John Legend

John Legend came to be John Roger Stephens on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio He is one of four kids of Phyllis, a dressmaker , and Ronald Stephens, a mill-hand and former National Guardsman All through his youth, Legend was home schooled on and off by his mom. At age four, he started playing the pianoforte and at age seven, he performed together with his church choir In 1987, when he was nine, his parents divorced. In the period of twelve, Legend attended North High-School , from which he graduated four years after. Upon his salutatorian commencement, Legend was provided scholarships to Harvard University , Georgetown University and Morehouse University He attended the University of Pennsylvania , where he researched English with the emphasis on African-American literature.

During university, he helmed Opposite numbers, a co ed jazz and pop a cappella team as president and musical director. Star’s lead singing on the team’s record of Joan Osborne ‘s One of Us got critical acclaim getting the tune around the monitor list of the 1998 Finest of Collegiate a Cappella compilation CD. Legend was likewise a part of the esteemed senior societies Sphinx Senior Culture and Onyx Senior Honor Culture while an under graduate at Penn. Legend was released to Lauryn Hill by a pal, while in university. Hill employed him to perform piano on Every thing Is Every thing, a tune from her album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Throughout this age, he started to hold numerous shows around Philadelphia , ultimately enlarging his crowd base to The Big Apple , Boston , Atlanta , and Washington, DC, D.C He completed school in 1999, and then started making, composing, and recording his own songs. He launched two records alone; his self titled demo (2,000) and Stay at Jimmy’s Up-Town (2001), which he offered at his displays. After graduating in the University of Pennsylvania, Legend started working as an administration consultant for the Boston Consulting Team Throughout this time around, he started working on his demonstration and started sending his function to different record labels. In 2001, Devo Springsteen released Legend to subsequently up and coming hip hop artist Kanye West ; Legend was employed to sing throughout the baits of West’s songs. After signing to West’s label, he selected his stage name from a thought that has been given to him by poet J. Ivy , due to what he viewedold school sound;. J. Ivy said,I noticed your songs plus it jogs my memory of that songs in the old school. You appear to be among the legends. As a matter-of-fact, that is precisely what I’m likely to contact you to any extent further! I’m going to contact you John Legend.; After J. Ivy continued to contact him by the newest monikerJohn Legend,; the others rapidly caught on, including Kanye West, along with the title stuck. Despite Legend’s unwillingness to modify his stage name, he finally declared his new musician name as John Legend.