alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	Michael Joe Jackson, MJ, King of Pop
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy, MJJ Productions
associated acts	The Jackson 5
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	}}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series titled ''This Is It'', Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.

The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.

Move to Epic and ''Off the Wall'' (1975–81)

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25'' (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona. ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading

External links

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

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name	John Legend
background	solo_singer
birth name	John Roger Stephens
birth date	December 28, 1978
origin	Springfield, Ohio, United States
instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboards
alma mater	University of Pennsylvania
genre	R&B;, hip hop soul, soul, neo soul, jazz fusion
occupation	Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor
years active	2001–present
label	GOOD, Sony Music
associated acts	Kanye West, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots
website	}}

John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with multiple established artists. Stephens added his voice to those of other artists, assisting in them reaching chart-topper hits. He lent his voice to that of Kanye West, on Slum Village's "Selfish" and Dilated Peoples' "This Way". Other artists included Jay-Z's "Encore", and he sang backing vocals on Alicia Keys' 2003 song "You Don't Know My Name" and Fort Minor's "High Road." Stephens played piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything."

Life and career

1978–2009: Early life and career beginnings

Stephens was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. He is the son of Phyllis, a seamstress, and Ronald, a factory worker and former National Guardsman. Throughout his childhood, Stephens was homeschooled on and off by his mother. At the age of four, he began playing the piano and at the age of seven, he performed with his church choir. When he was ten, his parents divorced, causing his mother to suffer a breakdown. At the age of 12, Stephens attended North High School, from which he graduated four years later. He graduated salutatorian.

According to Stephens, he was offered scholarships to Harvard University, Georgetown University and Morehouse College. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied English with an emphasis on African American literature. While in college, he helmed Counterparts, a co-ed jazz and pop a cappella group as president (1997–1998) and musical director (1998–1999). Stephens' lead vocals on the group's recording of Joan Osborne's "One of Us" propelled the song to critical acclaim landing the song on the track list of the 1998 ''Best of Collegiate a Cappella'' compilation CD. Stephens was also a member of the prestigious Sphinx Senior Society while an undergraduate at Penn. While in college, Stephens was introduced to Lauryn Hill by a friend. Hill hired him to play piano on "Everything Is Everything", a song from her album, ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill''.

During this period, Stephens took time to hold a number of shows around Philadelphia, eventually expanding his audience base to New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. He finished college in 1999, and thereafter began producing, writing, and recording his own music. He released two albums independently; his self-titled demo (2000) and 'Live at Jimmy's Uptown' (2001), which he sold at his shows.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Stephens began working as a management consultant for the Boston Consulting Group. During this time, he began working on his demo and began sending his work to various record labels. In 2001, Devo Springsteen introduced Stephens to then up-and-coming hip-hop artist Kanye West; Stephens was hired to sing during the hooks of West's music. After signing to West's label, he chose his stage name from a nickname that was given to him by poet J. Ivy, due to Stephens' "old-school sound". Stephens' vocals can be heard on several tracks including Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name", Jay-Z's "Encore", Kanye West's "Never Let Me Down," also featuring Jay-Z and J. Ivy, Dilated Peoples' "This Way" and Slum Village's "Selfish".

2004–2005: ''Get Lifted''

Stephens released his debut album, ''Get Lifted'', in December 2004. It debuted at number seven on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 116,000 copies in its first week. It went on to sell 2.1 million copies in the United States and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It has sold three million copies worldwide. The album produced two singles: "Ordinary People" (US and UK top 30) went straight to number one and "Used to Love U" (US top 100, UK top 30).

2006–2007: ''Once Again''

The first single from his second album, ''Once Again'', was "Save Room". The album was released October 24, 2006, and boasts production from Kanye West, Raphael Saadiq, and will.i.am. In an interview with MTV, he said that this album contained his favorite song that he had written to date, entitled "Again." He said he came up with the idea for the song and wrote some of it while sitting on a subway. He stated that the song was also the inspiration for the album's title.

