called the Counterparts. His singing on their song "One of Us" was very popular. While at college, he met Lauryn Hill and played piano on her song "Everything Is Everything". He graduated in 1999 with a degree in English.

Music Career

Starting His Music Journey

After college, John Stephens worked as a business consultant. At the same time, he started making his own music. He released two albums on his own: a demo in 2000 and Live at Jimmy's Uptown in 2001. He sold these albums at his shows.

In 2001, he met Kanye West, who was a rising hip-hop artist. Stephens was hired to help write and sing parts of West's songs. After signing with West's GOOD Music label, Stephens chose his stage name, John Legend. A poet named J. Ivy told him, "You sound like one of the legends." The name stuck, and soon everyone, including Kanye West, called him John Legend.

First Album and Big Wins

John Legend released his first studio album, Get Lifted, in December 2004. It was a joint release with Columbia Records. The album quickly reached number seven on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold over 116,000 copies in its first week.

Get Lifted was a big success around the world. It reached number one in Norway and was a top ten hit in the Netherlands and Sweden. The album won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2006. Legend also won Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his song "Ordinary People".

In the years that followed, Legend appeared on many other artists' albums. He sang on songs by Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, and Fergie. In 2006, he appeared on Sesame Street and sang a duet with Hoots the Owl. He also performed at the Super Bowl XL and the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.

In October 2006, Legend released his second album, Once Again. He helped write and produce most of the songs. This album was also very successful, reaching number three on the Billboard 200. It became a platinum-selling album in the US. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, his song "Heaven" won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Evolver and Collaborations

Legend performing at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania in 2009

In 2008, John Legend sang in a video for Barack Obama called "Yes We Can". He also had a singing role in the movie Soul Men. In October, he released his third album, Evolver. He named it Evolver because he wanted his music career to always try new things.

The album's first single, "Green Light", featured rapper Andre 3000. It became his highest-charting song since "Ordinary People". In 2009, Legend and the hip-hop band the Roots teamed up to record an album called Wake Up!. It was released in September 2010.

In February 2011, Legend won three more Grammy Awards. He won Best R&B Song for "Shine". He and the Roots won Best R&B Album and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "Hang On in There".

Love in the Future and "All of Me"

Legend at the Citi Presents: Evenings with Legends show in 2014

In 2011, Legend went on a 50-date tour with the band Sade. During the tour, he announced he was working on a new album called Love in the Future. He wanted to create a modern soul album with a classic feel.

He released his fourth studio album, Love in the Future, on September 3, 2013. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The album's third single, "All of Me", became a huge international hit. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. The song is a ballad dedicated to his wife, Chrissy Teigen.

In 2014, Legend worked with rapper Common to write the song "Glory" for the movie Selma. This song won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Legend and Common performed "Glory" at the Academy Awards in 2015.

Legend also sang on Meghan Trainor's song "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", which reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2015, he sang "America the Beautiful" at the opening of Super Bowl XLIX.

Recent Years

Legend released his album Darkness and Light on December 2, 2016. It included songs with Chance the Rapper and Miguel. For the 2017 movie Beauty and the Beast, Legend and Ariana Grande sang a duet of the title track.

In 2017, NBC announced that Legend would play the main role in the live TV production of Jesus Christ Superstar. The show was broadcast live on April 1, 2018. Legend won an Emmy Award as a producer for the show. This made him one of the few people to achieve EGOT status.

Legend during an interview in 2019

On May 21, 2019, Legend was the winning coach on The Voice with his artist Maelyn Jarmon. ..... In 2020, Legend released his seventh album, Bigger Love, which won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.

On November 12, 2021, Legend signed with Republic Records after being with Sony Music for 17 years. In February 2022, he launched a music-based platform called OurSong. On April 3, 2022, he performed a new song called "Free" at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards as a tribute to the people of Ukraine. He was joined by three Ukrainian female artists. On September 9, 2022, he released his eighth studio album, Legend. Legend continues to be a coach on The Voice.

Giving Back to the Community

John Legend is very active in helping others. In 2005, he performed a concert in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio, to support local schools.

In 2007, he started his Show Me Campaign. This campaign helps communities in need, like those affected by Hurricane Katrina. He also works with the Millennium Campus Network to promote sustainable development. In 2009, he allowed a non-profit to remix his song "If You're Out There" to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

On January 22, 2010, he performed at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. This event raised money for earthquake relief in Haiti. Legend also joined the board of Teach For America, an organization that helps improve education. He supports other groups focused on education and equality.

In 2014, Legend started the FREEAMERICA campaign. This campaign works to reform the justice system in the United States. He also supported a ballot initiative in Florida that restored voting rights for people with past felony convictions.

In 2017, Legend donated $500,000 to the Springfield City School District. This money helped renovate an auditorium, which is now named the John Legend Theater. He performed there on October 9, 2016.

Personal Life

John Legend met model Chrissy Teigen in 2006 while filming the music video for his song "Stereo". They got engaged in December 2011 and married on September 14, 2013, in Como, Italy. His 2013 song "All of Me" is dedicated to her.

The couple has four children: a daughter born in April 2016, a son born in May 2018, a daughter born in January 2023, and a son born in June 2023.

On the PBS show Finding Your Roots, it was found that Legend's family background includes African, European, and Native American heritage.

Discography

Studio albums

• Get Lifted (2004)
• Once Again (2006)
• Evolver (2008)
• Wake Up! (with the Roots) (2010)
• Love in the Future (2013)
• Darkness and Light (2016)
• A Legendary Christmas (2018)
• Bigger Love (2020)
• Legend (2022)
• My Favorite Dream (2024)

Tours and Performances

Headlining tours

• Get Lifted Tour (2005)
• Once Again Tour (2007)
• Evolver Tour (2009)
• Love in the Future World Tour (2014)
• Darkness and Light World Tour (2017)
• A Legendary Christmas Tour (2018–19)
• Bigger Love Tour (2021)
• An Evening with John Legend (2023)
• Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour (2025)

Residencies

• Love in Las Vegas (held at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas) (2022)

Film and Television Appearances

Television

Film

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: John Legend para niños