R&B crooner John Legend has been described as a modern Al Green. His soulful and mature voice has been responsible for helping dysfunctional couples restore their romance. The man behind the piano John Legend has a wide fan base which has kept him at the top of his game for years now. Legend has sold over 10 million albums and won 9 Grammy awards. His net worth in 2013 is an estimated $25 million. Not only has he accrued millions from album sales but he has written hundreds of songs for Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill and many more. Legend received the special Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Legend’s career took off after the single ‘Ordinary People’. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey he explained the song was written for the Black Eyed Peas. The band’s front man Will I Am suggested he take the single for himself. It was one of the most significant songs of his career selling 500,000 copies in the US alone. It helped build anticipation for his debut album ‘Get Lifted” which sold 2.5 million copies in the US and 4 million worldwide. The G.O.O.D. Music artist was signed to Kanye West label while he worked a 9-5 in a Boston Consulting firm.
While working in business John Legend moonlighted as a song writer working with Alicia Keys on her number 1 single You Don’t Know My Name. He also was responsible for Janet Jackson’s “I Want You” which got him a Grammy nomination for Best R&B song.
Besides music Legend is also academically strong. He graduated high school at 16 years with a 4.0 GPA. John Legend was offered scholarships to several Ivy league schools but he chose to go to University of Pennsylvania. Legend was also a member of the prestigious senior societies Sphinx Senior Society and Onyx Senior Honor Society while an undergraduate at Penn. Legend was granted an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Howard University at the 144th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 12, 2012.
