Guests at John Legend’s 40th birthday party didn’t have to be familiar with casino games, but it certainly helped. The Casino Royale themed bash was held at the home of Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen. With guests encouraged to display good poker etiquette, while getting involved in the party atmosphere.
Not only does the party provide us with the perfect opportunity to go through the A-list guests in attendance, but it gives us a great chance to reminisce about the career of John Legend.
John Legend: More than All of Me
When you say the words John Legend to most people, their immediate response will be to start singing the performer’s cult hit All of Me. The song was released in 2013 was dedicated to Legend’s wife Chrissy Teigen.
The song was Legend’s first ever Billboard Hot 100 number 1 hit, but it wasn’t just popular in America, it topped charts all over the world. Yet John Legend is so much more than the man behind this amazing song.
His musical career has spanned the better part of the two decades, from his first two albums which he released himself at the turn of the Millennium. After the success of those initial releases, Legend forged a career as a collaborative musician, featuring in a number of songs from some of the industry’s leading names.
What makes Legend so loved by fans and admired around the world is his philanthropy and dedication to good causes. He has worked to raise awareness of mental health amongst young men, raised money for peoples displaced by Hurricane Katrina and put his name to many other good causes.
This beautiful song by John Legend catapulted him to world fame, but he was a pretty big deal long before that!
Who was at John Legends party?
Now we’ve had a look back at John Legend’s career and established just what a good guy he is, we can take a peek at who turned up to his landmark birthday bash.
Kim & Kanye
When John Legend was in college his roommate told him about his cousin, someone who was making beats and aspiring to be a famous rapper. Legend didn’t know much more than that about his roommate’s cousin, but it turned out to be Kanye West, long before he was famous.
The two were introduced and became good friends, regularly collaborating together to make great music. When Kanye was signed by Roc-A-Fella records he recommended that they signed his good friend as well.
The label weren’t willing to pick up John Legend, but Kanye was instrumental in his friend’s deal with Columbia Records. As both musicians’ careers continued to rise they remained strong friends and regularly collaborated together.
In 2018 it appeared as if the friendship between the two was on the rocks when Kanye West went public with his support of controversial president Donald Trump. The former businessman was dividing the nation, and he almost did the same to Kanye and John Legend.
Legend disagreed with Kanye’s vocal backing of Trump and told him so in a series of texts that the rapper later shared on Twitter. Fortunately the two were no strangers to disagreements and remained strong friends despite their differences in opinion.
Kanye and his wife Kim turned up to John Legend’s party looking particularly dapper, with him Kardashian sporting a sexy chic black, lacy number whilst Kanye went for a peculiar baggy black shirt…
The usually inseparable pair spent plenty of time apart as they engaged in all the festivities and socialised with other guests and the hosts.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
After appearing in the music video to ‘You Need to Calm Down’ by Taylor Swift, Jesse Tyler Ferguson continued his musical association by tipping up at John Legend’s party. Despite his dalliances in music Ferguson is best known as a superb television actor.
For years he has played the role of Mitchell Pritchett in hit comedy show Modern Family. After appearing in RuPaul’s Drag Race as a guest judge, Ferguson knows all about dressing to impress and he did just that at this party, turning out in an immaculate black tuxedo.
Ferguson’s friendship with John Legend goes back years and they could be seen enjoying some lively conversation throughout the night.
The Festivities
Your idea of a casino themed party and an A-list celebrity’s idea are two different things. No expense was spared by Chrissy Teigen as she went all-out to make sure that the party befit the status of the guests in attendance.
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, John Legend and Chrissy Tegen were all snapped atop of a roulette gaming table. In the backdrop to the photo was an ornate chandelier and a dimly red-lit backroom that evoked Monte Carlo casino, the setting of many James Bond films.
Professional croupiers and dealers had been brought in to make sure the casino experience was as enjoyable as possible for guests. But a party wouldn’t be much fun without music, so there was a dance floor and a DJ booth set-up outside the house.
Guests ended the evening by singing a surprise rendition of Happy Birthday to John Legend, who looked to have thoroughly enjoyed his evening.