John Legend Helps Kids Confront Social Issues With Marvin Gaye Song

Filed under: Soul/R&B, R&B News

Mike Coppola, Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) - Grammy award-winning singer John Legend surprised a high school choir Tuesday at the Kennedy Center to help start a program encouraging young artists to confront social issues with their art, in honor of the late Marvin Gaye.

The project, 'What's Going On ... Now,' echoes Gaye's lyrics and asks young people to express how things have changed in the four decades since Gaye's hit album, 'What's Going On.'

Students can upload videos, photos, poems, music or any recordings of creative expression to the project's website to answer that question.

Gaye's groundbreaking 1971 Motown album tackled difficult social issues such as war, drug addiction and poverty, and asked audiences to reflect on the times. His 1972 performance at the Kennedy Center in his hometown was a historic comeback for Gaye - his first live performance in two years since the death of his singing partner and friend Tammi Terrell. It's also believed to be the only time Gaye sang his entire 'What's Going On' album in concert.

Source: http://www.theboombox.com/2012/02/03/john-legend-helps-kids-confront-social-issues-with-marvin-gaye-s/

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