John Legend reveals the story behind his stage name
His real name is John Stephens
The very talented John Legend joined Fleur East, James and Matt on Hits Radio Breakfast to talk about his amazing new single 'All She Wanna Do'.
The singer, whose real name is John Stephens, also opened up about the story behind his stage name and why he decided to name his eighth album after himself, 'Legend'.
Watch our full interview with John Legend:
What is John Legend's real name?
A lot of artists change their name for the stage, so John explained the story behind his stage name, saying John Legend was a nickname, but he had some reservations about using it.
"Legend was a nickname that some of my friends started calling me, because I reminded them of those old skool artists that we grew up listening to."
He went on to say: "They started calling me John Legend, the nickname just kind of stuck, and so at some point, I had to decide that this nickname, that was just among a few friends, was going to extend to be a stage name, and I was hesitant because who calls themselves a legend before they even have a record deal?!"
John continued: "But I was like, I’m not going to be afraid of calling myself this, afraid that it’s not going to work out, afraid that I’m not going to be able to make the music that I love, and that I’m proud of.
"I’m just going to claim it, better myself and then go out there and try and live up to this lofty name that I’ve given myself. So that’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last two decades."
John Legend's album 'Legend'
John released his latest album on 9th September, and he told us he's been working on it for around 18 months and couldn't wait for his fans to hear it, which is why he decided to release a double album.
"I just feel like this album is so much of who I am," he explained. "I’ve poured so much love and all my inspirations and all my influences into this album, and I was ready to say, this is me, this is my album."
You can hear John Legend's fantastic songs on Hits Radio.
When is John Legend on Hits Radio?
John Legend was on Hits Radio on Thursday 22nd September, during the Hits Radio Breakfast show with Fleur East, which starts at 6am.
How can I listen back to the interview with John Legend?
You can listen back to our interview with John Legend below, through our website or app, which is available to download for iPhone or Android.
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Take a look through some of the best albums released this year:
The Weeknd - 'Dawn FM'
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Avril Lavigne - 'Love Sux'
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The 'Sk8er Boi' legend has even teamed up with artists such as Machine Gun Kelly and blink-182's Mark Hoppus on some of the new tracks.
James Arthur - 'It'll All Make Sense In The End' Deluxe album
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Camila Cabello
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Jack Harlow - 'Come Home The Kids Miss You'
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Harry Styles - 'Harry's House'
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Tate McRae
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George Ezra - ‘Gold Rush Kid’
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Mabel 'About Last Night...'
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Demi Lovato 'Holy Fvck'
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John Legend 'Legend'
John released his self-titled album 'Legend' on 9th September. He told us: "I just feel like this album is so much of who I am. I've poured so much love and all my inspirations and all my influences into this album, and I was ready to say, this is me, this is my album."
Callum Beattie
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Olly Murs
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Cardi B
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Saweetie
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Dua Lipa
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Lewis Capaldi
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