Beginning may refer to:

• "Beginning", a song by Kotipelto
• Beginning, an album by Pakho Chau

See also[link]

• Cosmogony, any theory concerning the coming into existence or origin of the universe
• Beginnings (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

Richard Marx
Richard Marx in Germany (2005)
Background information
Birth name	Richard Noel Marx [1]
Born	(1963-09-16) September 16, 1963 (age 48)[1] Chicago, IL, United States[1]
Genres	Pop, soft rock, rock, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, organ, piano, guitar
Years active	1982 - present
Labels	Capitol Records, EMI, Manhattan Records, Signal 21 Records, Zanzibar Records, Frontiers Records, Xenon Records
Associated acts	Dick Marx, Matt Scannell, Luther Vandross, Keith Urban
Website	Official website

Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and 1990s, including "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", "Now and Forever", and "Hazard". Although most of his major hit songs were slow ballads, many of his songs had a classic rock style, such as "Don't Mean Nothing", "Should've Known Better," "Satisfied," and "Too Late To Say Goodbye". Marx placed himself in the record books by being the first solo artist to have his first seven singles hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4). His record sales worldwide exceed 30 million.^[2] Aside from songs that he's written and recorded for himself, he has written, co-written, and produced successful tracks for other artists such as "This I Promise You" by NSYNC and "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross. The latter song won several Grammy Awards.^[3] His 14th and latest chart topper, "Long Hot Summer," performed by Keith Urban, gave Marx the distinction of having a song he wrote or co-write top the charts in four different decades.^[4]

Early life[link]

Marx is the only child of Ruth, a former singer, and Dick Marx, a jazz musician and founder of a successful jingle company in the early 1960s. He has three half-siblings from his father's previous marriage.^[5]

Early career[link]

Marx began his career in music at the age of 5, singing commercial jingles written by his father, Dick Marx's list of adverstising hits includes Arm & Hammer. Ken-L Ration^[6] and Nestlé Crunch.

Marx was 17 and living in Highland Park, Illinois when a tape of his songs ended up in the hands of Lionel Richie. Richie said he thought Marx had the talent to make it big, saying "I can't promise you anything, but you should come to L.A." ^[7] So after graduating from North Shore Country Day School, Marx moved to Los Angeles and visited Richie. "He was recording his first solo album (Lionel Richie) and having trouble with the background vocal," Marx recalls. "He tells me, ‘Come try this part.’ It worked and I ended up singing on his album." Marx contributed backing vocals to Richie’s hit "You Are", as well as "Running with the Night" and "All Night Long (All Night)", both on Richie's follow-up album Can't Slow Down.

In those early years, Marx would find any excuse possible to work within the recording industry. His enthusiasm and presence in the studio landed him several jobs as a background singer for artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross, and, eventually, as a songwriter. Marx also had a minor acting role in the television movie Coach Of The Year, which starred Robert Conrad. He was singing for Kenny Rogers in 1984 when he overheard Rogers say he needed a new song. Within days, Marx gave him the demo of "Crazy." Rogers recorded it, along with another of Marx’s songs, "What About Me?", which also featured James Ingram and Kim Carnes. The trio recording hit #1 Adult Contemporary and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 (while just scraping onto the Country and R&B charts) in late 1984 while "Crazy" hit #1 Country and #5 AC the following year. Soon after, Marx began working with producer David Foster and writing songs for the group Chicago and R&B singer Freddie Jackson.

While working as a songwriter and doing background vocals, Marx continued to pursue his own record deal. His demo tape was rejected by every label in Hollywood until, finally, four years after moving to Los Angeles, the president of EMI/Manhattan Records, Bruce Lundvall, heard Marx's demo and knew he had a star on his hands. He gave Marx a recording contract with the opportunity to write and record whatever he wanted. Marx contacted his good friend Fee Waybill, frontman of The Tubes, and some very talented musicians, including Joe Walsh, and Randy Meisner of the Eagles, and created a ten-track album that led to a very successful career.

