Vol. 5, No. 7, July 2008
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Legend of the Summer
John Legend will appear at Borgata Music Box on Sunday, July 6. Tickets are $65, $75 and $85.
When he was still a teenager, piano prodigy John Legend got his big break—though no one could have guessed how big it would become.
Emerging songstress Lauryn Hill of Fugees fame asked Legend to play piano on a little song called “Everything Is Everything.”
The song turned up on Hill’s debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which reached stratospheric heights of success. Legend’s guest spot landed him work with Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys and producer-turned-rapper-turned-mentor Kanye West.
West eventually signed Legend to a record deal in 2004, and his debut album, Get Lifted, netted him a Best New Artist Grammy. The CD’s lead single, “Ordinary People,” is a soaring soul song that epitomizes Legend’s old-school influences and marks his own unique sound.
His second studio album, Once Again, was released in 2006 to critical acclaim. Legend has also released a trio of live albums. Though he’s a throwback to true R&B stars like Curtis Mayfield and Bill Withers, Legend manages to blend his soul roots with contemporary artistry, ensuring that this Legend is certain to endure.