In August 2006 Stephens appeared in an episode of ''Sesame Street''. He performed a song entitled "It Feels Good When You Sing a Song", a duet with Hoots the Owl. He also performed during the pregame show of ''Super Bowl XL'' in Detroit and the halftime show at the ''2006 NBA All-Star Game''.

2008–2010: ''Evolver''

Stephens released his third studio album ''Evolver'', in October 2008. Rapper Andre 3000 of OutKast is featured on the first single of the album on a song titled "Green Light". "It's going to be a surprise for a lot of John Legend fans, because it is a lot more upbeat than John is — than people think John is," Andre insisted. "I was actually happy to hear it. This is a cool John Legend song". The next single from ''Evolver'' was confirmed as "Everybody Knows".

Speaking in July 2008 to noted UK R&B; writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning "Blues & Soul", he explained his reasons for titling the album 'Evolver': "Well I think people sometimes come to expect certain things from certain artists. They expect you to kind of stay in the same place you were at when you started out. Whereas I feel I want my career to be defined by the fact that I'm NOT gonna stay in the same place, and that I'm always gonna try new things and experiment. So, as I think this album represents a manifestation of that, I came up with the title 'Evolver'."

In 2009, Stephens performed in The People Speak a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States”.

2010: Wake Up!

John Legend and The Roots teamed up to record a collaborative album, ''Wake Up!'', which was released on September 21, 2010. The first single released off the album was "Wake Up Everybody" featuring singer Melanie Fiona and rapper Common; a video for the song has been released. "Hard Times" is the second single.

In February 2011 John won three Grammy Awards (one by himself and two with The Roots) at the 53rd Annual Grammy Music Awards Ceremony. Legend won a Grammy Award for Best R&B; Song for "Shine", and he and The Roots won Grammy Awards for Best R&B; Album (''Wake Up!'') and Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance for "Hang On In There". In March 2011 Legend and the Roots won two NAACP Image Awards – one for Outstanding Album (''Wake Up!'') and one for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration.

2011–Present: Tour & Work on New Album

Legend is currently on a 50-date tour as a guest for British Soul band Sade. In the San Diego stop, Legend confirmed that he is working on his next studio album, and played a new song called "Dreams".

Legal Troubles

On July 5, 2011, songwriter Anthony Stokes filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against John Legend in United States District Court, in the District of New Jersey, alleging that Legend's song "Maxine's Interlude" from his 2006 album ''Once Again'' derives from Stokes' demo "Where Are You Now." Stokes claims he gave Legend a demo of the song in 2004 following a concert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Legend has denied the allegations, telling E! Online, "I never heard of his song until he sued me. I would never steal anyone's song. We will fight it in court and we will prevail." Nearly 60,000 people took a TMZ.com poll that compared the two songs and 65% of voters believe that Legend's "Maxine's Interlude" is a rip-off of Stokes' "Where Are You Now."

Collaborations

In 2005 was featured in the Fort Minor song "High Road".

In 2006 was featured in Sérgio Mendes's collaboration album, ''Timeless'', singing "Please Baby Don't".

In 2006 collaborated with Jay-Z on the album ''Kingdom Come'' on the song "Do U Wanna Ride".

Collaborated with Japanese R&B; duo CHEMISTRY on their 2006 single "Tōkage".

Collaborated with Mary J. Blige on "King & Queen".

In 2007 lent his vocals for the ''Rich Boy'' track "Ghetto Rich".

In 2008 collaborated with Colombian Rock artist Juanes at the Latin Grammys, singing in Spanish along with Juanes, on the bilingual version of the song "''Si tu estas ahi''" also known as "''If You Are Out There''".

Featured in The Black Eyed Peas song, "Like That". The song "Ordinary People" was originally meant to be for a Black Eyed Peas project, but he decided to keep it for himself and recorded the song after he had been signed to Columbia Records.

Tentatively worked with Michael Jackson on a future album. In a Dutch interview with singer and host Tommy Parker, he was asked about this collaboration. His response was that he had written one song for the upcoming album, but was unsure about whether Jackson would be using it.

Sang "The Girl is Mine" and the national anthem along with Stephen Colbert on ''The Colbert Report''.

Featured on the sixth track ("Heartbreaker") of MSTRKRFT's second album ''Fist of God''.