Music career[link]

Debut album[link]

Marx's self-titled debut album, released in June 1987, yielded four hit singles and sold nearly four million copies in the US. The debut single, "Don't Mean Nothing", had been released the previous month and climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #1 on Billboard's Album Rock charts.^{[citation needed]} Marx became the first new artist played on 117 radio stations nationwide during his initial week on the charts. The next two singles, "Should’ve Known Better" and "Endless Summer Nights" reached #3 and #2, respectively.^{[citation needed]} The fourth single release, "Hold on to the Nights", earned Marx his first #1 Pop single.

With the success of his self-titled album, Marx became the first male artist to reach the Top 3 with four singles from a debut album. He embarked on his first world tour, initially opening for REO Speedwagon, but quickly began headlining his own shows. Marx's first tour kept him on the road for 14 months while the album remained on the charts for more than a year and a half.

In 1988, Marx was nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Rock Vocal Performance - Male' for "Don’t Mean Nothing" ^[8]

[edit] Repeat Offender

Repeat Offender, Marx’s second release (May 1989), hit pole position and pushed Prince out of the #1 spot on Billboard's Album chart. It went triple platinum within a few months and eventually sold over 5 million US copies. Repeat Offender was the result of the energy generated from over a year and a half on the road and was written or co-written entirely by Marx. "Some people might think that it would be easier this time around, that I could just kick back." Marx said at the time, "but the truth is, it’s harder, I’ve got more to prove."

The first two singles, "Satisfied" and the platinum-selling "Right Here Waiting," both reached #1, completing a string of three consecutive No. 1 singles. When the third single from Repeat Offender, "Angelia" climbed to #4, Marx became the first solo artist to reach the Top 5 with his first seven singles. Since then, "Right Here Waiting" has been covered numerous times, most notably by Monica and 112 in a 1998 duet.

Another song from the album, "Children of the Night", was written in support of the suburban Los Angeles (Van Nuys)-based organization for runaways. It became the fifth single from Repeat Offender, and all royalties were donated to the charity.

Marx's second world tour began in the spring of 1989 and took him to Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Europe, Canada, and the United States, lasting through August 1990. Highlights of that tour included a performance in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London and an invitation from Tina Turner to tour Germany.

Marx also had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform the Beatles’ "Help" at the Berlin Wall in late 1989. Marx also received his second Grammy nomination in 1990 for "Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male" for "Right Here Waiting".^[9]

[edit] Rush Street

Marx went on to release a number of other albums. In 1991 he released his third consecutive multi-platinum album Rush Street. This album saw artists such as Luther Vandross and Billy Joel appear as backing vocalists and guest pianists. The disc's first single, "Keep Coming Back", went to #12 pop as well as #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 4 weeks running. "Hazard", which depicted a man being wrongfully accused of murder in a fictional version of Hazard, Nebraska, went #1 in charts around the world. Two more Top 10 singles were culled from Rush Street with "Take This Heart" (AC #4, Hot 100 #20) and "Chains Around My Heart" (AC #9, Hot 100 #44).^{[citation needed]} In August 2001 Marx admitted that the track "Superstar," from the Rush Street album was about pop star Madonna.^[10]

[edit] Paid Vacation

In early 1994, as Marx and his family permanently left Los Angeles behind and returned to Chicago, Marx released Paid Vacation, and scored his fourth consecutive platinum album. The acoustic ballad "Now and Forever" peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 and spent 11 weeks in the Top 10 (also #12 in the UK) and also held the #1 position on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts for 11 weeks - at the time just one week short of the all-time record. The follow-up single, "The Way She Loves Me," climbed to #3 on the US AC chart and #20 on the Pop charts.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Flesh and Bone

1997 saw the release of Flesh and Bone - Marx's final studio album on the Capitol imprint. This album sold 250,000 copies in the United States. "Until I Find You Again" hit #1 in several countries and #3 in the US.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Greatest Hits

Marx's Greatest Hits compilation was released in November 1997. The 16-track album includes a variety of hit singles from his first five albums plus "Angel’s Lullaby," a song written about his children originally appearing on For Our Children, Too, a compilation CD released in 1996 to benefit the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Greatest Hits was released in Asia in November 1998 and included two new songs, "Slipping Away" and "Thanks To You," a touching tribute to his mother. Marx’s dedication and support of numerous charities has continued throughout his career.

[edit] Days in Avalon

In 2000, Marx debuted his sixth studio album Days in Avalon. This disc was released on the Signal 21 Records label founded by Marx and former Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer and record producer Bobby Colomby. Its title track, "Days in Avalon", was picked up by Adult Contemporary radio and spent 12 weeks in the chart's Top 30.^{[citation needed]} The album was also quite successful in other parts of the world, particularly Asia and Australia. The label became the vehicle for the release of this disc, and folded shortly thereafter.

[edit] My Own Best Enemy

After signing a new deal with his former label, Manhattan Records, Marx released the 2004 album My Own Best Enemy. It featured the two hit singles "When You're Gone" and "Ready to Fly."

[edit] Duo

In 2008, Marx released Duo with Vertical Horizon's lead singer Matt Scannell. This album features select acoustic versions of Marx and Vertical Horizon's hits, plus one they co-wrote and recorded together, "Always on Your Mind." This disc was not released under any label. It was available through Marx's website, and at concerts featuring Marx and Scannell together.

[edit] Emotional Remains and Sundown

On October 31, 2008, "Emotional Remains" and "Sundown" were released via digital download on Marx's official site. Marx composed the track "Through My Veins" in tribute to his late father, jazz musician and jingle writer Dick Marx, who died in 1997. The track appears on the Emotional Remains disc.

[edit] Stories to Tell

In March 2010, Stories To Tell was released during Marx's solo acoustic concerts. It is his first acoustic album, which featured several songs from several of his previous albums. In November 2010, "Stories to Tell" album was released in Europe supporting Richard Marx's European tour. The European release featured all the songs from the March release and new studio recordings of songs Richard has written with or for other artists, like Josh Groban and Keith Urban. On May 3, 2011, the reissue of Stories to Tell was released in the United States as a three-disc set exclusively through Walmart, which included a best of disc, an acoustic disc of tracks, and a DVD of a live concert performance at the Shepherd's Bush venue in England. The album is also available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon, but without the bonus DVD and album booklet. Everybody was released as a single in Europe and When You Loved Me was released in the US, peaking at #15 on the Adult Contemporary chart.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Christmas EP

On November 1, 2011, Marx released The Christmas EP, a five song collection of Christmas songs. "Christmas Spirit," written by Marx and Fee Waybill, was the first single released for radio airplay. Marx plans to record an additional seven tracks to this collection for a full-scale album release at Christmas 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Collaborations[link]

• 1993 – Marx played piano on John Farnham's 1993 song "The Reason Why."

• 1997 – Marx recorded "At the Beginning" with Donna Lewis for the 1997 film Anastasia.

• 1999 – In 1999 Marx built "Renegade Studios," a state of the art recording facility located in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Artists such as Philip Sayce, Keith Urban, and Emerson Drive have recorded material at this location.

• 2004 – At the 46th Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004, Marx won a Grammy for Song of the Year for "Dance with My Father," which he wrote with Luther Vandross. On that same night, he played the piano accompanying Celine Dion in performing "Dance With My Father," since Vandross was not present at the ceremony for health reasons.

• 2006 – During Summer 2006, Marx toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Other members of that year's All-Starr Band included Edgar Winter, Sheila E, and Billy Squier.

• 2006 – Marx appeared on the Fox network's TV show "Celebrity Duets" (September 2006). Other singers to take part in the series included Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Loggins, Patti LaBelle, Randy Travis, Jesse McCartney, and Gladys Knight.

• 2007 – In 2007 Marx released a new ballad titled "Your Goodbye" and a new version of his classic love song "Hold On To The Nights" on a Phil Ramone compilation production called New Music From An Old Friend. This compilation was released on the Target label Spotlight.

