John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor.
The weirdest thing about Hillary Clinton's email 'scandal' is finding out some of our senators still don't use email.
We have a serious problem with incarceration in this country. It's destroying families, it's destroying communities and we're the most incarcerated country in the world, and when you look deeper and look at the reasons we got to this place, we as a society made some choices politically and legislatively, culturally to deal with poverty, deal with mental illness in a certain way and that way usually involves using incarceration.
It's important for us to fight for certain changes that need to happen. And one of those issues that I really care about is education. But also another one is incarceration.
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.
I hear melodies and hooks all day. I've always been that way, since I was a kid.
You can always find a stray negative comment on the Internet. It's like everybody loves to put negative comments on the Internet under the cloak of anonymity.
I think people relate to the music because I have a sense of empathy, and I think I have a good understanding about relationships, and I talk about them in a real, honest way
I spent a lot of time, a lot of energy trying to be a better artist and I still [do]. I spend a lot of time focusing on my craft. If you're going to take your passion into something beyond just something for fun on the side, you got to spend a lot of time on it to be great, and then you've got to make smart decisions about who you collaborate with [and] where you live [to] put yourself in the right situations to meet the right people to catch those breaks.
No matter how big or successful and famous you become, if you do that, that's the most fulfilling thing, is making music that you love and that you're proud of.
Sometimes I start just on the piano with a melody or musical idea that kind of leads me to certain lyrics.
I listen to all those kinds of music, from classic soul to hip-hop to Brazilian music to, you know, jazz to indie to alternative. And for me, when I'm making music, it's all in my head, and all those influences in my head. So if something comes to me that's a reference from a different genre then people are used to hearing from me, I'm not afraid to go there with it.
Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying to be famous as a singer. It's not for everyone.
I believed in myself and I am a firm believer you have to think the things you want and visualize.
I don't like going to football games. I like watching them on television. When you go to a game, it's hard to focus. There's so much going on, and it's cold. I'd rather sit and watch it and get replays and commentary.
John legend is a nickname that somebody started calling me a while ago and part of it is 'cos I sound like an old man when I sing.
John Legend is a nickname that some friends started calling me, and it kind of grew into my stage name.
I never went through a period where I didn't want to play music. I've always loved it and it's always been a huge part of my life.
Kind of the critical acclaim of this movie [La La Land] is that it's striking a chord with the public in a way that has been really beautiful and powerful.
I'm trying to be me and embrace all the parts of me that have grown up, listened to more music and soaked up more influences.
My family is very musical, I was surrounded by it. And from four years old I was the one that asked my mother could I take piano lessons.