I thought it'd be cool to go back in, do something that explored my roots a little bit, surprise the choir, surprise the church. It was cool, like the church calling out for me.
R&B star John Legend stunned locals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by performing at a local church.
Legend was a surprise guest at the Calvary Baptist Church in West Philadelphia and sang Aretha Franklin classic How I Got Over with churchgoers.
In a video posted on his Facebook.com page on Monday (20Jun11), he says, "I grew up singing and playing gospel music. I played in a bunch of choirs as a kid, up through going to college. I paid my way through school by being a director of music in church.
"A lot of the greatest soul singers in American history started in the black church. It's very obvious when you listen to gospel and soul music, you can see and hear and feel the connection. I haven't performed in church for a while.
"I thought it'd be cool to go back in, do something that explored my roots a little bit, surprise the choir, surprise the church. It was cool, like the church calling out for me. This has reminded me of my childhood."
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