John Legend

Born

December 28, 1978, Springfield (Clark County) source

Also known as

John Roger Stephens

Known as

Entertainment, Music, African American History

John Legend was born John Roger Stephens in Springfield on December 28, 1978. He began piano at four, sang in his church choir at seven, skipped two grades, and entered Springfield's North High School at 12, graduating as salutatorian before enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania at 16. After Penn he worked as a management consultant while writing and recording, met Kanye West in 2001, and took the stage name Legend; his debut album Get Lifted (2004) won three Grammys including Best New Artist. He went on to win 12 Grammys, the 2015 Oscar for 'Glory' from Selma, a 2017 Tony as a producer of Jitney and a 2018 Emmy as a producer of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, completing an EGOT. Ohio claims him through Springfield, where he has played benefit concerts and where a school-district theatre in the old Springfield High School building carries his name.

• Springfield (1978-1995)
  birthplace and hometown; church choir from age seven; North High School from age 12, graduating salutatorian Clark County · source
• Springfield (2005)
  benefit concert in support of a tax levy for the Springfield City School District Clark County · source
• Springfield (2008)
  free hometown benefit concert on September 29 in support of Barack Obama's campaign Clark County · source
• Springfield (Springfield Center of Innovation: The Dome) (2016-present)
  the Springfield City School District's John Legend Theater, in the restored 1911 Springfield High School building Clark County · source

1. 1978 Born John Roger Stephens in Springfield on December 28. source
2. 1982 Began playing the piano at the age of four; at seven he was performing with his church choir. source
3. c. 1991 Having skipped two grades, entered North High School in Springfield at 12; he graduated as salutatorian. source
4. c. 1994 At 15 won a McDonald's Black History Month essay contest on the prompt 'How do you intend to make Black history?', writing that he would become a successful musician. source
5. c. 1995 Enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania at 16, where he led the a cappella group the Counterparts. source
6. 1999 Graduated magna cum laude from Penn in English; while there he played piano on Lauryn Hill's 'Everything Is Everything'. source
7. 2004 Released his debut album Get Lifted in December on Kanye West's GOOD Music label, under the stage name the poet J. Ivy had given him. source
8. 2005 Played a benefit concert in Springfield to support a tax levy for the Springfield City School District. source
9. 2006 Won three Grammys at the 48th Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album for Get Lifted. source
10. 2008 Returned to Springfield on September 29 for a free benefit concert supporting Barack Obama, playing 'Save Room' and 'Ordinary People'. source
11. 2010 Played for more than 1,000 people at a U.S. Air Force Reserve 'Stateside Tour for the Troops' concert in Niceville, Florida, on November 14. source
12. 2015 'Glory', written with Common for the film Selma, won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song; they performed it at the Oscars on February 22. source
13. 2016 The Toledo Blade reported in June that an Ohio theatre named for him was nearing completion in Springfield. source
14. 2017 Won a Tony Award as a co-producer of the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Jitney. source
15. 2018 Won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) as an executive producer of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, and was nominated as lead actor for playing Jesus. source
16. 2018 The Emmy completed his EGOT, making him the first Black man to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. source
17. 2019 Became a coach on NBC's The Voice and won season 16 with Maelyn Jarmon on May 21. source

• John Legend Theater, Springfield City School District (Springfield, Clark County) source

• Born: Springfield, Clark County Springfield · Clark County
• Connected: Springfield, Clark County Springfield · Clark County
• Connected: Springfield, Clark County Springfield · Clark County
• Connected: Springfield, Clark County Springfield · Clark County
• Connected: Springfield, Clark County Springfield · Clark County

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Legend
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_High_School_(Springfield,_Ohio)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_High_School_(Springfield,_Ohio)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_High_School_(Springfield,_Ohio)
• https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/john-legend
• https://www.toledoblade.com/State/2016/06/26/Ohio-theater-named-for-John-Legend-nears-completion.html
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_legend_in_springfield.JPG
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Legend_entertains_troops_in_Florida_101114-F-7814K-117.jpg

Every link goes to the original source. Profile researched 2026-10-15.

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