'John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father's Day' included musical performances and plenty of surprises.
Let's give it up for the dads all around the world! On Sunday, John Legend and a few famous faces (including some cardboard ones!) celebrated Father's Day with a one-hour ABC variety special dedicated to dads.
While the holiday may be celebrated differently amid the coronavirus pandemic, John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father's Day kicked off with a special performance by Legend and his famous pals.
“Yes! Father’s Day!” Legend said after being shown waking up in the morning then breaking into a Father's Day song.
“Oh, the time has come, the morning of the third Sunday in June,” he belted out, singing the track's opening lyrics. “My wife is downstairs wide awake and all my kids are, too. I don't know what they planned for me, but tonight, I'm gonna say, it was an absolutely perfect Father's Day.”
The song also featured cameos from Snoop Dogg and Ne-Yo.
“Today is Father's Day, a day where people all around the world celebrate dads,” Legend told viewers afterwards. “You may celebrate by grilling, playing board games, or giving dad yet another complicated gadget he can't figure out how to use. Anyway, some friends and I are celebrating Father's Day by singing a few songs and hopefully adding some laughter to your day. With all that's going on in the world right now, we're all the more grateful for the opportunity to entertain the whole family and hopefully spread a little joy.”
Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, was then shown admitting that she forgot it was Father’s Day and offering viewers her "Oops, I Forgot About Father's Day" last-minute, gift guide.
Teigen’s save-the-day scheme included tips like finding an old Christmas card and re-purposing it as a Father’s Day card, or finding rarely-worn clothing to wrap up and gift to dads.
Legend then introduced the couple's kids (Luna, 4, and Miles, 2) to what he hopes is a new tradition -- an annual "Legend Family Father's Day Barbecue."
"See honey, all our friends are here!" he excitedly told Teigen after bringing her to the backyard barbecue he set up with cardboard cut-outs of Britney Spears, Lizzo -- and even Queen Elizabeth! "No. No, no, no no," Teigen responded, before escaping back inside with the kids.
However, the trio returned to rock out alongside their cardboard pals as Legend performed "I Do" from his album, Bigger Love. Legend also sang a cover of Elton John's "Your Song," as heartwarming home footage of him and his family were shown.
Stevie Wonder, Shaquille O’Neal, Quincy Jones, Common, Scottie Pippen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Marlon Wayans also participated in the special, with Wonder joking he was Luna and Miles' father.
The broadcast also included a game of "Fatherly Feud Robot Edition" featuring the Dad Bods team, which included Jim Gaffigan, taking on the Daddy Issues team, whose members included Anthony Anderson and Patton Oswalt.
Luna and Miles made another appearance during what Legend described as "the best Father's Day ever." The kiddies were shown giving Legend's car a service, and Luna even gave the musician a pedicure!
The cuties even went so far as to help Legend with one of the worst tasks of adulting -- taxes. (Although a subsequent phone call from the IRS prompted Legend to suggest the family leave the country.)
Naturally, Legend's own father, Ronald, also made an appearance. "The same respect that you have for me now, you had it then," he said of raising Legend as a solo dad. "We were able to live with one another without killing each others. I think the ability to respect one another is a key factor in any relationship."
The special ended with Legend giving powerful performances of "Never Break" and "Bigger Love" from his latest album. The former also included a touching tribute to the late George Floyd.
See more Father's Day content below.
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