Musical influences / favorite artists[link]

In addition to his parents, Marx names recording artists like Sam Cooke and Elvis Presley as his biggest musical influences, along with Donny Hathaway, Steven Tyler, Elton John, Kenny Loggins, Peter Gabriel, Daniel Lanois, Annie Lennox, U2, Dave Grusin, and includes John Farnham, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, The Eagles, Luther Vandross, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Gladys Knight in his list of favorites.^[11]

2008-2011[link]

• On June 12, 2008 Marx was part of a PBS television series called "Songwriters In The Round Presents: Legends & Lyrics." In Episode 102 of the first season, Marx appears along with Kenny Loggins, Nathan Lee^{[disambiguation needed ]}, and rock band Three Doors Down. The musical performance has recently^[when?] been released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc through the Legends and Lyrics website. This episode also features an interview with singer/songwriter Diane Warren.^[12][13][14]
• On 6 December 2008 Marx headlined a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis research, "Newsapalooza," sponsored by WLS-AM's Roe Conn program, in which Marx both performed several of his hits with his band and accompanied Chicago broadcast news reporters and anchors covering rock hits.^[15]
• On an interview published in Rolling Stone on June 26, 2009, Marx said he was "ashamed" of being linked to a $1.92 million fine against single mother Jammie Thomas-Rasset by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Rasset had shared 24 songs on the file-sharing website Kazaa in 2005. Marx's "Now and Forever" was one of them.^[16]
• Marx played piano on the song "Here" and produced Matt Scannell's vocals on two tracks for Vertical Horizon's latest album Burning the Days.^[17]
• Richard Marx appeared on a YouTube video "ASK KevJumba 2", singing along with YouTube star KevJumba.^[18]
• On March 27, 2011, Marx sang the National Anthem at the NASCAR race, the 2011 Auto Club 400.
• On May 3, 2011 Richard Marx was invited on stage at the Curran Theater, San Francisco, by Hugh Jackman. It was opening night of Hugh Jackman In Performance. When introducing the mystery guest Hugh Jackman said that the person was instrumental in helping him put the show together and rehearse. That he had been on at least 4 occasions in this person's living room practicing. The mystery guest was revealed to be Richard Marx. They then sang "Right Here Waiting" together with Marx changing the lyrics on the last chorus to "Right here waiting for Hugh".
• In summer 2011, Marx collaborated with comedy internet giants, Rhett and Link, producing a celebrity endorsement for a colon cleansing spa in Sacramento, CA. The ad spot and its "making of" was featured on an episode of Rhett and Link's series on IFC.^[19]

Personal life[link]

On January 8, 1989, Marx married the singer/dancer/actress Cynthia Rhodes.^[1] Rhodes acted and sang in Staying Alive (1982), Flashdance (1983), and most notably in the 1987 blockbuster Dirty Dancing, as well as appearing as the female lead in Marx's first video, "Don't Mean Nothing". Rhodes also briefly sang lead for the second incarnation of the synth-pop band Animotion in the late 1980s. The couple have three sons—Brandon (born 1990), Lucas (born 1992), and Jesse (born 1994)—and reside in Lake Bluff, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Official

• RichardMarx.com (Official Site)
• Official Richard Marx page at MySpace
• Official Richard Marx page at Facebook
• Official Richard Marx page on Twitter
• Richard Marx page at VH1
• Richard Marx Music Page at Yahoo!
• Richard Marx at the Internet Movie Database

Donna Lewis
Background information
Born	(1973-08-06) 6 August 1973 (age 38) Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Genres	Pop, adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboard
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Atlantic, Peruzzi
Website	www.donnalewis.com

Donna Lewis (born 6 August 1973) is a Welsh singer-songwriter and record producer, best known for the 1996 pop hit single "I Love You Always Forever", and the adult contemporary chart-topper "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx. After releasing her second album Blue Planet, Lewis left Atlantic Records and independently released albums Be Still and In the Pink. Lewis is working on her next album, and performing with her side project, Chute.

