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John Legend looks back at Las Vegas residency, reveals major inspiration for shows

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 01: Singer John Legend performs on stage at the "Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live" Concert at Twickenham Stadium on June 1, 2013 in London, England. Chime For Change is a global campaign for girls' and women's empowerment founded by Gucci with a founding committee comprised of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyonce Knowles-Carter. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci)

John Legend has amassed massive success in recent years, finally achieving EGOT status, and a few months ago, he achieved one of his career’s most significant milestones, getting his residency in Las Vegas.

According to Billboard, the “All of Me” singer began his “Love in Las Vegas” residency in April at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood, and he still has a few shows left.

He collaborated with a longtime collaborator, Rob English, to be the creative director for his shows to bring his concept to life.

The two first met when the singer joined Troy Carter’s management company, Atom Factory, a few years ago. They have collaborated on several projects since then.

Legend chose English for creative direction because of his intuition, as he knew the singer well and could “visually translate his understanding of me and what I represent.”

Legend and the creative director collaborated, and the latter believes that the residency demonstrates Legend’s versatility and refinement as a performer.

As described by English, the understanding of what residencies are has changed because many people used to believe that it was a “death sentence” to an artist’s career, indicating that their fame was slowly fading. However, it is now considered a sign of “icon status.”

The two revealed their major inspiration for the shows in an interview with the outlet ahead of their final show on October 29.

The “Lay Me Down” singer said he traveled to Las Vegas to see his friends who perform there, including Gwen Stefani, Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak of Silk Sonic, Usher, and others.

They were captivated by Blake Shelton’s wife’s essence as she reminisced through different looks and eras she embodied throughout her career from all the shows they watched.

He added:

“Part of what’s cool about a Vegas residency is that it’s a chance to look back and celebrate all the stories in your life that brought you where you are.”

According to Vegas.com, John Legend’s residency has three shows left. His next shows will be held at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater on October 26, 28, and 29.