Before he became one of the few EGOT winners in entertainment history, John Legend was a college kid spending his weekends directing a church choir in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
In 1995, at just 16 years old, Legend — born John Stephens — enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. While studying English with a concentration in African American literature, he also started leading the choir at Bethel AME Church, a small but vibrant congregation about two hours away. He made the drive each weekend, balancing Ivy League academics with church rehearsals and Sunday services.
“It was a great time in my life,” Legend said in a 2016 interview. “Even when I moved to New York, I would still drive over to Scranton every once in a while and play at the church. I love the folks in Scranton and Bethel AME Church.”
Legend led the choir from his freshman year until 2004, the year his debut album dropped. During that time, he was also developing his own songwriting, performing around campus, meeting other music legends — from Lauryn Hill to Kanye West — and quietly building the career that would soon take off.
There’s still footage floating around from that era, including this 1998 video of Legend conducting the choir at Scranton’s Nay Aug Park:
