Legend, John

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John Legend

Singer, songwriter, pianist

Aprotégé of one of hip-hop music's most innovative figures, John Legend performs not hip-hop but R&B, much of it in the old-school vein exemplified by classic figures such as Stevie Wonder. An Ivy League graduate, he is active in musical genres whose other performers have often attended only the school of hard knocks. His positive lyrics—he writes much of his own material—explore the intricacies of romance and human emotional life, and they roost high on popular music sales charts among songs drenched in sexuality and violence. What has enabled John Legend to buck trends and surprise audiences is sheer talent: equally gifted as a vocalist, songwriter, and pianist, he has created music with deep roots in African-American traditions, seeming fresh even as it refers to styles of the past.

Legend was born John Stephens on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. Friends and family called him Johnny. The confident nickname John Legend was bestowed upon the singer in 2002 by Chicago poet J. Ivy, who recalled to Scotty Ballard of Jet that "I heard one of his songs and I'm just blown away like everyone else. … I introduced myself … and I said … ‘you were amazing, you sound like you were from the old school. … You're a legend! As a matter of fact, that's what I'm going to call you, the "Legend."’" The name stuck.

Legend's father was a factory worker and a drummer and visual artist on the side. As a boy, Legend's musical education had gospel and classical sides, as he took formal piano lessons but also honed his performing instincts with membership in a church choir at age six. His mother was the director, his grandmother the organist, his grandfather the pastor. By age 10 or 11 he was directing choirs himself. The church "is such a great training ground for young black musicians," Legend explained to Lorraine Ali of Newsweek. "You have an audience, it's an important part of the service, and it makes you wanna be a better musician. If you're good in the church, people know you all around your area." Indeed, Legend had a regional reputation by the time he graduated from high school.

He was only 16 at the time. An academic whiz who won Springfield's city spelling bee in fourth grade, he moved on to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, majoring in English. He sang in the university's a cappella vocal group Counterparts. To help pay the bills, he worked as choir director, head of the music department, and pianist at Bethel AME Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Even before he graduated he was dabbling in the world of popular music as well: through a mutual friend (backup singer Tara Michel) he met 1990s hip-hop star Lauryn Hill, who hired him to play piano on her song "Everything Is Everything." With visions of bigger things, Legend auditioned for Hill's band but was turned down. He graduated from Penn in 1999 and landed a management consultant position with Boston Consulting Group in New York.

The job paid some $50,000 a year, well above average for a newly minted college graduate, but Legend's interest in music nevertheless began to take up more and more of his time. He made appearances at New York clubs such as Jimmy's Uptown and SOB's, releasing recordings of the shows on his own label. His versatile talents and well-known contacts landed him session work with vocalists Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson, rapper Jay-Z, and hip-hop sensation Kanye West, who signed Legend to his G.O.O.D. label and shepherded Legend's career as executive producer of his first album, Get Lifted. West, Legend explained to Jennifer Odell of People, "has great instincts. He gives me a lot of good advice on the creative level. We critique each other's song productions. He also gives me good advice on dealing with the record industry."

Get Lifted appeared in the last week of 2004 and featured guest appearances by West (who co-wrote its leadoff single, "Used to Love U"), hip-hop veteran Snoop Dogg, and, in a nod to Legend's gospel background, members of his own family on the track "It Don't Have to Change." A major influence was Stevie Wonder, whose 1972 Talking Book album Legend has named as a favorite. Reviewers praised the album's classic R&B sounds, subtly updated with production touches and a confident attitude that marked the creative presence of hip-hop. Get Lifted slowly built in popularity. Its most identifiable song was "Ordinary People," a ballad about the rocky passages that are a feature of every romantic relationship. Accompanied on piano by Legend himself, the song quickly gained currency as a wedding number.

"Ordinary People" also brought Legend one of his three Grammy Awards in 2006 (it was classified as a 2005 release), that for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance. He also snared coveted nods for Best New Artist and Best R& B Album. Legend used the initial proceeds from his album sales to pay off his college loans. He was named to People magazine's list of 50 most eligible bachelors in 2005, and his touring schedule, which included such prestigious dates as a benefit concert at New York's Museum of Modern Art, accelerated sharply. All the activity put a strain on Legend's voice, and at one point he was put on complete vocal rest by a voice coach—any benefits he might have reaped from his eligible bachelor status were temporarily dampened by having to write out conversations with his dates instead of talking.

Partly as a result of the changes that were occurring in his voice, Legend aimed toward a more diverse sound for his sophomore release Once Again. "My tone got smoother and cleaner," he told Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly. "That's why I sound different on my new album. I didn't plan to [change my style]. I had to switch it up." Neither vocal changes nor the common music industry sophomore slump put a dent in Legend's creativity, as he delivered a set of songs that ranged from ballads to hip-hop-spiked jams to pop, the Motown sound, and even Brazilian bossa nova. "It's kind of all over the place, but it feels like it belongs together," he told Watson. The album was produced by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, who had also contributed to Get Lifted.

Once Again gained traction in early 2007 and eventually exceeded its predecessor's chart position, reaching number three on Billboard's album sales chart and earning platinum status for sales of a million copies (as had Get Lifted). Legend again contributed the bulk of the songwriting, with some songs based on his own romantic life. The most impressive aspect of Legend's young career was that many of his recordings seemed stamped with the imprint of classic status. "Legend," noted Ali, "just may be one of those rare talents who get better with each record."

For the Record …

Born John Stephens on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, OH; son of a factory worker and a homemaker, seamstress, and church choir director. Education: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, graduated 1999 with major in English.

Worked as session vocalist and pianist, appearing on recordings by Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Janet Jackson, and other, early 2000s; signed to G.O.O.D. label; released album Get Lifted, 2004; performed on Grammy awards show, released Once Again, 2006.

Awards: Grammy Awards: Best R&B Male Vocal Performance, for "Ordinary People," Best R&B Album, for Get Lifted, and Best New Artist, 2006; Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, for "Family Affair," and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, 2007; BET Award, Best New Artist, 2005; Soul Train Music Awards: Best Male R&B Single, for "Ordinary People," and Best Male R&B Album, for Get Lifted, 2006.

Addresses: Record company—G.O.O.D. Records, c/o Sony Music, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Website—Official John Legend Website: http://www.johnlegend.com.