Biography[link]

At the age of six, Lewis began playing the piano.^[1] Her father, a jazz pianist lent encouragement, and while still a teenager, she began composing original songs.^[1] Her formal training was at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, where she majored in classical composition for piano and flute.^[1] Lewis then went on to teach music for a year in Sussex before moving to Birmingham to sing in a bar band.^[1] During that time she set up a home studio ^[1][2] and began recording demos. Before long she became a popular live attraction and circa 1993 began sending her demos to record labels.^[1]

The U.S. based Atlantic Records took an interest in Lewis and subsequently released her first single, "I Love You Always Forever", a love song which went on to become a major hit on VH1.^[1] It was also successful on U.S. radio, staying at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100^[3] for nine consecutive weeks,^[3] and spending 13 consecutive weeks at #1 on the airplay chart.^[3] It exceeded one million "spins" on radio, to claim its place in music industry history as the most-played single up to that point, until Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" broke the record two years later.^{[citation needed]} The single reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1996, and spent 14 weeks in the chart. It helped her debut album, Now in a Minute, to #6 in the U.S. Billboard 200^[4] chart, and #52 in the UK Albums Chart.It was certified platinum in the U.S.^[5]

In 1997 Lewis appeared as herself in the Season 7 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, "The Phantom of CU".

Lewis recorded "At the Beginning" with Richard Marx for the 1997 film Anastasia. Her second LP, Blue Planet (1998), won critical acclaim, but it was largely overlooked by the public. Although it produced a minor hit in continental Europe and Asia, "I Could Be the One", and a U.S. #1 dance single, "Love Him", Lewis parted ways with Atlantic Records^[2] and independently produced her third LP, Be Still (2002), which featured her on an almost entirely acoustic set. During the early 2000s Lewis was featured as a guest vocalist on several trance music/house music recordings. Her fourth LP, In the Pink, was released in 2008; its first single was "Shout," which was included in the soundtrack to the Marian Quinn film 32A. Lewis also sang lead vocals for her side project, Chute. which released their debut EP in April 2010. She is working on her next studio album, and an EP with Ryan Farish.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

Featured singles[link]

Collaborations[link]

• The Seduction of Claude Debussy - Art of Noise [guest vocalist] (2000)
• Take Me Over - Dino Lenny [guest vocalist] (2001)
• When the Rain Comes Down - [guest vocalist] (2001)
• Dancing Angel - Ryan Farish [guest vocalist] (2010)
• Chute (EP) - [lead singer] (2010)

See also[link]

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Donna Lewis on Myspace
• Donna Lewis at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography from BBC Wales
• Donna Lewis on Discogs.com
• People Magazine feature on Donna Lewis

John Legend
John Legend, 2010
Background information
Birth name	John Roger Stephens
Born	(1978-12-28) December 28, 1978 (age 33)
Origin	Springfield, Ohio, United States
Genres	R&B, hip hop soul, soul, neo soul, jazz fusion
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actor
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	2001–present
Labels	GOOD, Sony Music
Associated acts	Kanye West, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots
Website	johnlegend.com

John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has won nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.^[1]

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 Kanye West's All of the Lights, 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."

Career and life[link]

1978–2003: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Stephens was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio.^[2] He is the son of Phyllis, a seamstress, and John Mills, a factory worker and former National Guardsman.^[3][4] Throughout his childhood, Stephens was homeschooled on and off by his mother.^[5] 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.^[4] At the age of 12, Stephens attended North High School, from which he graduated four years later.^[6] He graduated salutatorian.

According to Stephens, he was offered scholarships to Harvard University, Georgetown University and Morehouse College.^[7] He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied English with an emphasis on African American literature.^[8] 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" received critical acclaim^[9] 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.^[7]

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.^[6] During this time, he began working on his demo and began sending his work to various record labels.^[5][10] 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".^[7][11] 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".

[edit] 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.^[12] It went on to sell 2.1 million copies in the United States and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.^[13][14] It has sold three million copies worldwide.^[7] The album produced two singles: "Ordinary People" (US and UK top 30) went straight to number four and "Used to Love U" (US top 100, UK top 30).^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 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^{[citation needed]}.

