John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor.

Prior to the release of Legends debut album, he collaborated with already established artists. At various points in his career, Legend has sung in Magnetic Mans Getting Nowhere, Kanye Wests Blame Game, on Slum Villages Selfish, and Dilated Peoples This Way. Other collaborative appearances include Jay-Zs Encore, backing vocals on Alicia Keys 2003 song You Dont Know My Name, the Kanye West remix of Britney Spears Me Against the Music, and Fort Minors High Road. Legend played piano on Lauryn Hills Everything Is Everything. For his solo work, he earned a Billboard Hot 100 number-one single with All of Me in 2013. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2015 for writing the song Glory from the film Selma. He has also won ten Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In 2007, Legend received the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[3] In 2017 Legend received a Tony Award for co-producing Jitney for the Broadway stage.[4]

Legend was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio.[5] He is one of four children[6] of Phyllis Elaine (née Lloyd), a seamstress, and Ronald Lamar Stephens, a factory worker and former National Guardsman.[11] Throughout his childhood, Legend was homeschooled on and off by his mother.[12] At the age of four, he performed with his church choir. He began playing the piano at age seven. At the age of 12, Legend attended North High School, from which he graduated salutatorian of his class four years later.[13] According to Legend, he was offered admission to Harvard University and scholarships to Georgetown University and Morehouse College.[14] He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied English with an emphasis on African-American literature.[15]

While in college, Legend served as president and musical director of a co-ed jazz and pop a cappella group called Counterparts. His