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John Legend's Name Origin: A Porn Producer's Role
30 Nov
Summary
- John Legend's stage name originated from a spoken-word artist's compliment.
- A porn producer named Johnny Legend initially held the trademark.
- Legend negotiated a deal to legally use his stage name.
The genesis of John Legend's famous stage name is a tale of serendipity and legal negotiation. Initially known as John Roger Stephens, the singer received the nickname 'Legend' from a spoken-word artist named J. Ivy during early collaborations with Kanye West. Despite initial reservations about adopting such a bold name before securing a record deal, Stephens decided to embrace it, aiming to live up to the title.
However, the path to legally becoming John Legend presented an unexpected hurdle. It was discovered that a porn producer, who also dabbled in rockabilly music, was already using the name Johnny Legend. This posed a potential trademark infringement issue, requiring Legend and his team to actively seek out the producer.
A resolution was reached through negotiation, establishing a mutually exclusive agreement. The deal ensured that the porn producer would not sue for infringement, and John Legend would not use his name in the adult film or rockabilly music genres. This unique arrangement allowed the artist to officially adopt and professionally use the name John Legend.
