John Legend is an American singer and songwriter. He was born John Roger Stephens on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio, United States. Legend began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hills "Everything Is Everything," and making uncredited guest appearances on Jay-Zs "Encore" and Alicia Keyss "You Dont Know My Name". He has won several awards, including an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, making him the first African American man to win all four major North American entertainment awards (EGOT) .