John Legend Dishes About His Kids, Working with Them on His Latest Album & Inspiring Them to Give Back

To say that John Legend is a Jack of all trades feels like a massive understatement. Not only is he a powerhouse vocalist with best-selling albums under his belt, but also, he's a songwriter and actor who served as a vocal coach on The Voice and made history as the first Black man to reach EGOT status, scoring two Emmys, 12 Grammy Awards, an Oscar and a Tony. Still, as much as I (and several other fans) appreciate his career achievements, I'm even more inspired by his approach to fatherhood and his philanthropic efforts.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Legend to discuss fatherhood, his children's album and his current partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), a non-profit organization that aims to provide essential services to families facing health challenges with their children. The partnership hits close to home for the father of four, who revealed earlier this year that his six-year-old son, Miles, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

He said, "Every family knows how important their kids are to them, and it's really difficult when you're going through health challenges with your kids. They may need surgery, they may need intensive treatment, and sometimes you have to travel for that. Ronald McDonald House Charities have been there for families who are going through those struggles for 50 years, and I think that's just such a remarkable thing."

Legend continued, "Once you have kids and once you go through anything medical with them, you realize how important it is, and I'm so grateful that RMHC exists and that it's out there helping families. We're looking forward to many more years of that."

FYI, today marks the 50th anniversary of the first Ronald McDonald House opening. And now, RMHC offers more than 1,000 programs around the globe that offer services to families when children need healthcare. To mark the occasion, Legend hosted a “50 Years of Ohana” event in Hawaii, which included a traditional lei-making activity and t-shirt decorating. Also, on November 16, the "All of Me" singer is set to perform at the RMHC Global 50th Anniversary Gala in Chicago.

While his family—including wife Chrissy Teigen and their four children, Luna (8), Miles (6), Esti (1), and Wren (1)—weren't in attendance at the anniversary event in Hawaii, the proud dad revealed that his wife and two older kids maintain a tradition of making pancakes for families at their local RMHC.

He said, "We spent the day together at the Ronald McDonald House that's adjacent to the Children's Hospital here in Los Angeles. We made pancakes for the families, and you really get to see you know how important Ronald McDonald House Charities are for them. A lot of times when families need major medical support, they come to big cities. We got to witness staff firsthand, and we're proud to be supportive of the work that our RMHC is doing."

In addition to his support for RMHC, Legend chatted about his first-ever children's album, My Favorite Dream, which was released earlier this year—and it turns out all of his kids approve.

"They really love it, and they definitely inspire the songs," he said. "All the songs were inspired by the things Christy and I talk to them about all the time. Luna and Miles got to sing on the album with me. They sang on 'L-O-V-E' the first single."