John Legend Sings Background Vocals on Hit Songs by Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, and More
John Legend is only in his early 40s, but he has already solidified his legacy through superb vocals and impactful music. Recent years have seen the singer-songwriter branch out into other endeavors, including entrepreneurial ventures. Still, the EGOT winner (the first African American man to accomplish the feat) remains best known for his impact on the music industry. It’s interesting to delve into his discography and discover that John Legend has done backup vocals for other well-known artists.
How did John Legend’s career begin?
John Legend (born John Stephens on Dec. 28, 1978, in Ohio) was always interested in music and got his early start singing in the church choir. He was headed for an entirely different career after college when he went to Boston to work for a consulting group, Biography reports. Still, he couldn’t quit his passion, performing in New York City nightclubs.
That’s how he connected with other music artists, notably Kanye West, who was on his own impressive rise to fame. The two collaborated on each other’s demos, mixing their distinctive styles to create a sound that drew more attention.
Performing as “John Legend,” the singer released his first album, Get Lifted, in 2004. It went platinum, helped largely by the track “Ordinary People,” which he had initially penned for the Black Eyed Peas.
Since then, Legend’s rise to music fame has been, well, legendary.
You can hear John Legend in early backup vocals
John Legend’s voice is one of the world’s most recognizable, but many fans are unaware of all the places they’ve heard his work. That’s because his early days included performing backup vocals and piano for hit songs that didn’t necessarily give him much recognition.
One of those hits is Lauryn Hill’s “Everything Is Everything.” Sharp-eared listeners can pick up Legend’s work in the accompanying piano for the track, recorded in 1998 — years before Legend got his big break.
Other hits that feature his talents are Jay-Z’s “Encore,” Slum Village’s “Selfish,” and Estelle’s “American Boy.”
What else has the singer-songwriter done lately?
John Legend is not one to rest on his laurels. Each phase of his career seems to stretch into other areas of entertainment.
Although Legend’s releases rarely top the charts, he’s made a huge splash with his time on the reality competition show The Voice. He has recently departed as a judge, but he kept the door open for a return. He cited his growing family and touring plans as a reason to take a break.
Meanwhile, he has continued to release a steady stream of new music. According to AllMusic, Legend released the album Bigger Love in 2020 and followed it with Legend in 2022. In an appropriate full-circle moment, his latest album abounds with collaborators, including Jada Kingdom, Rapsody, Rick Ross, and Saweetie.
Legend’s collaborative spirit and presence on The Voice resonate with a respect for music and those who create it. Because he got his start performing backup for bigger stars, it seems appropriate that Legend now uses his connections to continue building musical relationships and coaching up-and-comers on The Voice as a way to connect back to his early musical roots.
