John Legend Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: John Legend
OCCUPATION: Actor, Songwriter, Singer
BIRTH DATE: December 28, 1978 (Age: 34)
EDUCATION: University of Pennsylvania
PLACE OF BIRTH: Springfield, Ohio
AKA: John Stephens
Full Name: John Roger Stephens
AKA: John Legend
ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn

Best Known For

Singer-songwriter John Legend won his first Grammy Award with 2004's Get Lifted. The album went platinum, thanks in part to the hit single "Ordinary People."

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Print Cite This

John Legend

APA Style

John Legend. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 02:20, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302.

Harvard Style

John Legend. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302 [Accessed 21 May 2013].

MLA Style

"John Legend." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 02:20 http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302.

MHRA Style

"John Legend," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302 [accessed May 21, 2013].

Chicago Style

"John Legend," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302 (accessed May 21, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

John Legend [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302.

Bluebook Style

John Legend, http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302 (last visited May 21, 2013).

AMA Style

John Legend. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/john-legend-201302. Accessed May 21, 2013.

Personal Life

Outside of music, Legend is involved in numerous social and charitable causes. He is a supporter of the Harlem Village Academies, a New York City organization that runs several charter schools. Legend serves as a vice chairman on the HVA board. He explained to Black Enterprise magazine why education is such an important issue to him. "I come from a city where 40 percent to 50 percent of our kids drop out of high school. I did well in high school and then went to an Ivy League school, but I was the exception. We need to do more to make sure every kid has a quality education."

Continuing with his commitment to education reform, Legend lent his song "Shine" to the 2010 documentary Waiting for Superman. The film takes a critical look at the nation's public school system.

Legend is engaged to model Chrissy Teigen. He proposed her while the couple was on vacation in the Maldives in December 2012.