The loss of his grandmother “traumatized” John Legend.

The musician, now 43, lost his maternal grandmother when he was 10 years old, back in 1988, and was compelled to take on the role of “main cook” after his mother Phyllis left the home as a result.

He said: “It was tough, very emotional and traumatic, for all of us. Dad would go to work all day, so we had to be independent. Our parents had always encouraged us to be able to do things on our own. And when my mom left it felt like she had prepared us for her absence because we were able to fill in the gaps when we needed to. She showed me how to cook early on, so I ended up being the main cook. We had to figure out a way of taking care of ourselves.”

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The singer of “All of Me” continued by saying that although his mother periodically visited the family home, she had developed a “addicted to drugs,” and he learned to deal by seeking distractions.

He told The Telegraph: “She wasn’t good [when she visited]. She looked unhealthy, she was addicted to drugs. I don’t think she wanted us to see her like that, and we didnít want to see her like that. I’d try to block it out. Part of the way I coped was to focus on things that would distract me.”