John Legend, born John Stephens in Springfield, Ohio in 1978, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, pianist, poet and actor. He is associated with contemporary R&B, neo soul, R&B and soul, and is signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label. His musical background includes gospel, R&B and hip hop influences.

Early life and beginnings

Legend grows up in Ohio, where he starts singing gospel and playing piano at the age of five. He leaves Ohio at 16 to attend college in Philadelphia, where he first reaches a wider audience. After college, he moves to New York and builds a following by performing in nightclubs and selling self-released CDs at shows.

Session work and early collaborations

Before his own recording career takes off, Legend works as a session musician, playing and sometimes writing for a range of artists including Alicia Keys, Twista, Janet Jackson and Kanye West. He also appears on several notable recordings before his debut album: he plays piano on Lauryn Hill’s 1998 song “Everything Is Everything” and sings background vocals on Jay-Z’s “Encore” and Alicia Keys’ “You Don’t Know My Name”.

Recording career

Legend adopts the Legend name with Solo Sessions Vol. 1: Live at the Knitting Factory in 2004. Later that year he releases his first studio album, Get Lifted, which is driven by the single “Ordinary People” and reaches the top five of the Billboard 200. The album wins Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album, Best R&B Male Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.

His second album, Once Again, follows in 2006 and peaks at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Produced by Raphael Saadiq, Kanye West and will.i.am, it combines gospel and classic soul elements, with “Show Me” among its best-known tracks. He later issues Live from Philadelphia as a stopgap release before Evolver, which arrives in 2008 and presents a more experimental, upbeat side of his work.

Awards and recognition

Legend receives six Grammy Awards in total. In 2007, he also receives the Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.