He collaborated with Fergie for her song "Finally" on her 2006 debut album "''The Dutchess''".

Featured in T.I.'s song "Slide Show" on his album ''Paper Trail''. A music video for "Slide Show" was released on August 10, 2009, featuring a video collage; it is unknown as of yet, however, if it is an official single.

He is also featured in the song "Magnificent" by Rick Ross. The music video has cameo appearances from DJ Khaled saying and wearing "We the Best!!", Birdman, Ace Hood, Triple C's, and Special Ed. It was released on March 3, 2009, and it was directed by music video director Gil Green. It was filmed at Gulfstream Park Racetrack in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The two later collaborated on the songs "Sweet Life" and "Free Mason," the former of which failed to make the cut for the follow-up album, Teflon Don, and the latter of which featured rapper Jay-Z as well.

Co-wrote (and played piano on) "Move on Me" by British singer-songwriter Fin Greenall (a.k.a Fink) from the album "Sort of Revolution" (2009)

Collaborated with Reggae legend Buju Banton on the track "Can't Be My Lover". The track is one of the biggest mixes of R&B; and Reggae/Dancehall in years.

In 2009 recorded a duet with Brazilian singer Ana Carolina called ":pt:Entreolhares (The Way You’re Looking at Me)". He sings in English, and she sings in Portuguese.

In the summer of 2009 he recorded a duet with ex-member of Sin Bandera, Noel Schajris, called ''"No Importa"'' (It Doesn't Matter). He sings in English and Spanish.

In 2009 a duet version "Save Room" featuring German band, Monrose, was released under the title "Save Room (Let's Get Strictly Physical)".

Has plans to collaborate with British born talent, Stefan Vitalis, to produce a soulful and dynamic record.

Recorded a cover of the U2 song "Pride (in the name of love)"

Collaborated with Nas for the title track on DJ Khaled's 2010 album Victory.

In 2010 collaborated with Pink and Herbie Hancock for a recording of Peter Gabriel's song "Don't Give Up", which featured on Hancock's album The Imagine Project.

Collaborated with Lupe Fiasco on the track "Never Forget You."

Collaborated with Kanye West on the song "Blame Game" on West's album ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''.

In September 2010 collaborated with British dubstep trio, Magnetic Man, on a track entitled "Getting Nowhere".

Collaborated with Lil Wayne on the track "So Special." On Wayne's album ''Tha Carter IV''.

Music videos and acting career

His cover of Stevie Wonder's 1974 hit song "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" appeared in Will Smith/Eva Mendes' film ''Hitch'' and on the soundtrack album of the movie.

The 2007 video for his single, "P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)", features Alexandre Rodrigues and Melvin Bragg from the critically acclaimed film, ''City of God''.

Songs attributed to John Legend have appeared in feature films, as follows:

"Refuge" appears on the soundtrack to the 2006 film ''The Second Chance''.

"Dare to Dream" is in the 2007 movie ''Pride''.

"Someday" is part of the soundtrack to the 2007 film ''August Rush''.

"Shine" was written for the end credits of the 2010 film ''Waiting for Superman''.

He has a supporting, singing-only role in the 2008 movie ''Soul Men'', where he plays the deceased lead singer of a fictitious soul group that includes Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac. Although he has no real dialogue in the film, he only sings a song called "I'm Your Puppet" along with Jackson and Mac.

Endeavors

Television appearances and commercials

Performed "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch at the 2006 Major League Baseball All Star Game in Pittsburgh, PA.

Appeared on the season finale of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', singing a cover of "You Don't Know Me". He also appeared on an episode of the television series "Las Vegas" in February 2007, performing his single "Save Room" solo at the end of the episode.

In 2007 performed with John Mayer and Corinne Bailey Rae at the Grammy Awards. He later appeared with Bailey Rae in several live performances.

Appeared in a recent commercial for a Lexus SUV, in which Legend is shown listening to Nina Simone's "Backlash Blues" (recorded live in Paris, 1968, on ''The Great Show'' LP) and describing his experience with the music. He is also notable for performing closing music in many of Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs' keynote presentations.

