Singer–songwriter, pianist
Lauryn Hill s "Everything is Everything" (from her Grammy-winning debut solo album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill") is the first major record on which he played.
Graduated from University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English.
Has either co-written, played on, or sang on various artists hits, including, but not limited to, Twista , Jay Z , Alicia Keys , Lauryn Hill , Janet Jackson , Slum Village , Dilated Peoples , The Black Eyed Peas and Kanye West.
Was the music and choir director at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania for nine years.
Is the first artist on Kanye West s Getting Out Our Dreams (G.O.O.D.) label (distributed by Sony Records).
Met Kanye West through his college roommate--who happened to be Kanyes cousin.
Is a huge Ohio State football fan, and says he watches 90% of the Buckeyes games on TV.
Publicist is Cindi Berger.
Engaged to Chrissy Teigen [December 27, 2011].
On the TV show, "Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr." , John found out some very interesting things about one of his ancestors. One of his ancestors was named Peyton Polly, who was born a slave in 1797. In 1847, he, his brother and son were set free by their master. Several years later, 7 of Peytons other children were put up for auction and his brother Douglas Polly bought them. They moved from Kentucky (a slave state) to Ohio, where they could be free. In June of 1850, though, some men from Kentucky came into Ohio, knocked Peyton out and took the Polly children to Kentucky. Some of the children remained enslaved in Kentucky while others were enslaved in Virginia. Eight months after the kidnapping, Peyton went to the authorities and the case went to the Governor, who sent investigators into Kentucky and Virginia to get the Polly children. The children enslaved in Kentucky remained enslaved until the end of the Civil War, but the ones enslaved in Virginia were set free. After the show two of Johns cousins (descendants of Peyton Polly) filed a court case to set the record straight. Johns cousins found out that the reason why the Polly children were auctioned off was because of their masters debts, and his wife wanted him to get rid of them. His brother-in-law did not like this and forged a document saying that they were fugitive slaves. He tried to claim ownership of the family using the legal system in Ohio, but was denied, leading to the raid in June of 1850 on the Polly house.
Received and turned down offers from Harvard and Georgetown, when he was 16.
He and his wife Chrissy Teigen are expecting a 1st child together.
(September 14, 2013) Married his girlfriend of 6 years Chrissy Teigen following a 20-month-long engagement.
Became a father for the 1st time at age 37 when his wife Chrissy Teigen gave birth to their daughter Luna Simone Stephens on April 14, 2016.
(May 2017) Merited a place in TIME magazines "The 100 Most Influential People" issue with an homage written by Harry Belafonte.
I am a feminist. Women are discriminated against in so many ways and,they make up half the population.
All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered – it leads to a better society.
I think they need to get a more reliable way of watching television on the laptop. Because I travel so much, if I want to watch my favorite sports team it might not be showing in that place, so I want a reliable way to watch whatever I want to watch on my laptop.
Experience is a great teacher.
As a young black boy, it made me proud to see black leaders that did something amazing and made the world change.
I think the thing about love is that even though the things around us change, we as human beings, a lot of the ways we interact, and the ways we love each other is timeless. It requires trust, honesty, commitment, romance, and physical chemistry.
I was a wedding singer as a teenager. .
