John-Legend.net

John Legend to perform at Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival (Added on Jan 25, 2009)

On Friday September 3rd and Saturday September 4th 2010 the first edition of the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival will be held in the World Trade Center in Piscadera Bay. Today, the organization is proud to present the first names of the line-up: John Legend, Sergio Mendes, George Benson, Michel Camilo Trio, La India, and Luis Enrique. In the coming months, the festival will announce more names to complete the program.

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John Legend Helps Shine Sundance Light on Schools (Added on Jan 25, 2009)

A convenient truth greeted John Legend when the singer contacted documentary director Davis Guggenheim about collaborating on a film to examine the nation's public-school system. Legend had been working with the hip-hop group the Roots on an album exploring 1960s and '70s music, which led to a discussion about the civil-rights movement and then education, which he considers the civil-rights issue of our time. The Grammy winner whose albums include "Evolver" and "Get Lifted" thought Guggenheim, an Academy Award winner for his global-warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," was just the man to look at what's wrong with America's public schools. "We were going to meet with Davis to see if he wanted to direct it," Legend said. "When my manager met with him, he was like, `Uh, I'm already making this film. This film you're talking about, I'm already making it, and it'll be done in three months.'" Legend, 31, eagerly agreed to sign on with Guggenheim's "Waiting for Superman," writing the song "Shine" for the closing credits of the documentary, which premiered over the weekend at the Sundance Film Festival. "The first time I heard it, I was like 'It's perfect,'" Guggenheim said. "When you hear the song, it just says everything about what we have to do for every kid in America. Give them a great potential and let them shine."

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'Inconvenient Truth' Team's Doc is First Sundance Pickup + Bill Gates rocking to JL (Added on Jan 25, 2009)

The hot stove just started heating up Park City. For the record, it was Paramount that struck the first match. The studio acquired worldwide distribution rights for “Waiting for Superman,” a documentary from the makers of “An Inconvenient Truth” that looks at the public education crisis in the United States, it announced on Thursday. The Participant Media production debuts at the festival on Friday. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, it features interviews with Bill Gates, Washington, D.C., Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Knowledge is Power Program Founders David Levin and Mike Feinberg, Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, and other education experts. There’s also a John Legend song, "Shine," that will roll over the closing credits. Paramount Vantage previously released “Truth.” The studio will once again release Guggenheim’s film under its Vantage label. Read more.

A source on the scene told Access Hollywood that billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates was rocking out at John Legend and the Roots' performances at the Bing Lounge in Park City, Utah, on Saturday night. Bill was described as dancing on a couch, pumping his fist to the music.

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Gallery Update: 2010 Park City (Added on Jan 24, 2009)

John Legend performs at The Venue at The Horseshoe Casino on December 30, 2009 in Hammond, Indiana.

John Legend attends the Onitsuka Tiger Party on January 23, 2010 in Park City, Utah.

John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen pose at Fred Segal Fun at Village at the Yard during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2010 in Park City, Utah.

John Legend attends the T-Mobile myTouch Dinerat Village at the Yard on January 23, 2010 in Park City, Utah.

John Legend performs at the Monster 2009 awards show at the Paris Hotel during the third day of the 2010 CES show.

John Legend performs at Haze Nightclub at Aria Resort and Casino.

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Harlem Village Academies (Added on Jan 24, 2009)

John appeared with the Harlem Village Academy Founder Deborah Kenny on "Morning Joe" on January 20, 2010). Watch the video clip below and check out the pics.

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( read more ) ( Photos by korpics )

Hope for Haiti Performance (Added on Jan 24, 2009)

In this video below, John Legend performs at the Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief telethon on January 22, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

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iTunes customers can buy the 'Hope for Haiti Now' full performance album for $ 7.99 and the full two-hour video telecast for $1.99. More info.

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Education Reform: The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time (Added on Jan 24, 2009)

Read John's message on education reform in the Huffington Post.

Today is a special day of reflection and renewal as we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. While it is discouraging to recall the hate, bigotry and injustice that are inextricably tied to the civil rights movement, it also makes me hopeful. It gives me a sense of optimism because the civil rights leaders were able to take a sledgehammer to how we viewed and accepted the world around us. They shattered norms that had been around for generations. They imagined something and then peacefully forced it to happen. They made us believe in change.