In January 2008 sang in a video for Barack Obama, produced by Will.I.Am called "''Yes We Can''".

Performed "America The Beautiful" at WrestleMania XXIV on Sunday March 30, 2008 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

In a 2008 Target commercial performed a piece of his song "Slow Dance" to pitch his new album "available exclusively at Target." The commercial was shown during online streaming episodes of NBC programs.

In 2008 performed several numbers live in front of tens of thousands of fans during the "Welcome to America" July 4 celebration on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, PA.

Performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver in September 2008.

Appeared on ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' on October 31, 2008. He was a member of the panel and performed "If You're Out There" at the end of the show.

Appeared on CNN Heroes 2008, which was taped November 22, 2008, and was televised November 27, 2008.

Appeared to perform the song in duet with Colombian rock singer Juanes during the 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on November 13, 2008. The version they performed was sung mostly in Spanish by both singers, with only a few lines in English.

On Sunday, January 18, 2009, performed at the We Are One:The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, singing James Taylor's "Shower the People" with James Taylor and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.

On Friday, February 13, 2009, he was a guest and performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. John performed his song, "Everybody Knows" from his album, Evolver.

Performed at the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition Launch party at LAX in Las Vegas on February 12, 2009.

Performed at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game halftime show on February 15, 2009.

Performed at the 81st Academy Awards on February 22, 2009, singing "Down to Earth" nominated for Best Original Song.

On an episode of ''The Colbert Report'' which aired March 7, 2008, performed "The Girl Is Mine" with Stephen Colbert. It was a remake of the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney hit. Returned to ''The Colbert Report'' on April 14, 2008, performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Stephen Colbert, opening the show's week in Philadelphia. He later appeared in Colbert's Christmas special ''A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All'', where he performed an ode to nutmeg. His fourth appearance aired September 9, 2010, when he performed a tribute to returning American troops in the second half of the two-part special ''Been There, Won That: The Returnification of the Ameri-Can-Do Troopscape''. He sung "Coming Home" from his 2006 album Once Again.

On Sunday, May 17, 2009, served as commencement speaker for the University of Pennsylvania's 2009 graduation ceremonies. Amy Goodman happened to be in the audience, and she televised the speech the following Tuesday, May 19, 2009 on ''Democracy Now!''.

On June 12, 2009, co-hosted ESPN's ''Mike and Mike in the Morning'' on the ESPN2/ESPN Radio simulcast with Mike Greenberg. He sat in for Mike Golic.

On August 23, 2010, performed at the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant, Evening Gown segment, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On October 27, 2010, performed the American National Anthem for the 2010 World Series opener.

On October 30, 2010, performed at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear with The Roots.

On February 24, 2011, Legend appeared on the season 2 finale of ''Royal Pains''.

Interviewed by host John Jacobsen as the third guest on the first season of PBS television's ''The Artist Toolbox''.

Charitable Endeavors & Philanthropy

On July 7, 2007, he participated in the Live Earth concert in London, performing "Ordinary People". On July 8, 2007, he participated in the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, with India.Arie. On July 11, 2007, he participated in the Jazz Open Festival in Stuttgart, Germany, with Amy Winehouse. On September 21, 2008, he also performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK in conjunction with the Peace One Day concert. He sang "Green Light" and "If You're Out There".

''The Show Me Campaign'', through which his fans are encouraged to donate funds toward improving the living situations and prospects of victims of extreme poverty in Mbola, Tanzania, is another example of Stephens' charitable involvement. In early 2008, he began touring with Professor Jeff Sachs of Columbia University's Earth Institute to promote sustainable development as an achievable goal.

Stephens returned to his hometown of Springfield, Ohio on Christmas Eve 2007 for a "Coming Home Christmas Benefit Concert" in the auditorium of North High School. The performance featured several local talent from Springfield, including Legend's younger brother Vaughn Anthony Stephens, who helped organize the concert. The performance also featured a tribute to Jason Collier, and proceeds went to a scholarship fund set up in his name for local high schoolers.

