John Legend

John Legend, born John Roger Stephens on December 28, 1978, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and record producer whose work has moved from neo-soul and R&B balladry to pop, holiday music and collaborative projects. In 2018, he became the first Black male and second-youngest recipient of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, joining the small group of EGOT winners.

Before recording under the name John Legend, he worked behind the scenes as a pianist and backing vocalist. He played piano on Lauryn Hill’s “Everything Is Everything” and sang uncredited backing vocals on Jay-Z’s “Encore” and Alicia Keys’ “You Don’t Know My Name.” He was the first artist signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music, and released his debut studio album, Get Lifted, through the label in 2004. Led by the ballad “Ordinary People,” the album reached the Billboard 200 top ten and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. At the 48th Grammy Awards, Legend won Best New Artist, Get Lifted won Best R&B Album, and “Ordinary People” won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

His second album, Once Again, arrived in 2006 with “Save Room” as its lead single. Evolver followed in 2008, widening his sound with the funk-inspired “Green Light,” featuring André 3000; the single reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 30 and earned double-platinum RIAA certification. That year he also released the live album John Legend: Live from Philadelphia. In 2010, he teamed with the Roots for Wake Up!, then returned in 2013 with Love in the Future.

“All of Me,” the pop ballad from Love in the Future, became Legend’s biggest commercial single. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, remained in the top ten for 23 consecutive weeks, and received 14-times-platinum certification from the RIAA. He later co-performed with Meghan Trainor on “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” a top-ten hit in 2015. His later albums include Darkness and Light (2016), A Legendary Christmas (2018), Bigger Love (2020), which won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, and Legend (2022).

Legend and Common won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song for “Glory,” written for the 2015 film Selma. His Tony came as a co-producer of the 2017 stage play Jitney; the following year, he played Jesus in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar and won an Emmy as a producer of the production. A 12-time Grammy winner, he has also served as a vocal coach on The Voice since 2019 and became the program’s senior coach after Blake Shelton’s 2023 departure.