Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
On Tuesday night, John Legend headlined a Motown tribute concert, celebrating the record label’s 60th anniversary.
Alongside Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, the star performed a selection of Marvin Gaye hits, including the timeless, socially-conscious soul anthem What’s Going On?
“I’ve always been inspired by Marvin Gaye,” says Legend, on the phone from his home in LA the following morning.
“He showed us that activism can be part of your art; and that art can inspire other people’s activism.”
It’s a lesson the 40-year-old has applied throughout his career, most notably on the 2010 album, Wake Up, which resurrected and reframed protest songs from the 60s and 70s for a modern audience.
Today, he releases a protest song of his own, Preach, that was inspired by the onslaught of negative news coming out of America – gun violence, bigotry, child separation, police brutality.
“Get home every evening and history’s repeating,” he sings, over minor-key organ chords. “Turning off my phone cause it’s hurting my chest.”
BBC