A Legendary Night: John Legend Shares the Stories Behind His Greatest Hits

Soulful singing took center stage at Shea’s Performing Arts Center as Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, AND Tony Award-winning (yes, he’s an EGOT) singer and songwriter John Legend serenaded the Queen City with some of the most memorable hits that made him a star. But it wasn’t just a concert; the evening was an entire experience where Legend shared the intimate stories that created the songs that fill the soundtrack of our lives.

From his high school days in Springfield, Ohio, to a chance encounter while a student at UPenn that would change his life forever, John painted a portrait of how an artist who chases his dreams can turn himself into a masterpiece. “I played for a church in Scranton,” he recalls, when a member of the choir—his friend Tara—asked if he would take her to a studio session just outside of Newark. “Tara just so happened to be friends with Miss Lauryn Hill, who was working on her solo project at the time.” Taking full advantage, John found himself sitting at the keyboard in Lauryn Hill’s studio which turned into him being the featured piano player on Track 13 from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill—Everything is Everything. 

From remembering his gospel roots in church to finding the love of his love at a video shoot, and even reconciling his relationship with his mother recovering from addiction, John Legend let us into his life with the stories behind songs like Ordinary People, Stay with You and his debut single Used to Love U with powerful performances to match. And with incredible tributes to fellow superstar Stevie Wonder (covering his classic Ribbon in the Sky) and all the superwomen honored at Oprah Winfrey’s iconic Legends Ball, John Legend showed Shea’s just how the right opportunity paired with proper preparation has made him the legend that he is today—just like his name says.

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