John Legend, on the surface, may seem like a little more than an R&B pretty boy. After all, he was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2019.

But, in reality, he’s a shrewd businessman who has made several individual seed investments. He’s a multi-award-winning artist and performer who is the only Black man, to date, to win the coveted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). And he’s worked hard enough to get, according to Celebrity Net Worth, a $75 million war chest.

But John Legend (born John Roger Stephens in Springfield, OH) takes it all in stride. In fact, he told UPI that were it not for the influence of his church, he wouldn’t have been inspired to sing in the first place.

“The church has been so important to who I am as an artist and as a human being, I felt like it was a no-brainer for me to say yes,” he said. “I knew I would be in good hands and that [Henry Louis Gates] would tell the story in a way that was really honoring the history of the Black church in our country. I was around all this singing and I wanted to be part of it. I think us learning about the resilience and the community that was built in the Black church is an essential part of us understanding how Black folks have made it this far in this country. There were so many forces that were conspiring against us doing so.”

Let’s take a look at all the ways John Legend has proved he’s more than just a pretty face.

Editorial note: The net worth listed in this piece is a speculative estimate drawn from a variety of online sources.

Chrissy Teigen

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