Springfield, Ohio — Grammy-winning North High grad John Legend will sing the praises of Sen. Barack Obama Monday, Sept. 29, in Veterans Park.

The homegrown soul sensation will give a short performance and talk up the Democratic presidential nominee at noon, rain or shine, a local party official confirmed Thursday.

Admission is free.

In picking Vets Park, local Democrats know what they're getting into.

"I hope there's thousands," said Ron Rhine, chairman of the Clark County Democratic Party. "I'm sure there will be."

Even with the short notice, don't doubt the man.

The last time the former John Stephens showed up for free in Veterans Park — in 2005 as part of the Summer Arts Festival — crowd counts ranged from 15,000 to 20,000.

Either way, it was a lot.

For local Democrats, bringing Legend back to his hometown was a no-brainer.

"It all fell together," Rhine said. "We knew John Legend supported Obama loud and clear."

No candidates are slated to appear with Legend, Rhine said.

Legend, who releases his third album, "Evolver," on Oct. 28, will make the most of his trip back. After the local event, he'll hit the Apollo Room of Wright State University's student union in Fairborn at 2:30 p.m. Monday.

A university spokeswoman said he'll be speaking about early voting. Admission there is free, too.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.