John Legend is a six-time Grammy winning recording artist, a critically-acclaimed concert performer, and a well-spoken social activist named to the 2009 Time 100 list of the world's most influential people.
The artist launched his career as a session player and vocalist, contributing to best-selling recordings by Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Kanye West and others before recording his own unbroken chain of Top 10 albums -- Get Lifted (2004), Once Again (2006), and Evolver (2008) --each of them reaching #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop charts.
John's debut, Get Lifted (released on his 26th birthday in 2004) earned an astounding eight Grammy nominations -- he won Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Ordinary People") and Best R&B album -- while selling more than three million copies worldwide. His follow-up collection, Once Again, earned an RIAA platinum certification and a Grammy award for "Heaven" (which won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance).
In 2008, with the release of Evolver, his third consecutive Top 10 album, John Legend embarked on an extensive world tour with his ten-piece band, his largest traveling production to-date.
In 2007, John Legend launched the Show Me Campaign (ShowMeCampaign.org), a grassroots movement whose mission is “to break the cycle of poverty by investing in solutions that have been proven to improve people’s lives and to give them the opportunity to help themselves through education."
John's political activism reached an historic crescendo surrounding his support for Barack Obama. John's involvement included appearances at benefit rallies and concerts, a high-profile premiere of a new song, "If You're Out There," at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and a performance for the newly sworn in POTUS on Inauguration Day. The artist has become a much sought-after guest on political talks shows ranging from "Real Time with Bill Maher" to "Anderson Cooper 360ยบ."
"He is a genius," wrote Quincy Jones in his tribute to John for the Time 100, "and we've seen only the tip of the iceberg. For all that he has already achieved in his career, it is going to be fun watching where he goes from here."
John's upcoming plans include the release of The Wake Up Sessions, a collaboration with the Roots.
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