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.^[15] He also performed during the pregame show of Super Bowl XL in Detroit and the halftime show at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.^[16][17]

[edit] 2008–2010: Evolver

John Legend interviewed on the Red Carpet during the Toronto International Film Festival, 2008.

Stephens released his third studio album Evolver, in October 2008.^[18] 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".^[19] The next single from Evolver was confirmed as "Everybody Knows".^[20]

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'."^[21]

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”.^[22]

[edit] 2010: Wake Up!

John Legend and The Roots teamed up to record a collaborative album,^[23] Wake Up!, which was released on September 21, 2010.^[24] 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.^[25][26] "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, Duets TV Show and working on new album[link]

Summer 2011, Legend completed 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".^[27]. Legend was granted an Honorary Doctorate Degree from <<Howard University>> at the 144th Commencement Exercises on Saturday May 12, 2012.^[28]

Legend is currently a judge on the ABC music show Duets along with Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Thicke. Legend's spot was originally for Lionel Richie but Richie had to leave the show due to a scheduling conflict. Duets debuted on Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 8/7c.^[29].

Plagiarism lawsuit[link]

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."^[30] Stokes claims he gave Legend a demo of the song in 2004 following a concert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[31] 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."^[32] Nearly 60,000 people took a TMZ.com poll that compared the two songs and 65% of voters believed that Legend's "Maxine's Interlude" is a rip-off of Stokes' "Where Are You Now."^[33]

Collaborations[link]

• In 2005 he was featured in the Fort Minor song "High Road".
• In 2006 he 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 they agreed the song fitted better sung by J.Legend 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.^[34]
• 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.^[35]
• 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.
• Sang a duet with jazz singer Cassandra Wilson "Watch the Sunrise" co-written by Legend on her 2010 album Silver Pony.
• Collaborated with Mariah Carey in 2011 on a duet version of her holiday track "When Christmas Comes" from her 2010 album, Merry Christmas II You.
• Collaborated with Tiziano Ferro on the track "Karma" from Tiziano Ferro album, L'amore è una cosa semplice.

Music videos and acting career[link]

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 Alice Braga 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[link]

Television appearances and commercials[link]

• Performed "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch at the 2006 Major League Baseball All Star Game in Pittsburgh, PA.^[36]

• 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".^[37]

• Performed "America The Beautiful" at WrestleMania XXIV on Sunday March 30, 2008 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.^[38]

• 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.^[39][40]
• 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!.^[41]

• 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.

• On May 20, 2012, Legend and Jordin Sparks performed a tribute to Whitney Houston at the Billboard Music Award 2012

Charitable endeavors and philanthropy[link]

Legend performs during the first night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

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 google ,^[42] 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.^[43]

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^[where?] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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^{[clarification needed]} 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.^[44]

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.^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

On January 22, 2010, he performed "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" on the Hope for Haiti Now telethon show.^[45]

On September 8, 2010, John Legend joined the national board of Teach For America.^[46] 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.^[47]

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.

On March 6, 2012, John Legend was appointed by the World Economic Forum to the Forum of Young Global Leaders.^[48]

Endorsements[link]

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.^[49] 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.

"Fan Appreciation" events[link]

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,^[50] 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, Legend greeted each individual on their way out and took pictures with fans.

On February 8, 2011, Legend performed and spoke at Arizona State University's Gammage Auditorium in Tempe, Arizona for a Black History Month event presented by the Undergraduate Student Government of ASU.^[51]

Discography[link]

• Get Lifted (2004)
• Once Again (2006)
• Evolver (2008)
• TBA (2012)

Collaborations

• Wake Up! (with The Roots) (2010)
• Cruel Summer (with G.O.O.D. Music) (2012)

Personal life[link]

On December 27, 2011, Legend's rep announced he was engaged to model Chrissy Teigen while vacationing in the Maldives after dating for 4 years. Teigen has been featured in Deal or No Deal and in Sports Illustrated.^[52][53]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of awards and nominations received by John Legend

References[link]