Birth Of A Legend
Drum English|5 December 2019
He’s come a long way from geeky boy to sexiest man alive. We look at John Legend’s winding road to success
Dennis Cavernelis
Birth Of A Legend

IF YOU told his 17-year-old self he would one day be considered a sex symbol he would have laughed in your face.

Gangly and goofy, he was the ultimate nerd – and a super smart one at that. He finished high school two years ahead of his peers and went to university when he was just 16. But cool he was not.

“Oh yes, I had an awkward phase,” John Legend recently admitted. “I was always less mature, less at ease socially.”

But just look at him now. The 40-year old crooner is married to one of the sexiest women in showbiz, is a beloved judge on top talent search show The Voice and has won almost every award going for his music. And to top it all, he was recently voted 2019’s sexiest man alive in People magazine’s annual poll of the hottest hunks on the planet.

John takes the mantle from Idris Elba and marked the occasion with a pic and a post on social media.

“1995 John would be very perplexed to be following 2018 Idris Elba as Sexiest Man Alive,” he wrote.

Earlier this year the All of Me singer jokingly predicted he might get the title.

“I feel like, if I’m on The Voice, I’m going to get it,” he said, referring to the fact that coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton were both named sexiest man alive – Adam in 2013 and Blake in 2017.

Some people were less than impressed with John’s win, with one troll saying she doubted he could “throw me over his shoulder or defend me better than I can”.

He lives an idyllic life now – happily married, fabulously successful and constantly in demand. But behind those smiling eyes lies a long list of hardship and heartbreak that could’ve derailed geeky John’s early promise.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 5 December 2019 من Drum English.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 5 December 2019 من Drum English.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من DRUM ENGLISH مشاهدة الكل
Homegrown Heroes
Drum English

Homegrown Heroes

Drum speaks to two volunteers in the Covid-19 vaccine trial and the professor heading the team in Africa

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
The Big Clean Up
Drum English

The Big Clean Up

Whenever a Covid-19 case is confirmed at a shop, they call in the deep-cleaners. We find out exactly how they disinfect stores and supermarkets

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
I'm Back & Better!
Drum English

I'm Back & Better!

Babes Wodumo shares what she’s been up to in lockdown – and there’s some new music on the horizon

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
Not An Easy Ride
Drum English

Not An Easy Ride

Taxi commuters and industry players tell DRUM what’s driving them to defy lockdown rules

time-read
5 mins  |
16 July 2020
Mam' Mary Bows Out
Drum English

Mam' Mary Bows Out

Iconic actress Mary Twala is fondly remembered by friends and family for her humour and talent

time-read
6 mins  |
16 July 2020
‘They Lived For Each Other'
Drum English

‘They Lived For Each Other'

This Cape Town teen’s parents died from Covid-19 on the same day. Now she’s alone and battling the virus too

time-read
6 mins  |
9 July 2020
Stranger Than Fiction
Drum English

Stranger Than Fiction

For actor Mangaliso Ngema and his daughter Khosi Ngema, her role in Blood & Water was like watching their family’s real-life story unfold

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
I Was Raped By A Pastor
Drum English

I Was Raped By A Pastor

His accusations against a well-known man of the cloth turned an Eastern Cape man’s life into turmoil but now more victims have spoken out

time-read
5 mins  |
16 July 2020
My Fight With Life And Death
Drum English

My Fight With Life And Death

More Covid-19 patients, too few beds and staff, constant sanitising and personal fears – a Western Cape doctor shares her experience

time-read
6 mins  |
16 July 2020
I AM ENOUGH
Drum English

I AM ENOUGH

Ten years after being set alight, Thembi Maphanga is living life to the fullest

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020