John Legend returns to West Philadelphia and shocks Calvary Baptist Church with a surprise performance of "How I Got Over," a song made popular by Aretha Franklin.

"I grew up singing and playing gospel music," the singer confesses in a video uploaded on his YouTube page. He recalls leading "a bunch of choirs as a kid."

"It helped pay my way through school by being a director of music at a church," Legend said.

Legend went to school in Philadelphia and was in town to perform at the arena, but he admitted he would have loved to have the experience of singing in church again, so he made it happen. In the video, Legend said, "A lot of the greatest soul singers in American history started in a black church."

"It's very obvious when you listen to gospel music and you listen to soul music you can see, and hear, and feel the connection; it's no different for me," the singer continued.

The nine time Grammy Award winner noted that he had not "performed in church in a while," but for his spontaneous appearance at Calvary Baptist Church he chose to sing a song from what he called his "favorite" album, Amazing Grace, by Franklin.

The video includes the pastor's grand introduction for Legend, then shows the singer stepping in to join the band and choir in song. After the rendition is finished he proceeds to leave the spotlight with haste.

Comments on YouTube claimed it was more for show then genuine, one comment read, "This dude came in the middle of service, sang, and left. It was a performance."

Either way Legend felt good about singing in church again and he ends the video by saying, "I thought it'd be cool to go back and explore my roots a little bit."

Watch the video of Legend's recent visit to church below: