American music superstar John Legend has shared a surprising legal hurdle he faced at the beginning of his career: he couldn't legally use his now-famous stage name without first negotiating with a p*rn producer.
The Unlikely Name Conflict
According to the 46-year-old singer, the unusual situation arose because another individual in the entertainment industry was already using a remarkably similar moniker. This wasn't just any person, but a p*rn producer who also dabbled in rockabilly music, going by the name Johnny Legend.
Legend recounted the story on the MGM+ show Words + Music, stating with amusement, "Lo and behold, there's a p*rn producer — I kid you not — who dabbled in rockabilly music, and he went by Johnny Legend." Because this Johnny Legend also created music, it presented a potential trademark infringement case. This legal grey area meant the budding R&B artist could not officially adopt "John Legend" without reaching an agreement.
The Negotiation and Exclusive Deal
The path forward required direct action. "We had to find Johnny Legend, negotiate with him, and cut a mutually exclusive deal," John explained. The agreement they settled on was straightforward: "He was Johnny Legend, and I was John Legend. He wouldn't sue me, I wouldn't sue him."
Legend humorously noted that he has kept his side of the bargain over the years. "I didn't produce any p*rn, didn't make any rockabilly music pretending to be Johnny Legend," he joked.
The Origin of the "Legend" Name
This bizarre saga started back in 2004, a pivotal year for the artist. The name "John Legend" was first given to him by spoken-word poet J. Ivy while they were collaborating on Kanye West's groundbreaking album, The College Dropout. At that time, Legend did not even have a record deal, but the powerful nickname stuck.
The original Johnny Legend, whose profile lists him as an actor, director, rockabilly singer, film historian, and wrestling promoter, has a colourful history. Reports indicate he released a crude comedy film titled Teenage Cruisers in 1977 and recorded several rockabilly tracks, cementing his own unique legacy in a very different corner of show business.
This revelation offers a fascinating glimpse into the often-unseen legal complexities and unexpected negotiations that can occur behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, even for a globally recognised artist like John Legend.
