ENTERTANMENT SPOTLIGHT: Born Dec. 28, 1978, John Legend is an singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, film producer, theatre director, and philanthropist. Prior to the release of Legend’s debut album, Get Lifted (2004), he had collaborated with already established artists and signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music.
His father was a drummer, while “his mother sang and directed the church choir, and his grandmother was the church organist.” Legend was homeschooled by his mother. He began playing the piano at age 4. At the age of 7, he performed with his church choir. Because of his academic talent, he skipped two grades.
At the age of 12, Legend attended North High School in Springfield, Ohio, from which he graduated as salutatorian of his class four years later. Legend was offered admission to Harvard University and scholarships to Georgetown University and Morehouse College; he ultimately decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania.
While in college, Legend was introduced to Lauryn Hill by a friend. Hill hired him to play piano on “Everything Is Everything”, a song from her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on African-American literature in 1999.
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