Neo-soul. The very word sounds sexy. But when you put it next to John Legend’s name, it’s even sexier. Smoother, silkier. Pianist and singer Legend (born John Stephens) has charmed legions of listeners with his baritone voice and captivating stage presence; even before he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, the Springfield, Ohio, native was grabbing attention for performances with Counterparts, the school’s jazz/pop a cappella group. Legend and his college roommate, Devon Harris, who DJ’d under the name Devo Springsteen, moved to New York in 2000; soon afterward, Harris learned his cousin, Kanye West, was headed to the Big Apple. Legend became the first artist signed to West’s GOOD Music; Harris and West helped write and produce tracks on Legend’s debut album, Get Lifted. The single “Ordinary People” helped carry the album to the top 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart and earn Legend Grammys for Best R&B Album, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best New Artist. Legend’s second album, Once Again, received support from West, will.i.am. and Raphael Saadiq (Tony! Toni! Toné!), and the single, “Heaven,” earned him another Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. His contribution to the Sly & the Family Stone tribute album, Different Strokes by Different Folks, snagged him yet another. Legend released his third album, Evolver, in late 2008.