Brooklyn Seaside Summer Concert Series Features John Legend, 8/5

On Thursday, August 5, the 32nd annual Seaside Summer Concert Series at Asser Levy/Seaside Park, hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, will welcome singer, songwriter and actor John Legend, who performed at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert Series in 2008. The Seaside Summer Concert Series at Coney Island and Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert Series in Crown Heights/Central Brooklyn have entertained hundreds of thousands of residents over the past three decades and remain the largest free concert series in the New York metropolitan area.

"Brooklyn is proud home to everyone from everywhere, so there is no better place in the world to enjoy music-the universal language," said BP Markowitz. "That's why I have been so proud to host free concerts at Coney Island for more than three decades, and in Central Brooklyn for 28 years. From Seaside's stellar lineup of John Legend, Neil Sedaka, The Beach Boys and the B-52s, to MLK's George Clinton, Toni Braxton and Sean Paul, Brooklyn is once again the place to be for hot fun in the summertime."

Born John Stephens in Springfield, Ohio, on December 28, 1978, the American pop/soul singer-songwriter-performer-social activist John Legend was still attending the University of Pennsylvania when Lauryn Hill invited him to play piano on Everything is Everything, from her Grammy-winning solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. John quickly established a reputation as an in-demand session player, adding his distinctive vocal and/or piano stylings to recordings by Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Kanye West (who signed Legend to his R&B/hip-hop label) and others.

Released on his 26th birthday (December 28, 2004), John Legend's debut album, Get Lifted, rocketed to #4 on the Billboard Top 200 and became America's #1 Top R&B/Hip-Hop album in January 2005. A critical and commercial triumph, Get Lifted earned John an astounding eight Grammy nominations-he won Best New Artist, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (Ordinary People) and Best R&B album-while selling more than three million copies worldwide.

John's second collection, Once Again, entered the Billboard Top 200 at #3 shortly after its release in October 2006, peaking at #1 on the R&B Album Sales chart. The album earned an RIAA platinum certification while securing two Grammy nominations: Save Room (for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and Heaven (which won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance).

John racked up his fifth overall career Grammy win in 2006 when Family Affair-a track he'd cut with Joss Stone and Van Hunt for Different Strokes by Different Folks, a Sly & the Family Stone tribute album-took home top honors in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category. In 2009, he won his sixth Grammy-in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category-for the single Stay With Me (By the Sea) by Al Green featuring John Legend.

In November 2008, John's third studio collection, Evolver, became his third consecutive Top 10 album when it entered the Billboard Top 200 at #4. John is currently working on his latest studio album.

The Seaside Summer Concert Series, now in its 32nd year, is the largest free outdoor music series in New York. Throughout the years, the Thursday night series has attracted top name classic rock, pop, oldies, contemporary and Latin performers to Asser Levy/Seaside Park, at West 5th Avenue and Surf Avenue in Coney Island. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Chair rentals will be available for $5, or concertgoers can bring their own chairs.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert Series is celebrating its spectacular 28th season with a star-studded lineup of gospel, classic soul, contemporary, Caribbean and R&B artists. The free concerts begin 7:30 p.m. Monday nights at Wingate Field, entrances on Brooklyn Avenue between Rutland Road and Winthrop Street. Seating is limited so attendees should bring chairs.

Performers are subject to change without notice. Call the concert hotline for updates at 718-222-0600, or visit www.brooklynconcerts.com.