John Miller
John Legend is the stage name of John Roger Stephens, an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is the second eldest of four children born to Phyllis Elaine, a seamstress, and Ronald Lamar Stephens, a factory worker. Legend is the first Black male and second-youngest recipient of all four major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). He is also known for his philanthropic work, having founded the FREEAMERICA campaign, which aims to reform incarceration in the United States and restore voting rights to Floridians with felony convictions. While John Legend has had a successful career in music and entertainment, he is not literally a mushroom. However, there is a figure named Mushroom John or Mushroom John Allen, an ethnomycologist known for discovering several species of psilocybin mushrooms, including the popular Allen strain.
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What You'll Learn
John Legend is not a mushroom
John Legend is often confused with "Mushroom" John Allen, an ethnomycologist who has discovered several popular strains of mushrooms. Allen is known for his expertise in mycology and has named his mushroom discoveries after the regions he collected them from. The Allen strain, for example, is believed to be an offshoot of a Thai strain and is known for its rapid colonization times and bulbous caps.
While both individuals share the name John, they have distinct identities and contributions. John Legend is a renowned musician and activist, while "Mushroom" John Allen is recognized for his work in mycology and ethnomycology. Their names are simply a coincidence, and John Legend has never been referred to or addressed as a mushroom by credible sources.
It is important to distinguish between the two individuals, as they have different careers, areas of expertise, and impacts on their respective fields. John Legend continues to make significant contributions to music and social causes, while "Mushroom" John Allen remains an influential figure in the world of mycology and mushroom cultivation.
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John Legend is a singer, songwriter, and pianist
John Legend is the stage name of John Roger Stephens, an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio, and grew up in a musically gifted family. Legend began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything" and performing as an uncredited backing vocalist for artists like Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. He also contributed keyboard music and backing vocals to tracks by artists such as the Black-Eyed Peas and Talib Kweli.
In 2001, Legend was introduced to Kanye West, and he became the first artist to sign with West's GOOD Music label in 2003. His debut studio album, "Get Lifted," was released in 2004 and reached the top ten of the Billboard 200. The album included hit singles like "Ordinary People" and "Used to Love U," and earned him eight Grammy Award nominations and three wins, including Best New Artist.
Throughout his career, Legend has won a total of 12 Grammy Awards and numerous other accolades, including a Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007. He has also won a Tony Award, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Emmy Award, becoming the first African American man to win all four major North American entertainment awards (EGOT).
Legend's popularity continued to rise with subsequent albums such as "Evolver" (2008), "Wake Up!" (2010), and "Love in the Future" (2013), which included the smash hit "All of Me." He has also ventured into acting, with a supporting role in the 2008 movie "Soul Men" and a portrayal of Jesus Christ in NBC's adaptation of the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" (2018).
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John Allen is known as Mushroom John
John Allen, also known as "Mushroom John", is a well-known amateur ethnomycologist and author of several books and articles on the subject of entheogenic and psychedelic mushrooms. He has travelled the world, from Hawaii to Southeast Asia, Great Britain, and Europe, in search of new mushroom species and strains. Allen is credited with discovering some of the most popular mushroom strains, including Ban Hua Thanon, Thai, Cambodian, and more. He has also named a species of Psilocybe and had a new species, Psilocybe allenii, named after him.
The Allen strain, in particular, has become widely popular among growers and users. It was discovered in a paddy field near Ban Hua Thanon in Thailand, making it one of the first strains discovered in the country. The strain is believed to be closely related to several strains originating in Mexico. Allen shrooms are known for their rapid colonisation times and bulbous caps, making them a great option for both beginner growers and experts.
John Allen's contributions to the world of mycology extend beyond discovery and naming. He has authored numerous books, including "Divine Mushrooms and Fungi," which documents his encounters with magic mushrooms and provides technical information on notable magic mushrooms, including where to find them, how to identify them, and dosage instructions. Allen has also lectured at conferences and symposia worldwide, sharing his knowledge and experiences with others.
