By Ayana Allen

John Legend has performed in huge stadiums to massive crowds at the Super Bowl, WrestleMania, political conventions and at Live Earth. He's a guy who by now should be comfortable with fame and attention. But last night during his performance at New York's Madison Square Garden — the first time he has ever headlined the iconic arena — he seemed just slightly overwhelmed by the energy of it all.

"I used to sing this song in clubs," he said before launching into "Stay With You," the final song in his set. "And I couldn't wait for the day I got to sing it in Madison Square Garden."

(Click here for more photos from from John Legend's performance at Madison Square Garden!)

Legend certainly treated the show like a huge event, welcoming friends Kanye West, Rick Ross, Estelle, reggae legend Buju Banton and opening act India.Arie to the stage for some all-star collaborations.

"This is a star-studded event!" Legend announced following his opening number, a spot-on take on Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," which he crooned from the audience. He made his way up to the stage and rolled out hit after hit, climaxing in the appearance of Estelle and West for an extended version of the trio's hit "American Boy."

For one lucky fan, the highlight came when Legend invited her up on stage for a slow dance during (obviously) "Slow Dance." Though she looked like she was about to faint, she maintained her composure and walked away with a kiss on the cheek, a long-stemmed red rose and an unforgettable memory for her trouble.

But fans didn't need to dance with the man to appreciate the evening. By the time he ended the show with "Green Light," he had managed to seduce everybody at MSG.

John Legend is no stranger to the sports world. He sang at the Super Bowl, performed at WrestleMania and put synchronized swimmers in the "Green Light" video. But Friday morning, one of music's biggest stars will have his sports knowledge and passion tested when he co-hosts ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning." He will sit in the seat normally taken up by former NFL All-Pro Mike Golic and will trade trivia and opinions with Mike Greenberg. It's an early show — the party kicks off at 6 a.m. — but it'll be worth hearing Legend's insights on the morning's topics, which will probably include the results of tonight's NBA Finals game, the Major League Baseball draft and the upcoming NFL season. It's unlikely that Legend will attempt to talk while filling his mouth with donuts, but hey, you never know.

By Lindsay Wallace

MTV News caught up with the Barbados-born artist Shontelle just after her return from Japan's Spring Groove. The talent-filled show was a landmark in her very quick rise to stardom, as she performed with John Legend, T-Pain, Akon and TLC. This wasn't her first star-studded collaboration, however, as she has previously performed with both Akon and her fellow Barbados-born pop-star friend, Rihanna.

Her relationship with Rihanna began in Barbados, where they went to different schools but were involved in friendly competition in the cadets. She admits that her friend was especially influential on her in many ways since Rihanna made it in the music industry first. Her fellow former cadet, who she refers to as "Rih," gave her advice on the ins and outs of the music industry. "I definitely got a lot of tips from her," Shontelle said. "I tend to pay attention to successful artists and she's certainly one of the most successful artists in the last few years."
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Washington, D.C.

President-elect Barack Obama doesn't take the oath of office until Tuesday, but the nation's capital already feels like the site of the biggest, most expensive political pep rally for America ever.

Strolling along the National Mall on Saturday afternoon near the Lincoln Memorial - the location of Sunday's "We Are One" all-star show featuring Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, Mary J. Blige, U2, John Legend and others - the unmistakable strains of The Boss' "The Rising" rose up into the frigid grey sky.
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U2, Jay-Z, Coldplay, John Legend and Death Cab for Cutie helped launch the new music service (RED)WIRE today with exclusive performances to help fight AIDS in Africa in celebration of World AIDS Day. The premiere of exclusive songs on MSN.com also included performances from Dixie Chicks, the Killers and Elton John, the Police and Elvis Costello, and Sheryl Crow.

The exclusives are part of the launch of (RED)WIRE, a digital magazine that will be delivered to members' desktops every Wednesday with music from artists from around the world, including exclusive weekly tunes from major acts as well as songs from up-and-coming acts and special content ranging from digital shorts to photographs or readings from artists or actors. Half of the $5 monthly subscription fee for the magazine will go directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. If you join before December 10, you can become a "Founding Member" of (RED)WIRE and receive the premiere issue on that day, as well as a special bonus song from Jay-Z.

Content from (RED)WIRE will also be regularly posted on the iLike social-discovery service for streaming and sampling and syndicated to iLike's 30 million registered users.

As our summer love with "FNMTV" comes to an end, we did something really special to celebrate: Check out Tim Kash's look behind the scenes at the show that really put the "M" into MTV!

As you probably already know, last night’s “Idol Gives Back” telethon -- which, by the time the credits started rolling, had raised nearly $22 million -- was pre-taped Sunday night, and later edited for air. And despite running close to (cough) three hours, there just wasn’t enough time to squeeze everything that happened into the final broadcast. This meant that a lot of moments -- including, absurdly, charitable video messages from all three leading presidential candidates -- never reached the kids at home.

So for the record, Obama, whose message scored the loudest applause from the studio audience, pleaded with Americans to “help make this place a more just, more equal, and more hopeful place to live.” And Clinton asked that viewers “help our neighbors, whether next door or in another state or country.”

But those were just the more high-minded moments. From the cheesy to the sanctimonious, what else did you miss? For the diehard "Idol"-heads out there, a rundown of what ended up on the cutting room floor after the jump. Read more...

· The Grammys are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a tour. So, what does a tour put on by the people who give you Brad Paisley and Kanye West in the same show look like? How about a five-city swing with sets from John Legend, nine-time Grammy nominee (nine time, really?) Busta Rhymes, Cat Power, Colbie Caillat, Kat Deluna, Kid Rock, Missy Elliott, Ozomatli, Pitbull, Seal and Sean Kingston. We're told not all artists will be playing all shows.

· Dave Matthews will play an acoustic show on April 6 at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN in support of Barack Obama. Matthews will be playing with his longtime collaborator, Tim Reynolds. The concert is open to all Indiana residents, or those going to school in the state. For our Hoosier friends, go here for more info.

· Also, another reason to pour one out, this time for one of the original members of the breakdancing group, the Rock Steady Crew, Frosty Freeze (born Wayne Frost), who passed away this morning (April 3) in New York. Frosty Freeze invented the "suicide" move, and starred in such classic hip-hop films as "Style Wars" and "Wild Style," as well as "Flashdance." Photos of his moves can be found here.

· Rita Marley will executive produce the first ever official biopic on her late husband, reggae legend Bob Marley And she’s pushing for her daughter-in-law, Lauryn Hill, to play her in the film, which means this will get done soon (maybe she's not up on Hill’s unique “schedule” when it comes to things like, oh, that Fugees reunion album).

· Not to be confused with Legend Killer, John Legend will sing “America the Beautiful” at WrestleMania XXIV on March 30 in Orlando. Snoop Dogg will be an announcer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have lent their song “Snow (Hey Oh)” as the show’s theme song, and Kim Kardashian will serve as guest hostess. Yeah, we can't figure it out either.

· Leave it to the Japanese to prove that not every festival this year has to feature Radiohead and Jack Johnson as headliners. The Sonic Festival will be headlined by Coldplay, The Verve and Sex Pistols, and feature sets from Panic at the Disco and Alicia Keys.