After reading Professor Jeffrey Sachs' book, ''The End of Poverty'', Stephens was inspired to visit Ghana to learn more about making life better for the people who live under the poverty line. This is when he started his "Show Me Campaign" in 2007. With this campaign, Stephens called on his fans to help him in his initiative for those who reside in Bossaso Village and non-profit organizations that the campaign partners with.

In 2007 Stephens was the spokesman for GQ Magazine's "Gentlemen's Fund", an initiative to raise support and awareness for five cornerstones essential to men: opportunity, health, education, environment, and justice.

In May 2007 he partnered with Tide laundry detergent to raise awareness about the need of families in St. Bernard Parish, (Slidell, LA) one of the most devastated areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. He spent a day folding laundry at the Tide "clean start" mobile laundromat and visited homes which Tide is helping to rebuild in that community.

In October 2007 he became involved with a project sponsored by The Gap, a retail clothing store chain in the United States. Through their "project red campaign" (also called "2 WEEKS"), The Gap's contribution to their global fund from the sale of each (2 WEEKS) t-shirt is equivalent to the average cost of 2 weeks of anti-retroviral medicine in Africa, which enables people living with HIV to lead healthy, normal lives.

In 2009 Stephens gave AIDS Service Center NYC permission to remix his song "If You're Out There" to create a music video promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and testing.

Stephens claims to have contributed a share of the proceeds of some tickets for his August 13, 2009, concert at Madison Square Garden to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Stephens is also the National spokesperson for and has performed benefit concerts for "Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT). MLT is a national non-profit organization that has made ground-breaking progress assisting the next generation of African American, Hispanic and Native American leaders in major corporations, non-profit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures.

On January 22, 2010, he performed "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" on the ''Hope for Haiti Now'' telethon show.

On September 8, 2010, John Legend joined the national board of Teach for America. Legend also sits on the boards of The Education Equality Project and the Harlem Village Academies, and serves as co-chair (with Rupert Murdoch) of the Harlem Village Academies’ National Leadership Board.

On September 9, 2010, he performed "Coming Home" on the Colbert Report as a tribute song for the end of combat operations in Iraq, and for the active troops and the veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

In 2011, he contributed the track "Love I've Never Known" to the Red Hot Organization's most recent album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot+Rio." Proceeds from the album sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.

Endorsements

Stephens is currently a spokesperson for the Baileys line of alcoholic beverages. He also spoke on behalf of The Polka Dotz at Milwaukee's 2008 German Fest.

He performed and spoke at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Barack Obama Presidential campaign in April 2008. He later performed "If You're Out There" from the album ''Evolver'' and a duet of Will.i.am's "Yes We Can" at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Also, he performed a half-hour set list in support of Barack Obama in his hometown of Springfield, as well as at The Ohio State University and Wright State University campuses on September 29, 2008.

Private "Fan Appreciation" Events

On July 26, 2007, Stephens hosted a John Legend Network Members Only Party and Concert called "The Kings & Queens Bash" at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. There were 500 participants in attendance and he introduced the acts from his new label, Homeschool Records to his John Legend Network fans: Estelle, his brother, Vaughn Anthony Stephens, Lucy Woodward and The James Gang. Harmonicist Frederic Yonnet performed as a special guest.

On July 25, 2008, at the Highline Ballroom in New York City, John Legend planned another annual private event for his fans who are members of the John Legend Network called "John Legend Unplugged". Legend performed a 21-song set list, including several songs from his ''Evolver'' album. This allowed John Legend Network members to be the first to hear the new songs. After the party, John greeted each individual on their way out and took pictures with fans.

On February 8, 2011 John Legend performed at Arizona State University's Gammage Auditorium for a Black History Month event presented by the Undergraduate Student Government.