The stories and legends surrounding John Allen's discoveries have only added to his reputation as "Mushroom John." For example, the Cambodian strain is rumoured to have been discovered while Allen was filming outside Angkor Wat, and the Pink Buffalo strain is said to have been found in a field in Thailand where a sacred pink buffalo had once been spotted. Allen himself has confirmed that these legends are mostly true, adding to the allure of his discoveries.
John Allen, or "Mushroom John," has left an indelible mark on the study and appreciation of mushrooms. Through his travels, discoveries, and writings, he has contributed significantly to our understanding and appreciation of the diverse world of fungi.
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John Cage was a mushroom enthusiast
John Legend is not the mushroom. However, John Cage, the avant-garde artist and composer, was a mushroom enthusiast. His fascination with fungi began during the Great Depression when he relied on mushrooms growing around his home in Carmel, California for sustenance. He took one to the public library for identification and, upon discovering they were edible, ate them for about a week.
Cage's interest in mushrooms continued to grow, and in the early 1950s, he began foraging for mushrooms while living in rural New York State. He was fascinated by their haphazard growth and studied fungi identification and collection. In 1954, he concluded, "I have come to the conclusion that much can be learned about music by devoting oneself to the mushroom."
Cage's passion for mycology was well-known, and in 1959, he appeared on the Italian television quiz show Lascia o Raddoppia? (Double or Nothing). He performed several new sound pieces and then answered questions on his specialist subject—mushrooms. Over consecutive evenings, Cage progressed to the final, answering every question correctly. In the final episode, with 5 million lire at stake, he was asked to list the 24 names of the white-spored Agaricus as identified in GF Atkinson's Studies of American Fungi. Cage confidently listed all 24 names in alphabetical order, winning the top prize.
Cage's enthusiasm for mushrooms extended beyond hobby and entertainment. In the mid-1950s, he was appointed vice-chairman of the eastern region of the People-to-People Committee on Fungi, a community programme created to educate people on the benefits of foraging for food. In 1959, he began teaching a class on mushroom identification at the New School for Social Research in New York, leading groups of 30 students on mushroom foraging field trips. In 1962, he helped resurrect the New York Mycological Society, which continues today. Cage's expertise in mushroom foraging was such that he supplied New York restaurants with his pickings, including the Four Seasons.
Cage's lifelong passion for mycology was documented in John Cage: A Mycological Foray, an art book that explores the composer's fascination with mushrooms. It includes photographs, compositions, anecdotes, diary entries, and essays related to his passion for fungi.
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Paul Stamets is a mycologist and entrepreneur
Paul Edward Stamets is an American mycologist, author, medical researcher, and entrepreneur. He was born in Salem, Ohio, and grew up in Columbiana, Ohio. Stamets sells various mushroom products through his company, Fungi Perfecti, which he founded in 1980. The company specializes in using mushrooms to improve the health of the planet and its people.
Stamets is considered an intellectual and industry leader in fungi habitat, medicinal use, and production. He lectures extensively to deepen the understanding and respect for fungi, covering a range of mushroom species and research showing how mushrooms can benefit people's health and the planet. Stamets's central premise is that habitats have immune systems, and mushrooms are the cellular bridges between habitats and people.
Stamets has received numerous awards for his work, including the Invention Ambassador (2014-2015) for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Mycologist Award (2014) from the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), and the Gordon & Tina Wasson Award (2015) from the Mycological Society of America (MSA).
Stamets played a significant part in the 2019 documentary film Fantastic Fungi and edited the film's official companion book. He has also authored several other books, including Psilocybe Mushrooms & Their Allies (1978), The Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home (1983), and Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness & Save the Planet (2019).
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Frequently asked questions
No, John Legend is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist.
"Mushroom John" or John Allen is an ethnomycologist known for discovering several species of psilocybin mushrooms.
The Allen mushroom strain is one of the first strains discovered in Thailand by John Allen. It is popular among growers for its rapid colonisation time.
John Legend is known for popular songs like "Ordinary People", "So High", and "You Don't Know My Name". He is also known for his work as a producer and vocal coach on the reality competition series "The Voice".
John Legend has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He is the first Black male and second-youngest recipient of all four major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).
