Legend

Singer, songwriter and actor JOHN LEGEND has always been at the top of his game. Now, as the first black man to win a competitive EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) his career is becoming the stuff of, well...

- Jonathan Heaf

Yes, you are talking to the real John Legend. Why ask? Don’t worry, I’m not tripping out like some hysterical, competition-winning John Legend superfan – the Legendries? – not yet anyway. You see, just before I speak to the first black man to win EGOT status, I learn that Legend has, in fact, been announced as the new voice of Google Assistant, essentially becoming to the tax avoiding search engine tech giant what the sonic avatar Alexa is to the Amazon Echo or what the monosyllabic Siri is to the iPhone.

Imagine the ear-melty bliss of John Legend being your very own domestic PA. ‘Google, where’s the closest place to home serving frozen Margaritas on a Sunday at 8pm?’ And then, in a voice as smooth as JeffGoldblum doing tarot card readings at a women-only event on Venice Beach, the ‘All of Me’ hit maker will offer up suggested venues, directions and (quite possibly) rim garnishes. Not bad, huh? Yet, seeing as this interview is being conducted over the phone, how can I be sure I’m talking to the man himself, rather than the virtual, voice-activated subordinate?

‘No, it’s not my Google phone. Don’t worry,’ laughs Legend, tickled by the idea that he’d get his automated device to do the interview rather than answering the questions himself. It’s early morning in Beverly Hills and across the line Legend’s famously soulful voice, one that spreads like almond butter to mend broken hearts and life lovebirds, sounds somewhat hoarse, as if he hasn’t quite shaken off the fug of the Cali dawn. It’s a shame we’re not doing this mana a mano, I explain, as he could take me through his walk-in wardrobe. (You can learn an awful lot about a man from how he hangs his pressed shirts, for example.)