‘John Legend: An Evening of Songs and Stories’ draws crowd to Richmond’s Altria Theater

Apr 9, 2026 - 20:25

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‘John Legend: An Evening of Songs and Stories’ draws crowd to Richmond’s Altria Theater

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — "John Legend: An Evening of Songs and Stories" brought a huge crowd to Richmond's Altria Theater, who were excited to see the EGOT winner on Wednesday, April 8.

Fans of all demographics and ages gathered at the venue to watch Legend perform a variety of music from his catalog.

"It's so good to see everybody here, so good to be back in this beautiful city, in this beautiful theater," Legend told the crowd. "I'm so glad we get to spend this night together."

Photos: Annie Gallo/8News

In addition to hearing his legendary voice, the crowd also got a deeper understanding of who John Legend is as he shared stories about his upbringing, church involvement and family.

Emotions were high at one point when he discussed mourning the loss of his grandmother. He dedicated his performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to her while a photo of her was seen on the big screen behind him.

There were moments during the show when it was so quiet you could hear a pen drop, and moments where fans were clapping, whistling, and singing along.

Legend left the crowd feeling like they knew the singer more than when they walked into the venue. He reflected his first album credit in 1998 for playing the piano on Lauren Hill's album "Everything is Everything" for track 13.

Legend reminisced on the days back in 2001 when he started working with Kanye West, whom he met through West's cousin Devon Harris. Harris went to Penn State with Legend, and they ended up becoming roommates after graduating.

Harris introduced Legend to West, which led to the start of many collaborations between the artists, including Legend working on West's debut album, "The College Dropout."

Other stories Legend shared include how he got his stage name, his journey with getting signed to a record label and how Stevie Wonder came to his wedding and performed on the piano there, a moment he'll never forget.

For the fans who attended the event in Richmond, they'll likely remember the heartfelt, vulnerable, and emotional show forever.

To keep up with John Legend, you can head to his website here and follow him on social media.