In the latest episode of the podcast Turning Points, award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend sits down with host Lulu to discuss his personal journey, from his childhood struggles to parenthood and his career. The intimate conversation delves into his mother’s addiction, the power of forgiveness, and the lessons he has learned through love and loss.

Legend shared a deeply personal reflection on his mother’s struggles with addiction following the loss of her own mother.

“It wasn’t always easy… we basically lost our mum for a while as she was struggling with addiction after her mother died,” he revealed. “So she was really out of our lives for a while… it made us have to step up and be more independent and take care of ourselves.”

He described how he and his siblings became “latchkey kids,” taking on household responsibilities in their mother’s absence. Over time, Legend found a path toward healing through understanding and forgiveness.

“Forgiveness is big… once we grew up and started to realise the why behind what happened with my parents and my mother, eventually you get to a place of forgiveness,” he said. “And it’s healing for both of you – the person you’re forgiving and for yourself.”

As a father and husband, Legend has faced his own share of difficulties, from his wife Chrissy Teigen’s postpartum depression to the heartbreaking loss of their child.

“You just start to learn what trauma does to people and some of the challenges that we all go through,” he said. “I think it taught me how to be a better partner to her and be more supportive and understanding with her as she was going through some of the most difficult times in her life.”

Despite the hardships, Legend remains optimistic about the future, crediting the resilience of his relationship with Teigen.

“I think we’ve had enough tough times – I think we’ve been tested very well and the fact that we’ve made it through all that together I think it bodes well for the future.”

He also reflected on the universal experience of realizing that parents, like all people, are imperfect.

“We expect our parents to be perfect and do all the right things, then once we grow up we start to realise they’re just human beings like us,” he said. “They’re dealing with unprocessed trauma a lot of times and mental health issues just like every human being does.”

On Music and Working with Prince

Beyond his personal journey, Legend also spoke about the role music has played in shaping his life and career.

“Music opened me up socially – otherwise I don’t know if I would ever talk to anybody,” he admitted. “Music made it so that I felt comfortable talking to everyone else… it was my way of introducing myself to people.”

He also shared memories of working with the late musical icon Prince.

“We jammed together… he would have those after-parties at his house in Los Angeles and he would bring me up to jam,” Legend recalled. “It was just cool to be in his presence… he was very keen on making sure artists retained as much control as they could – his advice is always in my head.”

Listeners can expect more insightful conversations on Turning Points, with upcoming guests including Kristin Scott Thomas and Richard E. Grant. Previous episodes featuring Boy George and Brian Cox are also available to stream.

For the full episode with John Legend, listen here.

Author: Adam Bailey

Adam is a regular contributor for established press release distribution website Release-News.com. He writes on a wide range of topics including music.