VIDEO: Springfield Native John Legend plays online acoustic performance at home

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Many musicians are live streaming performances to raise money, awareness and help people who may be feeling lonely. CBS This Morning’s Anthony Mason talked with Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony-award winner John Legend after he played an acoustic set on social media Tuesday.

For nearly an hour, John Legend sat at his home piano singing and soothing his fans with a free concert broadcast live on Instagram.

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Legend was joined by his wife, a casual Chrissy Teigen and 3-year-old daughter, Luna.

Mason said to Legend, “You brought Chrissy and Luna in as backup.” Legend replied, “Absolutely! Chrissy, I think was the highlight of the whole thing. I sang.

The 11-time Grammy winner, like so many others right now, is stuck at home because of social-distancing and self-quarantines.

Mason asked, “How are you all coping at home?” Legend replied, “You know, we’re just one day at a time, trying to figure it out, trying to keep the kids entertained and occupied.”

“Is this disrupting your life much yet?” Mason asked. “The kind of definition of what entertainers do when it comes to appearing places is playing or performing in front of large groups of people. And, so all of those things are cancelled,” Legend replied.

Which is one reason that Legend and Coldplay’s Chris Martin are livestreaming performances to fans.

They are also raising awareness for Coronavirus relief through the World Health Organization and Global Citizen.

Legend said he called upon the Simon and Garfunkel class Bridge Over Troubled Water to remind us all how we can find comfort in each other when “Times get rough.”

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“We listed some food banks and other organizations that people could help. A lot of folks will be struggling in the next few months at least. So, we need to be mindful of all those people. And, most people don’t have a large cushion to handle the loss of work for months at a time. So, I think we all need to come together as a society, as a community, as a nation, as a globe to support those people,” Legend said.

More than 100,000 people watched Legend’s performance on social media.

Legend said, “That was pretty cool. The message we’re trying to get out to people is one – as much as you can stay home and stay away from physical contact with other people. And then, secondly, if you have the means to help support other people that are going through a tougher time than you are, then try to do so.”

Legend and Teigen also reminded people not to forget their mental health.

Teigen said, “Don’t transfer anger and your madness and isolation to other people. I suggest you get a stress ball or a punching bag.”

“Or mental health resources online too. So, if you are having issues with that, take care of yourself today,” Legend said.

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During the live event on social media, Legend teased plans to release new music.

He said, “Just so you guys know I am going to put out a new album this year.” Teigen then commented, “Oh my God, thank God John.”

Legend has a new single coming out Friday. He teased that Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, Miguel and Charlie Puth would all be doing free live-stream concerts this week. CBS News also found out that Garth Brooks and the Indigo Girls have promised to do something similar as well.

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