To John Legend’s way of thinking, some music is "listenable," some "tolerable," some "pretty good." Only a few artists, though, says the critically applauded R&B singer / songwriter / performer, actually can move someone. "I want to move people," he says. "I want people to feel moved after listening to my music or attending my show."
      Legend (his real name is John Stephens) is well on his way. Get Lifted, his debut album, produced by Platinum rapper-producer Kanye West, has become one of the top sellers in the nation. Legend assisted on West’s double-Platinum College Dropout CD as a vocalist, pianist and co-writer on several tracks. He performed its biggest hit, "Jesus Walks," with West, Mavis Staples and the Blind Boys of Alabama on the 47th Annual Grammy Awards Feb. 13. West was the most nominated artist in the awards, with 10.
      That is Legend playing piano on "Everything Is Everything" on the Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998.
      He also is co-writer, vocalist and pianist on Alicia Keys’ "If I Ain’t Got You," co-writer and pianist on Janet Jackson’s single "I Want You," and is vocalist and pianist on Jay-Z’s "Encore" and "Lucifer," as well as releases by Britney Spears, Eve, Common and others.
      He was asked to perform "Uptight" as Stevie Wonder on the American Dreams television drama series. His interpretation of Wonder’s "Don’t You Worry ’Bout A Thing" is on the soundtrack of Will Smith’s movie Hitch.
      After Kanye West attended one of his shows, he enlisted Legend’s help for the College Dropout album and later invited him to tour with him.
      Critics have been effusive in their praise for Legend, comparing him to such amazing artists as Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Al Green, Donny Hathaway and others.
      "I’m honored and humbled by that at the same time," he says. "I think writers are prone to hyperbole sometimes. I guess they like to be quoted. But it’s always nice to be compared to people that you really admire. At the same time, I know I have a long way to go before I can match their careers and become a real ‘legend.’"
      He describes his style as classic soul that incorporates elements of hip-hop, contemporary R&B and gospel. "My voice is reminiscent of old soul singers with some elements of reggae." His lyrical approach, he says, primarily is just storytelling that strives to be witty but relatable.
      He does not want to be asked what he believes are the distinctive qualities that perhaps set him apart from other artists.
      "I don’t like this question. I think there are a lot of talented people, some of whom I am similar to in style and approach," he explains. "We all have some elements of uniqueness, but I’m not especially unique. My style isn’t anything brand new. I just try to do it to the best of my ability, and hope it will stand out for its quality."
      Does he feel his quality is part of a group of artists helping expand the R&B genre in terms of what it is considered to be, what it can offer, and perhaps showing—even surprising—people with its possibilities?
      Legend: "I don’t think Get Lifted has necessarily expanded the genre. Most of the elements I’ve put in my album have been done before, perhaps in different combinations. I think with subsequent albums I’ll be more adventurous stylistically. I’ve already written reggae songs, bossa nova songs, dark dance songs. But I wanted Get Lifted to be more focused stylistically, so I didn’t put all those songs on this album." Hopefully, he adds, there will be plenty of time for him to explore these other ideas in the future.
      He is passionate about the craft of songwriting and record making. "I think people relate to the music because I have a sense of empathy, and I think I have a good understanding about relationships, and I talk about them in a real, honest way," he says.
      Legend is surprised at how much attention he is receiving at this point in his career. Trying to analyze it, he says that timing is indeed critical. "I think Kanye’s success played an important role in setting me up for success. Of course, if my music sucked, Kanye’s success still wouldn’t have been enough. But I think it did open some doors for me earlier than they would’ve been opened otherwise."
      He also is surprised at how well the album has done on the charts at an early stage. He speculated that the album would start slower than it did and then build from word-of-mouth. "To my pleasant surprise, we’ve started really well and we still continue to back that up with great sales due to word-of-mouth. I’m really happy with how things have turned out," he says.
      The criteria he employs in choosing projects, tours, whom to collaborate with, is based on artistry. "I only want to work with people whose music I respect and enjoy. I only want to be associated with music that is high quality. That’s my main criteria," he says.
      Legend adds that he also just wants to enjoy himself in all that he does. "If it’s not fun, I don’t want to do it," he says. "Unless," he jokes, "it pays really, really well!"
      He says he "absolutely" learns from everyone with whom he works. "Experience is a great teacher. I’ve had the honor of working with some of the greatest artists in black music, and I can’t help but be a better artist as a result of it."
      Working and touring with Alicia Keys is part of the learning curve for Legend. "Alicia’s very grounded and confident. It’s always good working with someone who knows what they want and has a distinct style," he says. "And she just knows how to make good records."
      He has met Stevie Wonder, but it was before he covered his songs for American Dreams and Hitch. "Hopefully, he’s not hating my version of his songs. I tried to do my best to honor him. It’s hard because you know you can’t top him. I just tried my best to respect his music," he says.
      In getting people to respect his own artistry, Legend wanted Get Lifted to reflect the best music he had in his repertoire, which consisted of over 40 album-quality songs. He wanted it to be coherent and to flow really well. "I think it satisfied both of those requirements for me. I think I’ll continue to grow as an artist in the future, and perhaps my writing or recordings will improve, but, as of now, I’m very proud of Get Lifted. It was the best album I could make at the time."
      He says it is difficult for him to identify his source of creativity. "I’ve always had a song in my head. I hear melodies and hooks all day. I’ve always been that way, since I was a kid."
      This former church pianist, music and choir director says he isn’t even sure how his spirituality impacts his creativity. "I feel like spirituality definitely comes through in my music, but I don’t make any specific efforts to make it that way. I guess I can’t help it."
      He has great memories of working at Bethel AME Church in Scranton. "The people at Bethel were always like a family to me. They took great care of me whenever I needed anything. They were my home away from home," he says. "And I enjoyed playing the piano there every Sunday. It was my main outlet for performing as a pianist. I was in an a cappella group in school, so it particularly helped me keep my piano chops up. And I love performing gospel music. It’s so inspiring."
      He tries to deliver an energetic, passionate performance. "I have a great band, with very talented players, and we give everything we have every night," he promises. "I love the interaction with the crowd. I love to look in their eyes. I love to hear them singing along to the songs. I love when one of my band members plays something unexpected that inspires me. That’s when the magic happens."
      Music is his passion. "It’s a way of life to me. I can’t imagine my life without it," Legend says.
      He is philosophical about assessing music within the context of the business of music. "I think there’s some good and some bad music out there. There are some very talented, creative people making great, innovative music, people like Kanye and Outkast, to name a couple. I think it’s cool that these people are also at the top of the charts," he says. "Sure, there’s some crap out there. But there has always been crap. In the 1970s, for all the Stevie Wonders, I’m sure there were five artists that were making forgettable music. We don’t hear about them now because they’ve already been forgotten."
      John Legend does not plan on being a forgotten man.