John Legend

John Legend's debut album, Get Lifted, mixed classic R&B grooves with modern hip-hop sounds (and artists) and was one of 2005's top albums, ending the year with a Grammy for Best R&B Album. Legend's career began while he was still a college student in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he was picked to play on Lauryn Hill's "Everything is Everything" (1998). After finishing school he began playing clubs on the east coast of the United States, gaining an audience and getting the notice of recording artists and producers as an accomplished studio musician. His session work in the late '90s and early '00s included guest spots with several top recording acts, but it was Kanye West who helped Legend leap into the spotlight and a deal with Columbia Records. Legend, a piano player and singer who has also worked with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, chose from the more than three dozen songs he'd been performing in clubs to put together Get Lifted, and by the end of 2005 the album had produced hit songs including "Used to Love U" and Song of the Year nominee "Ordinary People." His next release, Once Again (2006), included the singles "Save Room" and "Heaven," and then Legend turned his focus to writing songs for the likes of Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson and Aretha Franklin.

From Discogs:

Born in Springfield, Ohio, John is a multi-talented musician who later moved to Philadelphia, attending the Univ. of Pennsylvania. Before diving into a full-time career in the music biz, he was music/choir director for nine years at the Philly-area's Bethel A.M.E. Church. His influences stem from classic soul and gospel legends, creating his own style. He learned to play piano at an early age. He has made appearances on many R&B/hip-hop records from the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Eve, Lauryn Hill, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, and Alicia Keys, among many others. John has been performing for a long time; since 2000, he started performing more amd more. It wasn't until he met Chicago's rising star, Kanye West, when people in the music industry started to take notice.December 28, 2004 is the U.S. release date of his debut CD for Sony Urban, "Get Lifted", with production from BEP's Will.I.Am, his long-time associates, Dave Tozer & Devo Harris, and, naturally, Kanye West, who is behind the boards for his debut single, "Used To Love U".

From Lastfm:

John Stephens (born December 28, 1978 in Springfield, Ohio), better known as John Legend, is a Grammy award winning R&B singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and actor signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label. Prior to the release of his debut album Get Lifted in 2004, Legend's career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with multiple established artists such as Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. He released his second album, Once Again in 2006, and his latest release, 2008's Evolver showcased a more experimental and upbeat side of Legend. He is the recipient of six Grammy Awards, and in 2007 he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Legend also played the piano on Lauryn Hill's 1998 song "Everything is Everything" and sang background vocals on Jay-Z's "Encore" and Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name". Legend frequently cites gospel, R&B, and hip hop music as his main musical influences.

Legend released his critically acclaimed and Billboard Top Ten second album, Once Again, in October 2006. Produced by Raphael Saadiq, Kanye West and will.i.am, it is again a mixture of gospel and classic soul showcasing his extraordinary voice, particularly on "Show Me".

Grammy Award Wins:

*2005 Best New Artist

*2005 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Ordinary People"

*2005 Best R&B Album- Get Lifted

*2007 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Heaven

*2007 Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Family Affair

Neo-soul singer and pianist John Legend combined the raw fervor of contemporaries Cody ChesnuTT and the burning precision of D'Angelo. Born John Stephens, Legend was a child prodigy who grew up in Ohio, where he began singing gospel and playing piano at the tender age of five. Legend left Ohio at 16 to attend college in Philadelphia, and it was there that he first found a larger audience. Not yet out of his teens, Legend was tapped to play piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything" in 1998. After completing college, he moved to New York, where he began to build a loyal following playing in nightclubs and releasing CDs that he would sell at shows. He also became an in-demand session musician, playing and occasionally writing for a wide array of artists, including Alicia Keys, Twista, Janet Jackson, and Kanye West. It wasn't until West signed the young talent to his new label that he adopted the Legend name with 2004's Solo Sessions Vol. 1: Live at the Knitting Factory. Get Lifted, his first studio album, was released later in the year. On the strength of enduring single "Ordinary People," the album reached the Top Five of the Billboard 200. This led to three Grammy Awards: Best R&B Album, Best R&B Male Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist. Once Again, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, followed in October 2006. Live from Philadelphia, sold exclusively at Target stores, was a successful stopgap release that predated October 2008's Evolver.

From Wikipedia:

John Stephens (born December 28, 1978), better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American recording artist, musician and actor. He is the recipient of six Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Prior to the release of his debut album, Legend's career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with multiple established artists. Legend added his voice to those of other artists, assisting in them reaching chart-topper hits. He lent his voice to that of Kanye West, on Slum Village's "Selfish", and Dilated Peoples' "This Way". Other artists included Jay-Z's "Encore", and sang backing vocals on Alicia Keys' 2003 song "You Don't Know My Name" and Fort Minor's "High Road." Legend played piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything."