Following his graduation in 1999, Legend began writing, producing and recording his own music until he was introduced to hip-hop artist Kanye West, who was gaining popularity at the time. After being hired by West to sing on some of his tracks and signing to the artist’s label, Legend changed to his current stage name after poet J. Ivy created the moniker, stating that Legend’s music reminded him of “music from the old school” and that he sounded like “one of the legends.”
In 2016, Legend helped raise $500,000 to donate to the Springfield school district to renovate the auditorium that now bears his name. He now resides in New York City with his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, and their daughter, Luna.
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