- Born in 1978 in Springfield OH. His birth name is John Stephens.
- His stage name was adopted in 2001, after the poet J. Ivy liked his music, stating that it reminded him of old school music, and that he sounded “like one of the legends.” Ivy and others kept referring to him that way, so he reluctantly adopted the name.
- He released seven studio albums, along with one collaborative album (with The Roots), and numerous singles as either lead artist, featured artist, or guest artist. Most of his songs were co-written and co-produced with other major R&B powerhouses.
- He has won dozens awards. He is in the rare space of winning all four major performance awards – 12 Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, one Tony Award and one Academy Award. Only 16 people have won the EGOT in the competitive categories.
- His mega-hit was 2014’s All of Me. It was the second best selling song of the year in the U.S., and the third best selling song worldwide. It was inspired by Legend’s relationship with his soon-to-be-wife, supermodel Chrissy Teigen. The video includes footage from their actual wedding.
- Legend’s Academy Award in 2015 was for Best Original Song, for Glory, co-written with rapper Common, from the movie Selma.
- He had a major role in the highly acclaimed film La La Land, playing the part of Keith, leader of a fusion jazz band. He also co-wrote and performed Start A Fire for the film’s soundtrack. One of his Emmy awards was for the role of Jesus in the television staging of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2018.
- It’s safe to say that Legend is one of the hottest musical talents in the world today. His skilled musicianship and soulful singing are wonderful, and he has smartly promoted himself in high profile ways that make him golden. No doubt his duet with Ariana Grande, singing the title track to Disney’s release of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, elevated his success to even greater heights. Here’s the video.