John Legend’s Journey: Negotiating with a Unique Porn Producer in His Rise to Fame
John Legend in September 2025 (left) and Johnny Legend in 2007.
Credit :
JC Olivera/Variety via Getty; Michael Tullberg/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- John Legend was born John Roger Stephens
- The singer-songwriter released his debut album, I Get Lifted, in December 2004
- He worked with Kanye West on West’s 2004 debut album, The College Dropout
In the early 2000s, John Legend, born John Roger Stephens, began to forge his path in the music industry. His collaboration with then-emerging artist Kanye West marked a significant turning point in his career.
The Grammy-winning singer discusses his early life and the origin of his iconic stage name in the first episode of Amazon Studios’ new series Words + Music, premiering November 30 on MGM+. Alongside his reflections, he performs some of his most beloved songs and shares insights about his creative process and family life with wife Chrissy Teigen.
For over two decades, Legend was known solely by his birth name until a pivotal moment during the recording of West’s debut album, The College Dropout. Collaborating with Chicago spoken-word artist J. Ivy, Legend impressed those around him with his musical talent.
“Now J. heard me singing, playing and doing all I was doing on those College Dropout tracks, and he was impressed,” Legend recalls in the episode during an introduction to his song “So High.” Ivy suggested calling him “the legend,” a title that quickly stuck.
Kanye West (left) and John Legend in New York City in February 2005.
Chance Yeh/Patrick McMullan via Getty
Embracing the moniker as an “old soul” with a classic style, Legend faced a dilemma: “How are you going to call yourself Legend? You don’t even have a record deal yet,” he noted, reflecting on his thoughts at the time. Ultimately, he chose to adopt the name, believing it would attract attention and motivate him to live up to it.
However, a legal obstacle surfaced when he learned he needed to trademark the name before using it professionally. “There’s a porn producer who dabbled in rockabilly music, and he went by the name Johnny Legend,” Legend explained. This created potential trademark issues that would require resolution.
John Legend in Philadelphia in August 2004.
Frank Micelotta/Getty
To resolve the situation, Legend and his legal team negotiated an agreement with Johnny Legend, ensuring that both could use their names in their respective fields without conflict. “I didn’t produce any porn, didn’t make any rockabilly music pretending to be Johnny Legend,” he affirmed of his commitment to the deal.
After overcoming these hurdles, John Legend signed with Columbia Records in May 2004 and released his debut album, I Get Lifted, on December 28 of that year, which coincided with his 26th birthday. Legend reflected, “It really did feel like a new birth,” as he launched a career that would eventually earn him 13 Grammy Awards, including a win for best new artist.
A new spin-off of the Audible series, Words + Music, is co-produced by Gunpowder & Sky. CEO Van Toffler shared, “Throughout the new Words + Music series, we’ve enabled musicians to bring their songs and stories to life in real time through compelling visuals, high-res art, and tech-enhanced volume stages. There’s still nothing more human, powerful, or emotional than a killer marriage of music, performance, and imagery.”
John Legend on ‘Words + Music’.
Jessica Perez/MGM+
Legend believes that Words + Music successfully reimagines classic music series, stating, “It has more than achieved our goal of revolutionizing [MTV’s] Storytellers and Unplugged — with a touch of acid and a healthy dose of naturally occurring steroids.”
The first episode of Words + Music featuring John Legend premieres exclusively on MGM+ on Sunday, November 30, with subsequent episodes featuring artists Sheryl Crow on December 7, Elvis Costello on December 14, and Alanis Morissette on December 21.
