BCG alumnus John Legend tapped as next coach on The Voice
Noted singer and actor John Legend – who started his career as a consultant at BCG – has joined the coaching team on television singing competition The Voice. Legend was recently honored as the first black man to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.
John Legend has been named a coach on the sixteenth season of vocal competition The Voice, which will air this spring. The singer, songwriter, and actor will replace Jennifer Hudson, who serves as a coach in the fifteenth season which launches later this month. Legend will join returning coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Kelly Clarkson. Legend was previously a judge on ABC music show Duets, alongside Kelly Clarkson.
“I’m thrilled to join the coaches of ‘The Voice,’” Legend commented. “I’ve been a guest and mentor on the show multiple times and I’m so excited to discover talented singers and help them make the most of their gift. I hope the world is ready for #TeamJL.”
Legend rose to musical prominence back in 2004 with his single ‘Ordinary People,’ and has since had a number of hits, including ‘Green Light’ and ‘All of Me.’ He is also a frequent collaborator with hip hop and R&B artists (Kanye West, Jay-Z, etc.) that want to add some neo-soul flavor to a song.
Legend recently became the first black man to achieve EGOT status – winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. He recently won a Creative Arts Emmy for ‘Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,’ wherein he played the titular role. Legend had previously won a Tony in 2017 for co-producing the play ‘Jitney,’ a 2015 Oscar for his duet with Common ‘Glory’ from the movie ‘Selma,’ and 10 Grammys. Legend joins EGOT luminaries that include Whoopi Goldberg and Mel Brooks.
Though many know about his acting and singing acumen, most don’t know that John Legend has another skill in his envious range of talents: consulting.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English, Legend landed a job as a consultant with prestigious strategy firm The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Legend worked for three years at the firm’s New York City office before he leaped into a music career full-time in 2002.
"It was definitely something to pay the bills," he told USA Today in 2005. "Most artists have to wait tables or something like that to make money. I actually had something that was a good job, that paid well."
Other well-known Boston Consulting Group alumni include Indra Nooyi (CEO of PepsiCo from 2006-2018) and Jeffrey Immelt (CEO of General Electric, 2000-2017).
In addition, BCG has two alumni who made a major impact within the consulting world itself. Roland Berger, the founder of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, worked for BCG in Boston and Milan for years before setting up his own consulting firm. Meanwhile, Bain & Company was founded in 1973 by former BCG consultant Bill Bain.
