Springfield native John Legend named Variety’s Musical Mogul of the Year

In Variety’s recent publication John Legend was named the Musical Mogul of the Year for his impact and success in the music industry.

Variety, an entertainment business news publication, interviewed Legend about his latest album, “Bigger Love” and his career.

He told Variety that part of his latest album is about resilience. He explained that he did not know what would be happening in the world when it was released, but wanted to show that love can help during hard times.

‘Bigger Love’ was released during the coronavirus pandemic and two weeks before George Floyd was killed while in the custody of Minneapolis Police.

Variety explained that Legend is an advocate for social and racial justice, a collaborator, a film and television producer, a husband, and a father.

The magazine referenced a Martin Luther King Jr. birthday essay that Legend wrote for the Dayton Daily News when he was 14 explaining how he planned to make an impact on Black history.

“I plan to use my social skills and my musical talents to be a positive role model for my fellow African Americans. I envision a successful musical career that will allow me to obtain high visibility in the community. This, in turn, will put me in a position of great influence, which I will utilize in order to be an advocate for the advancement of Blacks in America,” Legend wrote.

He told Variety that he has been trying to do that throughout his career.

Legend is the first African-American man to be an EGOT winner. He has won all four awards in the entertainment industry - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

In 2016, Legend helped raise $500,000 to donate to the Springfield City School District to renovate the auditorium that now bears his name.

Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen have two children, Luna and Miles.

Tomorrow, a music video featuring his wife, will be released for “Wild,” one of the songs from his latest album.

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