EGOT Winner John Legend Raises Bar for Casino Theater Talent

Usually when you read about a band or artist hitting the casino circuit, it’s a band that is – and we’ll try to be kind here – shall we say, past its prime? It is rare when you see an artist hit the different casinos around the States (and Canada) to perform their new music. But music fans are going to get a special treat in 2024 as maestro John Legend hits the road and stops at multiple, more intimate casino theaters. 

A More Personal Show Around the World

“An Evening with John Legend: A Night of Songs and Stories” will kick off on May 31 at the Grand Theater at that Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma. The show will feature Legend playing many of his hit songs and recounting stories from his career. 

From there, Legend will head to Arkansas, then three dates in Washington, DC, and in June its on to Italy and Germany.

Legend will return to the US in June with a stop at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before going back to the West Coast until August. On Aug. 10, Legend will head back to the East Coast for a series of dates, including a stop at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. 

Legend will fill out the remainder of his 2024 schedule with a trip to the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California, on Aug.16 and a show at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Events Center in Florida on Aug. 25. 

Chance to See, Experience an EGOT Winner

There are four major artistic awards in the world of entertainment – the Emmys, the Grammys, the Academy Awards (the Oscars), and the Tonys. In the history of those four awards, there have been thousands of recipients, but only nineteen people have ever been able to win all four in their careers. This list includes such luminaries as Richard Rodgers, Rita Moreno, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks…and John Legend. 

Legend became one of the youngest EGOT recipients (only songwriter Robert Lopez was younger) when, in 2006, he was the winner of the Best New Artist Grammy for his debut album Get Lifted; Legend has gone on to win eleven more after that. In 2015, Legend provided the theme song for the movie Selma, “Glory,” for which he received the Best Original Song Oscar.

The EGOT came within reach after Legend added his musical expertise to the Broadway drama Jitney, which earned him the Tony for Best Revival of a Play. But it was Legend’s stirring performance as the titular character in the NBC production of Jesus Christ Superstar that completed the EGOT and was arguably his most notable performance. In 2018 (and at the youthful age of only 39), Legend was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for his work on that special program. 

Besides being the second youngest EGOT winner, Legend was also the first black male performer to win the quartet of awards (actress Whoopi Goldberg was the first black performer to earn EGOT status). 

He has further lent his talents to serving as one of the coaches on the television competition The Voice, where he has served as a mentor to aspiring performers. Legend has seven years on that show under his belt, with his protegee Maelyn Jarmon earning the victory in 2019. 

Tickets for the Tampa show is going on sale on May 3, with the price starting at $275. The tickets can be obtained through the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa website or Ticketmaster. It should be an excellent night of entertainment, especially with a cultural and musical cornerstone such as John Legend. 

(Image: Jim Ruymen/UPI/Alamy)