Ambar Ramirez
Words by Ambar Ramirez
On stage we’ve seen him in his nicest suits, angled in perfect lighting with buttery vocals and charming smiles. John Legend has made a name for himself in the limelight, but when the lights dim and the venue empties, who is John Legend?
Sure, there’s social media, offering that surface-level connection—and Legend, nor his wife Chrissy Teigen, doesn’t shy away from it. But it’s rare for a celebrity to openly share the hardships and triumphs they’ve faced in a life so publicly consumed by fans. Legend, however, knows how to set himself apart.
Despite being a father, a husband, a judge on “The Voice” and managing over five businesses and creative projects, Legend pours his heart into every performance. Yet, as I sit at my desk at my one job, I can’t help but wonder how Legend manages it all while staying grounded.
Ambar: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. I know you’re on a busy schedule with touring and everything, so this is really awesome.
Legend: My pleasure.
Ambar: So as an artist with a long career and a devoted fan base, how do you navigate the balance between staying true to your sound and your artistic vision while also meeting the expectations of your audience during this tour?
Legend: Well, this tour is really different and fun for me and is really kind of sobering and revelatory for me too because I spend a lot of time talking about my story and about all the experiences that made me who I am. Some of the ups and some of the downs, as well as some of the struggles we had in my family. But all of it made me who I am. It feels very cathartic in a way, and therapeutic in a way. But also it makes me feel like I’m getting closer to my audience. And I think most of them really appreciate it. They feel closer to me and the show. I think a lot of people don’t know what they’re getting into when it comes to the show because it’s not a traditional concert where I’m just kind of going from song to song. I’m really talking a lot and telling my story a lot. And even though it’s different than most constantly go to, I think people love that about it and people come away from it saying, you know, this is one of their favorite shows they’ve ever been to. And I don’t think it’s because I’m so special, but I think it’s because the type of show it is is really different from anything people normally see in a concert.
Ambar: Yeah, that sounds really personal and intimate as well. How do you take these personal stories and intertwine it with your music? Or how do you decide which songs you’re going to perform?
Legend: Well, a lot of it revolves around my story, so I want the song choice to be woven together with the storytelling. I want it to make sense as a complete experience. And so I put a lot of thought really into the setlist and coordinating it with the storytelling. So it all kind of works together.
Ambar: Do you have a favorite song you like to perform or a favorite portion of the set specifically to this concert that you really enjoy?
Legend: Some of my favorite parts are the talking parts where I’m telling stories that people really didn’t know about me. Some of it’s really funny, some of it’s really revelatory, and it’s this stuff people didn’t realize about me, and so some of my favorites are in the story, and I’ll let people come into the show to kind of experience it for the first time. But people learn a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff about me, even though I’ve been at it for 20 years. And song-wise, you know, I love doing the classics like “Ordinary People” and “All of Me,” but I also do some cool covers in the show by artists who have inspired me over the years.
Ambar: That’s so sweet. I love that. So I know touring or I can only imagine that touring is very tiring both physically and mentally. What are some common practices that you employ to stay creatively energized during your tour?
Legend: I get my rest before every show, and I think that’s the key for me because singing is practically an athletic thing to do because it’s so much related to how you feel and making sure your body is healthy and prepared to do what you need to do. And so I’m always making sure my body is rested and hydrated and I’m warmed up properly so that I can give people my best every night.
Ambar: Do you have any, like, pre-show rituals or mantras that you do right before getting on stage?
Legend: I do a like a 35-minute warm up vocally, [and] I do some stretches and I eat the same meal every show. Roasted chicken and vegetables.
Ambar: Classic. Can’t go wrong with that. It seems like your family is a very big part of your life and touring often requires time away from your family. How do you navigate maybe some of the sacrifices that come with that, and what are the rewards that make it worthwhile?
Legend: Well, I always miss them when I’m gone. And I’m always looking forward to getting back to them. But, you know, I love making music, I love performing. And this is the path I chose in life that I love. And hopefully, I’ve been good at creating a balance between all of that, trying to be the best father I can be and the best husband I can be, but also being the best artist I can be at the same time.
Ambar: Yeah, absolutely. And kind of in the same breath, how has your parenthood shifted your perspective on music, specifically with your upcoming album?
Legend: Yeah, well, of course, I made an entire album that is inspired by me being a parent to small children and the new album called “My Favorite Dream,” is inspired by all the stories I like to tell our kids and the passages we like to tell our kids. And it’s inspired by all the conversations we have with them. I just sat there and kind of brainstormed ideas based on the messages that we give them all the time and some songs around it.
Ambar: Beautiful. I think that’s really sweet and there is a good callback to, you know, the foundation you’ve built. Oh, sorry, my cats are going crazy right now.
Legend: How many cats do you have?
Ambar: I have two cats.
Legend: We have two and four dogs.
Ambar: Oh that’s a full house!
Legend: Yeah, Yeah.
Ambar: And I know you recently came out with that brand that’s centered around dogs.
Legend: Kismet is a pet food brand for dogs only right now. But hopefully cats in the future.
Ambar: Yeah, they need some love as well haha. Well, on that topic, you have, so many businesses and creative projects and you’re a judge on “The Voice” as well. And I mean, you’re an artist yourself, and you’re also a father and a husband. How do you balance all of that? And what’s a good piece of advice you would want to tell people about balancing all these aspects of your life?
Legend: Well, I think part of it is really about making sure you hire talented people who you trust that you can delegate a lot to because, you know, with all these businesses, they’re being run by people who are great at what they do. And we’re very involved in a lot of creative decisions. But there’s a lot that goes into running a business that doesn’t require our steady input. And so the fact that we have people we trust running those businesses, people who have great experience and great intelligence and savvy in their respective fields, that’s really what makes it possible for us to do all these things. So we’re able to contribute creatively and with our platform but also allow people who are really good at running a business to run the business.
Ambar: Yeah, it’s always important to have a really strong team.
Legend: Yeah, I think my whole career has been caught on collaborating with awesome people who are better than me and things so I know I’m good at certain things, but the key is finding people who are better or smarter than you at other things so that they can compliment you and help you make you better.
Ambar: Absolutely, and challenge you as well.
Legend: Absolutely.
Ambar: All right. So my last question I had for you, or actually before we get to that, if you weren’t a musician, what do you think you would have been?
Legend: Well, I’m very into justice, and a lot of my philanthropic work has been around justice and reforming, defending people’s rights. So I probably would have gone to law school and fought for justice in one way or another, which is kind of what I do on the side now using the platform that music has given me
Ambar: That’s super cool! And then being that your last name is Legend, it seems only fitting that I ask, what kind of legacy do you hope to leave, both professionally and personally?
Legend: Well, the easy answer is you want to leave music behind, [music] stands the test of time. And that’s the amazing thing about being an artist is that we’re able to create things that outlive us. And you want the memory of your career and the work and the art that you’ve created to be meaningful to people beyond your own life. And so that’s one part of the legacy. And then, of course, we have four beautiful kids who we are pouring so much love and advice and energy into, and they’re obviously going to be a big part of our legacy, too.
Follow FOLIO!