The Philadelphia Chapter and the GRAMMY Foundation hosted a GRAMMY SoundChecks with John Legend at World Cafe Live on Oct. 7. As part of the event, nine GRAMMY U members received general admission to an exclusive concert hosted by Philadelphia's Wired 96.5 and World Cafe Live and were treated to an entertaining and informative evening with one of the most talented and successful soul singers in popular music today.
Prior to his performance, the five-time GRAMMY winner shared stories of his childhood involvement in music, his college experience in Philadelphia, the struggles of beginning his career, his collaborations with other artists such as Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill and Kanye West, and life as a celebrity. Legend's humility and humor created a very personal interaction, and his honesty about the music industry and his path to success provided attendees with valuable information.
After the discussion, Legend hit the stage and treated attendees to an inspiring live performance, which included many of Legend's hit songs such as "Ordinary People" and "Used To Love U," as well as his latest single "Green Light" featuring André 3000 and a few other previews of songs from his new album Evolver.
Following the concert, GRAMMY U members had the opportunity to ask Legend additional questions about his career. Albright College student Alice Santana summarized her experience, "Getting to mingle with fellow music industry students as well as meet one of the most talented artists today, John Legend, was a priceless experience for me. This wouldn't have been possible without GRAMMY U."