John Legend – 7 Things You Didn’t Know

If you’ve listened to the album Darkness and Light, you’ll know by now that Grammy and Oscar award winner and R&B singer John Legend is made of so much great stuff. From falling in love with music in his childhood when he worked with top hip hop and R&B singers to becoming a top performer in the music industry, Legend is indeed a ‘legend.’ Ahead of his O2 Arena concert, EBONYONLINE.NET  has unearthed some fascinating facts about the man. Sit back and be amazed.
#1 Requested a piano at the age of four!

On December 28, 1978, Legend was born to Ronald and Phyllis. They named him John Roger Stephen and together they enjoyed their early life in Springfield, Midwestern, Ohio. At church, his mother was the music director, his father and three brothers loved drumming. Do you know that he requested piano lessons when he was just four years old? His grandmother gladly sat him at a piano.

 
#2 The child artist is born aged seven
John Legend joined and performed in his family church choir at seven. After graduating from Ivy Leagues, he went on to the University of Pennsylvania where he majored in English and joined the students Acappella group called the Counterparts. As a choir director and pianist he was able to improve his musical abilities. Although he got a job that paid a whole lot, he chose a musical career instead and began performing and gigging in nightclubs in and around New York.

 
#3 Backup for Alicia Keys, Twista etc
Before getting a breakthrough as a solo artist, he worked as a backup singer for artists like Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, and Twista. He and Kanye West also worked on each other’s demos. Artists like Boys II Men and LL Cool J inspired him and helped him create his style. He earned his ‘Legend’ moniker from J.Ivy, a poet who associated his music with old school sounds.

 
#4 ‘Get Lifted’ gets Grammys
2004 saw John Legend release Get Lifted, the debut album that won him three Grammy Awards. Ordinary People was also a big hit and in 2006, he released Once Again.

#5 Legend’s loves a glass of Cabernet
In 2013, he married Chrissy Teigen.. April 2016, they welcomed their sweet baby, Luna Simone. For him, having a baby was stressful, life-changing and amazing all in one. He values quality time with his wife and prefers to relax by watching TV and having a glass of Cabernet.

 
#6 Quincy Jones is his musical Inspiration
Inspired by Quincy Jones, he’s always believed that being able to be yourself in every circumstance is the definition of being cool. He says an artist only makes great music when he has found his voice and decides to stay true to it.

 
#7 Giving back to society
When Legend isn’t doing something related to music, he’s getting involved in charity. He supports a New York charity organisation called the Harlem Village Academics. He values education a great deal and thinks it very necessary to improve the quality of education in the world.

 
John Legend appears at the O2 Arena, SE10 0DX 12 Sept Tel: 203 784 7998 www.theo2.co.uk