By — Anne Azzi Davenport Anne Azzi Davenport By — Jeffrey Brown Jeffrey Brown Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/40-years-after-gayes-hit-john-legend-explores-whats-going-onnow Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 40 Years After Gaye’s Hit, John Legend Explores ‘What’s Going On…Now’ Arts May 4, 2012 12:25 PM EDT UPDATE | This entry was originally posted Feb. 17, 2012. Jeffrey Brown recently had a chance to sit down with John Legend as the singer-songwriter helped the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts launch “What’s Going On…Now,” a national arts, education and digital media campaign. The effort is intended to engage youth while marking the 40th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s album of the same name and his 1972 performance at the Kennedy Center during its inaugural year. The Newshour plans to report reports Friday on the progress of the campaign as students across the country create videos, photos, poems and music that address issues of the day, from the economy to war to the environment. Some will come recently came to Washington, D.C., to participate in a national youth summit in May when Legend performs performed Gaye’s work at the Kennedy Center. (We’ll post Jeff’s piece here as soon as possible.) Here are two interviews: one with Legend on why he’s doing this and what he hopes to achieve, and one with Harry Weinger, vice president of Universal Music Enterprises, who is the producer of several deluxe editions of Gaye’s classic LPs, including “What’s Going On.” He tells the back story about why the song was first recorded. But first, you can listen to Gaye’s classic song here: We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Anne Azzi Davenport Anne Azzi Davenport Anne Azzi Davenport is the Senior Producer of CANVAS at PBS News Hour. @Annedavenport By — Jeffrey Brown Jeffrey Brown In his more than 30-year career with the News Hour, Brown has served as co-anchor, studio moderator, and field reporter on a wide range of national and international issues, with work taking him around the country and to many parts of the globe. As arts correspondent he has profiled many of the world's leading writers, musicians, actors and other artists. Among his signature works at the News Hour: a multi-year series, “Culture at Risk,” about threatened cultural heritage in the United States and abroad; the creation of the NewsHour’s online “Art Beat”; and hosting the monthly book club, “Now Read This,” a collaboration with The New York Times.
UPDATE | This entry was originally posted Feb. 17, 2012. Jeffrey Brown recently had a chance to sit down with John Legend as the singer-songwriter helped the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts launch “What’s Going On…Now,” a national arts, education and digital media campaign. The effort is intended to engage youth while marking the 40th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s album of the same name and his 1972 performance at the Kennedy Center during its inaugural year. The Newshour plans to report reports Friday on the progress of the campaign as students across the country create videos, photos, poems and music that address issues of the day, from the economy to war to the environment. Some will come recently came to Washington, D.C., to participate in a national youth summit in May when Legend performs performed Gaye’s work at the Kennedy Center. (We’ll post Jeff’s piece here as soon as possible.) Here are two interviews: one with Legend on why he’s doing this and what he hopes to achieve, and one with Harry Weinger, vice president of Universal Music Enterprises, who is the producer of several deluxe editions of Gaye’s classic LPs, including “What’s Going On.” He tells the back story about why the song was first recorded. But first, you can listen to Gaye’s classic song here: We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now