We Americans know that change can happen. We have come a long way in the United States, the land of opportunity, the land of plenty, the land people risk their lives to get to. But even here, far too many people are left behind.

Historically, quality public education was one of the things Americans could always be most proud of. Even in the beginning, Thomas Jefferson said, "If the condition of man is to be progressively ameliorated, as we fondly hope and believe, education is to be the chief instrument in effecting it."

For a very long time, the United States invested in our education system. We made sure it kept up with the times and we led the world in almost every measure. But in recent years, that has changed. We used to be in first place in graduation rates. By 2006, we had slipped to 18th in high school graduation rates and 14th for college. Our high school drop-out rate is a shameful 30% and is much worse for minority and low-income students.

So are all of our schools bad? Absolutely not. Many are exceptional.

However, just 15% of our high schools are responsible for 50% of the dropout students and those schools are more likely to have a majority of students who are African American or Latino. So while Martin Luther King Jr. fought for our laws to not discriminate, our education system still helps perpetuate inequity. I think Melinda Gates put it best when she recently said, "Education is the key to opportunity, and the opportunity is not equal."

A good education is inextricably linked to our rights as American citizens. And it is appalling that a quality education is not considered a fundamental right. This is why I consider the education "achievement gap" between those students who are receiving a quality education and those who are not the civil rights issue of our time. It is fundamentally unfair that Americans' educational opportunities are so heavily influenced by the conditions outside of their control.

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Gallery Update (Added on Jan 24, 2009)

John Legend arrives to perform at Haze Nightclub at Aria Resort and Casino Las Vegas, Nevada - January 9, 2010. Click to see more pics.

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"We Are the World" (Added on Jan 24, 2009)

WE ARE THE WORLD AGAIN: Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are planning a massive 25th anniversary rerecording of "We Are the World." The duo is summoning talent from Grammy weekend to stay an extra night — Feb. 1 — and come to the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles to celebrate a quarter-century since Ken Kragen, Richie and Michael Jackson organized the original "We Are the World" with Jones. Artists invited include Usher, Natalie Cole and John Legend.

Originally, the anniversary celebration was to be Jan. 28. But when the Haiti earthquake happened Jan. 12, emphasis changed to quake relief. In 1985, "We Are the World," which begat Live Aid, raised money for famine relief in Africa.

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Otis Williams Thinks John Legend Should Cover Temptations (Added on Jan 24, 2009)

Temptations' founder Otis Williams recently said that he greatly admires singer John Legend and would love to hear him take a crack at covering some Temptations classics. "I would like to hear him sing like three or four of ours like 'My Girl,' 'Since I Lost My Baby' and 'Just My Imagination,'" Williams told Spinner.com. "He's just one of those singers and musicians that God sprinkles among us every so often," the Motown legend said. "I love John Legend's delivery, his tone of voice, the way he sings. He's just like a throwback to the era that I grew up in." Other singers from Williams' era include Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. According to Williams, other than Legend, most of today's vocalists don't match up with those from his era. "I listen to some of the singers out today and I must say I'm not impressed," Williams continued. "Coming up during my time if you were to ask me, 'Otis, who do you like?' I could rattle them off -- bam, bam, bam."

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John Legend To Peform at Obama Hosted Concert (Added on Jan 8, 2009)

Celebrating Black History Month, John Legend and Jennifer Hudson are among a host of acts slated to perform at the White House! Taking part in 'A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement,' Hudson and Legend will join President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama February 10 in recognizing music that accompanied the struggle for civil rights from the 1950s to 1960s. An hour long special, 'A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement,' will also feature performances from Seal, Smokey Robinson, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

According to PBS, a special presentation of the night's festivities will be premiered Feb. 11 at 8pm ET.

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CES Party List includes John Legend (Added on Jan 5, 2009)

The best indication yet of how CES will be affected by the economy: This year's meager party list, which so far has only one celebrity event. In recent years, companies held elaborate parties during the show with top bands, comedians and other performers. But it's getting skimpier as the industry copes with reduced spending on consumer electronics. Last year's CES party list was thin and this year's is ridiculous. This year the only A-list show is a private John Legend concert Friday night, hosted by Monster Cable at the Paris Hotel, according to an annual party list compiled by PR rep Karen Thomas.