Discography

''Get Lifted'' (2004)

''Once Again'' (2006)

''Evolver'' (2008)

''Wake Up!'' (with The Roots) (2010)

New Album (2012)

Filmography

Television
!Year	!Title	!Role	!Notes
2006	''Sesame Street''	Himself
	''Curb Your Enthusiasm''	Himself/Performer	''Season 6 Finale, 'The Bat Mitzvah'''
	Himself/Performer	''Season 4 Episode 11, 'Wagers of Sin'''
2008	''A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All''	Forest Ranger	''Christmas Special''
2009		Himself	Documentary
2010	Dancing with the Stars	Himself/Performer
2011	''Royal Pains''	Himself/Performer	"Listen to the Music"
Film
!Year	!Title	!Role	!Notes
	''Sesame Street: Elmo Loves You!''	Himself
''Soul Men''	Marcus Hooks

See also

List of awards and nominations received by John Legend

References

External links

Official website

John Legend – The Artists Organization – Management

John Legend in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' October 2010

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12

Category:1978 births Category:African American musicians Category:American actors Category:American baritones Category:American management consultants Category:American pop pianists Category:American rhythm and blues musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:Boston Consulting Group people Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Ohio Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Springfield, Ohio Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni

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name	Tatyana Ali
background	solo_singer
birth name	Tatyana Marisol Ali
alias	Ty, Taty
born	January 24, 1979Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
origin	North Bellmore, New York, U.S.
education	Harvard University
genre	Rhythm and blues, soul, dance-pop
occupation	ActressSingerModel
years active	1985 – present (actress)1997 – present (singer)
label	MJJ/Work/SME Records(1997–2001) |
associated acts	Will Smith, Alfonso Ribeiro, Johnny "J"
website	http://www.tatyanaalionline.com/
past members	}}

Tatyana Marisol Ali (born January 24, 1979) is an American actress and R&B; singer, best known for her role as Ashley Banks in ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''.

Early life

Tatyana Marisol Ali was born in Long Island, New York. Her mother Sonia was a nurse and is of african american and panamanian descent. Her father Sherriff Ali is of indian and trindadian descent. She has two younger sisters, Anastasia and Kimberly.

She attended Grand Avenue Junior High School in Bellmore, New York, Marymount High School in West Los Angeles, California, and The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. In 2002, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science and African American studies from Harvard University.

Career

By the age of six, Ali had begun her acting career. She was a regular child performer on ''Sesame Street'' starting in 1985, even appearing with Herbie Hancock in a musical number. She also appeared on ''Star Search'' two times.

She made her breakthrough when she was cast as Ashley Banks for the television sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' in 1990. She sang on various episodes of the show, including a heavily altered Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and the original song, "Make Up Your Mind" produced by Robert Jerald of N'Spyre Music Productions. Will Smith asked her if she seriously considered pursuing a musical career. Despite her singing ability, she concentrated on her acting career on ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' the next few years.

In the final season of ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' in 1995–1996, Ali began preparing herself for her musical debut. The result was the album ''Kiss The Sky'', which was certified gold in early 1999. The album spawned the hit song "Daydreamin'", produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK Singles Chart.

The album spawned two further UK hits, "Boy You Knock Me Out", featuring Will Smith, which peaked at #3 and is her biggest hit to date; and "Everytime", which was her third top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at #20. She made an appearance in Smith's album ''Willennium'' for the track "Who Am I" with MC Lyte.

Along with her musical career, Tatyana kept acting in many films. She had the chance to work with recognized film directors such as Takeshi Kitano (''Brother''), Rodrigo Garcia (''Mother and Child''), among others.

In 2005, she completed work on the film ''Glory Road'' and starred in the music video for Nick Cannon and Anthony Hamilton's "Can I Live?" as Cannon's mother.

In early 2008, she performed on the song “Yes We Can,” a Will.i.am project supporting Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. She also appeared in the subsequent music video which gained coverage on the "What the Buzz" segment of ABC’s ''World News Now''.

She is currently preparing to release her second album, which she describes as "an independent effort". The album is titled "The Light". Much of the album's production was being handled by famed Tupac Shakur's producer Johnny "J".

She also performed the title song, "Sunny Valentine" along with Terrence Quaites for the indie film, "Rockin' Meera" directed by Param Gill in 2005.

She is also producing and starring in the BET web show, ''Buppies''. She is currently on recurring status on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' as Roxanne.

Ali currently can be seen in the show, ''Love That Girl!'' on TV One. She stars as Tyana (which comes from the last five letters of her name). When asked if the character has any similarities to her, Tatyana said in a recent CaribPress interview, "She's a bit neurotic and I hope I am not quite like that."

