ORLANDO, Fla. -- Since its inception, WrestleMania has hosted countless music icons to offer their rendition of the quintessential patriotic anthem, "America the Beautiful," from Ray Charles to Willie Nelson to Aretha Franklin. At the 24th inaugural event, five-time Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum artist John Legend made history with his performance in the middle of the open-air Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

In his lavish, coolly lit coach bus, Legend described his participation in a history-making event at WrestleMania XXIV.

"I didn't know it was going to be this big," a candid Legend told WWE.com. "This is one of the biggest extravaganzas that I've been a part of."

And, the talented musician has certainly seen his share of extravaganzas. In 2006, Legend performed alongside another legend of a different kind, Stevie Wonder, at Super Bowl XL. Continuing his participation in big-time events, Legend -- a WWE loyalist himself -- joined more than 70,000 overwhelmingly excited fans in attendance in Orlando for the performance of a lifetime.

"I grew up a wrestling fan and watched WWE all the time," he explained with a beaming grin. "My nephews are huge WWE fans. I know how much they love it and how much I used to love it, and I figured we'd all come down here and have a good time."

Aside from reigniting a long-time love for sports-entertainment, Legend's WrestleMania appearance also earned his name passage onto an elite list of music marvels that have kicked off The Granddaddy of Them All.

"I figured I was in good company," the highly celebrated recording artist added. "I knew it was going to be a night to remember … a big spectacle with a lot of screaming fans and a fun night."