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Gallery Update (Added on Jan 3, 2009)

JL's New Years Eve 2010 in Miami Beach - Annalynne McCord hosted New Year's Eve Party at W South Beach with performances by Kid Cudi and John Legend.

John Legend performs at The Venue at The Horseshoe Casino on December 30, 2009 in Hammond, Indiana.

John Legend and Christine Teigen attend his birthday party at SL on December 28, 2009 in New York City.

John Legend and his girlfriend Chrissy Teigen do some last minute Christmas shopping at Barneys New York.

John Legend and Chrissy Tiegen are seen on the Streets of Manhattan on December 21, 2009 in New York City.

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Gallery Update (Added on Jan 2, 2009)

Portraits of singer John Legend photographed backstage at Austin City Limits music festival in Austin Texas October 1st, 2009.

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Chicken Soup For The Soul – The Story Behind The Song: John Legend’s "Ordinary People" (Added on Jan 2, 2009)

JOHN LEGEND
ORDINARY PEOPLE
co-written with will.i.am

In Spring 2004, I was going to work with will.i.am at the Hit Factory, a studio on the west side of Manhattan. We’d been writing together for the next Black Eyed Peas record. He would play me beats, see if I could come up with hooks and I’d help him write the song. We’d done it before with some success. He started playing and eventually the chorus emerged. We had a small brainstorming session but that’s all the song remained for awhile — the beat and the chorus. I liked it, but the more I thought about it, I didn’t think it would be a good Black Eyed Peas song. It seemed more like something for my repertoire. I had just gotten a record deal and was on my way to finishing my first album. I decided to keep “Ordinary People” and worked on the piano to develop and mold it for myself rather than for a rap group. I was on tour in Europe with Kanye West to help him perform his new album. We were playing clubs and small theaters there and, at sound check each day, I worked on the song, writing the lyrics and tweaking it. People around me heard me singing it and everyone seemed to feel that it was a great song. You never know. I worked on the lyrics and verses throughout the tour. I then worked on the bridge and it was pretty much finished by the time I got home. When we decided that I would record the song., I had promised Will that I would let him produce it. I made a demo in Los Angeles at the Record Plant, just me and the piano. I sent it to Will and we, and everyone else who heard it, loved it the way it was. The demo was essentially the way it was when it was released. The idea for the song is that relationships are difficult and the outcome uncertain. If a relationship is going to work, it will require compromise and, even then, it is not always going to end the way you want it to. No specific experience in my life led me to the lyrics for this song, although my parents were married twice to each other and divorced twice from each other. Their relationship is, of course, one of my reference points, but I didn’t write this to be autobiographical or biographical. It is just a statement about relationships and my view on them. - John Legend

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John Legend is his own man (Added on Jan 2, 2009)

John Legend is one of those rare singer-songwriters who lives on both sides of the fence. Legend crafts adventurous, critically acclaimed tunes that also pack plenty of commercial appeal.

"The most important thing for me is that I've been able to do what I want to do creatively," Legend said. "I make mainstream music without conforming to the mainstream. It's worked out for me. I never wanted to follow what everybody else is doing. It's all about trying to strike a balance."

Legend, who will perform Friday at the Borgata in Atlantic City, continues to strike that balance with his latest album, the aptly titled, "Evolver." The disc is an eclectic project filled with smooth ballads, soulful soft rock, lilting reggae and catchy pop.

The Ivy League educated Legend proves especially adept at delivering passionate, romantic cuts.

"I'm comfortable with a variety of styles," Legend said. "The songs may be different but the common denominator is melody and hooks. If you have that going for you, you're in good shape. If you write well, you'll stand out. There's not a lot of great songwriting right now. There's a dearth of songs with great lyrics that are witty and tell a great story. It's a shame."

Kanye West, Estelle and Brandy are among the recording artists who lent their skills to "Evolver."

"It's always great to work with people that are great at what they do," Legend said. "I couldn't imagine the songs without them. They added so much to this album."

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