Event chair and host Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that EGOT-winning, critically acclaimed, and multi-platinum singer-songwriter John Legend will perform at the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball, presented by Dexcom on Saturday, October 8 at The Beverly Hilton hotel.
“I am thrilled John Legend will be joining our celebration on October 8,” said event chair and host Barbara Davis. “John Legend’s musical talent has gone around the world and has brought joy to so many people. This year that excitement and joy will come to us at the 36th annual Carousel of Hope Ball.”
In his career, John Legend has garnered 11 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award. He was the first African-American man to earn an EGOT and is one of only fifteen people in the prestigious EGOT club. Over almost two decades, Legend has released seven celebrated albums, including Get Lifted (2004), Once Again (2006), Evolver (2008), Love in the Future (2013), Darkness and Light (2016), A Legendary Christmas Deluxe (2019), and Bigger Love (2020). Currently, Legend’s “All of Me” ties with Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” as the highest certified track in Recording Industry Association of America’s history. In 2018, Legend was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie and won an Emmy as a producer in the category of Outstanding Variety Special (Live) from his starring role in NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” as Jesus. Shortly after, Legend joined “The Voice” for Season 16 in 2019 and is currently a coach on Season 19.
Beyond his music career, Legend, along with partners Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius, is a principal in the Get Lifted Film Co. Most recently, Get Lifted produced David E. Talbert’s acclaimed holiday film “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” for Netflix, the HBO docu-series “Atlanta’s Missing And Murdered: The Lost Children,” the IFC and AMC comedy series “Sherman’s Showcase” and “Sherman’s Showcase: Black History Month Spectacular,” and “Rhythm + Flow” for Netflix. Their forthcoming projects include the documentary “40 Years A Prisoner,” launching on HBO Max on December 8, 2020, the documentary “Giving Voice,” which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will be available for streaming on Netflix on December 11, 2020, the film “Monster,” which was recently acquired by Netflix, the sports drama “Signing Day” in partnership with Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media for Sony Pictures, a female-fronted film written by Adam Hoff about a modern-day Jerry Maguire, the film adaptation of S.A. Cosby’s novel “Blacktop Wasteland,” and “Paper Gods” with Sony Pictures Television for ABC.
As a philanthropist, Legend initiated the #FREEAMERICA campaign in 2015 to change the national conversation surrounding our country’s misguided criminal justice policies and to end mass incarceration. In addition to Legend’s signature initiatives, he serves on the Board of Directors of Harlem Village Academies and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and on the Advisory Board for The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Teach for All.
For the Ball, Carousel of Hope will bring together film, television, music and business industries to support increasing awareness for diabetes and raise funds for clinical care and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. The event will also celebrate all the remarkable things the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes has accomplished and brought to the forefront of diabetes care, as well as the exciting research and influential moments the Barbara Davis Center has been a part of since its inception in 1978.
This year marks the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball, where guests will enjoy cocktails, silent and live auctions, dinner, exciting entertainment, and musical performances. The iconic event has long been a Hollywood favorite, uniting entertainment, sports, and business industry leaders from all areas for a night dedicated to raising awareness and, ultimately, finding a cure for diabetes. Diabetes, which afflicts over 463 million people, is rapidly on the rise. Each year, approximately 64,000 Americans are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Of those, approximately 30,000 are children. The Carousel Balls have raised more than $110 million to date, with proceeds benefiting the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC). Funds are raised through sponsorships, dinner tickets, a live and silent auction, and contributions.
The 2022 Carousel of Hope Ball is presented by Dexcom, with additional sponsorship support generously provided by American Airlines, the Official Airline of The Carousel of Hope, The Beverly Hilton, Marlyn & Robert Day, and Variety. The event’s veteran production team also includes Clive Davis, George Schlatter, and Quincy Jones.
