Contrary to what his Wikipedia page says, R&B singer/songwriter John Legend has never had any interaction with the Wisconsin-based high school-aged band, The Polka Dotz.
R&B superstar John Legend says not to believe everything you read about him everywhere, that there's a lot of stuff that's not true. However, it is very true the singer will perform Wednesday night in a sold out show at the Clay Center.
WANT TO GO?
John Legend
With India.Arie and Vaughn Anthony
WHERE: Clay Center
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
TICKETS: Sold out, but there is a waiting list in case some holds are released.
INFO: www.theclaycenter.org or 304-561-3570
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- R&B superstar John Legend says not to believe everything you read about him.
"There's just a lot of stuff out there that's not true."
However, it is very true the singer will perform Wednesday night in a sold out show at the Clay Center with guests India.Arie and Legend's brother, Vaughn Anthony. He's also currently on tour and mostly enjoying the summer, including the occasional side excursion, like a trip to the White House.
"It was very cool to see it," he said. "I'd never been, but it was just a tour. The president wasn't there. He was in New York."
The singer-songwriter was a vocal supporter of President Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign and contributed a song that was available for download from the then candidate's Web site.
Legend is a man who seems to always be in motion, which is sometimes why what he's actually done and what he hasn't gets a little murky. Legend has six Grammys to his name and three albums. Two of them are certified platinum. His most recent, "Evolver" is certified gold.
WANT TO GO?
John Legend
With India.Arie and Vaughn Anthony
WHERE: Clay Center
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
TICKETS: Sold out, but there is a waiting list in case some holds are released.
INFO: www.theclaycenter.org or 304-561-3570
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- R&B superstar John Legend says not to believe everything you read about him.
"There's just a lot of stuff out there that's not true."
However, it is very true the singer will perform Wednesday night in a sold out show at the Clay Center with guests India.Arie and Legend's brother, Vaughn Anthony. He's also currently on tour and mostly enjoying the summer, including the occasional side excursion, like a trip to the White House.
"It was very cool to see it," he said. "I'd never been, but it was just a tour. The president wasn't there. He was in New York."
The singer-songwriter was a vocal supporter of President Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign and contributed a song that was available for download from the then candidate's Web site.
Legend is a man who seems to always be in motion, which is sometimes why what he's actually done and what he hasn't gets a little murky. Legend has six Grammys to his name and three albums. Two of them are certified platinum. His most recent, "Evolver" is certified gold.
He's also appeared on numerous television commercials, programs and music videos. He's had small parts in films and even sang "America the Beautiful" at the start of "Wrestlemania XXIV."
"I like to have fun," he said.
But he most definitely did not speak on behalf of The Polka Dotz, a high school-aged polka trio from Wauwatosa, Wis. at Milwaukee's 2008 German Fest. He's never heard of them.
Legend chuckled, "Somebody has a sense of humor."
And so does Legend, which might not seem obvious, though he did duet with Stephen Colbert on the comedian's Comedy Central show and also appeared on his Christmas show. Legend is best known for heartfelt, soulful ballads and also for his commitment to the Show Me campaign, an outreach effort to raise money and awareness to end poverty in Africa.
The program is managed by Millennium Promise Alliance, an organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty. Legend has been to Africa several times: sometimes to perform, other times for humanitarian work.
"We [Show Me] adopted a village in Tanzania," he said.
He gets updates on how things are progressing a couple of times a year or as often as he asks. He says things are looking up.
"The rate of people contracting malaria has gone way down," Legend said. "The number of young people who can go to school is way up."
There is more access to clean drinking water, more health clinics and even the crop yields are up, he says.
"By every measure, things have improved significantly."
Legend doesn't take credit for it. Millennium Promise Alliance manages the business end of things, helps get the village what they need. The villagers and aid workers do the work. Legend improves awareness and helps with the funding.
"It's all about having the right partners," he said.
The same is true with music collaborators. Legend says he likes to work with people who show up, who know what they're doing and are ready to work.
As for The Polka Dotz, they claim no responsibility for the Wikipedia entry, but said they would remove it -- unless John Legend would like to make it true.
Reach Bill Lynch at ly...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5195.
Post a comment