Six-time Grammy-winner John Legend flashed more than his musical talent in the O'Connell Center on Wednesday night, sharing his thoughts on educational reform and encouraging charity work before sitting down at the piano.
The free event, billed as "A Conversation with John Legend," was sponsored by Black History Month, Student Government Productions and ACCENT, and it was held to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti.
"I was told that I'm not in Gainesville anymore, I'm in Titletown USA, so it's good to be here in Titletown," Legend said to the crowd of about 3,000. "I love visiting universities because I see so much potential in the room, so much brainpower and so much possibility ahead of you. It's truly inspiring."
Members from Gators United for Haiti were permitted to pass out flyers and collect donations, a rare sight that O'Connell Center regulations typically prohibit, and Legend implored the crowd to contribute.
"Give as much as you can tonight," he said. "This was a free event, so you might as well spend a little money tonight. I'd like to believe that I'm worth it."
Legend was paid $90,000 to speak, according to the Student Government Finance records.
Before playing a seven-song set, Legend, whose birth name is John Stephens, gave a 20-minute speech and took audience questions.
He detailed the path he took from an unprivileged background to an Ivy League education at the University of Pennsylvania, using his example to underline the need for reform to provide better educational opportunities.
"If you fix the schools, you simultaneously fix the crime rate," Legend said. "You create a more informed, vibrant democracy and a more dynamic, robust economy. Fixing education is the ultimate long-term stimulus plan."
Legend also discussed his charity work overseas.
His Show Me Campaign, named after a song he wrote following a trip to Africa, sponsors a village in Tanzania and aims "to implement practical solutions to poverty including clean water, improved health care and education, higher-yielding agriculture, and internet connectivity."
Following a question-and-answer session, Legend showed off his talent with nothing more than a piano, microphone and speakers.
He played "Save Room," "Everybody Knows," "This Time," "Good Morning," and "Ordinary People," from his three albums. He also sang "Motherless Child," which he performed at the "Hope For Haiti Now" benefit concert, and "Shine," an unreleased track set to be used in an upcoming documentary about education.
He ended his speech with a call to action.
"We all have the opportunity to make the world a better place," Legend said. "Some of you will do it in your day jobs by coming up with the next innovative idea. Some of you will become educators, politicians or doctors. But no matter what you do in your career, never forget about those who didn't have the same opportunities as you.
"Whether they're in a village in Africa, a tough neighborhood with failing schools in America or other places devastated by poverty and natural disaster like Haiti, find ways to give. Find ways to serve, find ways to contribute to America and find ways to contribute to the world."