Personal life

Ali dated the actor Jonathan Brandis.

Ali traveled the United States as a spokesperson for Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign. Ali headed voter registration drives at college campuses.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1987	''Eddie Murphy Raw''	Eddie's Sister	Sketch Segment
1988	''Crocodile Dundee II''	Park Girl
1988	''Wow, You're a Cartoonist!''	Child Cartoonist	Short filmDirect-to-Video release
1997	''Fakin' da Funk''	Karyn
1997		Janell Cross
1998	''The Clown at Midnight''	Monica
1999		Brenda
2000		Latifa
2001		Cherie Smith
2003	''National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze''	Claire
2004	''Nora's Hair Salon''	Lilleana
2005		Alicia Packer
2005	''Domino One''	Laeticia Richards
2006		Tina Malichi
2006	''A Warm Place''	Clair Andrews	Short film
2007	''The List''	Cynthia
2008	''Down & Out''		Short film
2008	''Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above''	Lilleana
2008		Jessie
2009		Maria
2011	''Love That Girl!''	Tyana
2010	''Privileged''	Talia	''awaiting release''
2010	''Locker 13''	Lucy	''awaiting release''
2010	''The Misguided Adventures of Dating in Hollywood''	Troi	''pre-production''

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1985,1990	''Sesame Street''	Tatyana	4 episodes
1989	''Wally and the Valentines''	Jamaica Valentine	TV-Special
1989	''A Man Called Hawk''	Michelle	Episode: Life After Death
1989	''The Cosby Show''	Girl
1990–1996	''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''	Ashley Banks	148 episodes
1993	''Getting By''	Nicole Alexander	Episode: Turnabout Dance
1994	''Are You Afraid of the Dark?''	Laura Turner/Connie Turner
1994	''TV's Funniest Families''	Host	TV-Special
1995		Ashley Banks	Episode: Dog Catchers
1996	''Living Single''	Stephanie James	Episode: Whatever Happened to Baby Sister?
1996		Rita	TV-Movie
1996	''Fall Into Darkness''	Sharon McKay	TV-Movie
1997	''413 Hope St.''	Kai	Episode: Heartbeat
2002		Shelly	Episode: Girls Own Juice
2003	''Half & Half''	Olivia	Episode: The Big Condom-nation Episode
2007	''On the Lot''	Girl	Episode: 11 Cut to 10 & 10 Directors CompeteSegment: First Sight
2007–2010	''The Young and the Restless''
2010–present	''Love That Girl!''	Tyana Jones	Lead role

Discography

; Albums

1998: ''Kiss the Sky'' (#47 US, #41 UK, Certified Gold)

; Chart Performance

Year	Song	! style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; width: 30px;"	! style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; width: 30px;"	! style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; width: 30px;"	! style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; width: 30px;"	! style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; width: 30px;"	! style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; width: 30px;"	Album
		style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"
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		style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"

Awards and nominations

; NAACP Image Awards

''' 1996: Won, "Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

1997: Nominated, "Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

2010: Nominated, "Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama" – ''The Young and the Restless''

2011: Nominated, "Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series" - ''Love That Girl!''

''' 2011: Won, "Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama" – ''The Young and the Restless''

; Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

1996: Nominated, "Favorite Television Actress" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

; Young Artist Award

''' 1991: Won, "Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Series" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

1992: Nominated, "Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

1993: Nominated, "Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

1994: Nominated, "Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

1995: Nominated, "Outstanding Young Comedienne in a Television Series" – ''Name Your Adventure"

; YoungStar Award

''' 1997: Won, "Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series" – ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

; Caribbean Heritage Organization

2011: Recipient, Living Legacy Award

References

External links

Category:1979 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American people of Indian descent Category:American people of Panamanian descent Category:American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American singers Category:American television actors Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Long Island

de:Tatyana Ali es:Tatyana Ali fr:Tatyana Ali hr:Tatyana Ali it:Tatyana Ali sw:Tatyana Ali nl:Tatyana Ali pt:Tatyana Ali simple:Tatyana Ali fi:Tatyana Ali