PJ Morton is a triple threat in music.
He is a successful singer, songwriter and pianist.
What you need to know
- PJ Morton is one of the three biggest names in music.
- One of the greatest musical idols he decided to emulate was Stevie Wonder.
- The Grammy Award-winning artist wants to inspire others to dream big.
One of the greatest musical idols he decided to emulate was Stevie Wonder.
“So Stevie was just like a blueprint for me as someone who wanted to play keyboards and write songs and sing,” Morton said. “He became my No. 1 influence, so I think that shows up a lot.”
Listening to some of the songs, you can hear Wonder’s influence on the 43-year-old.
Morton said he doesn’t conform to what the music industry thinks he should look or sound like.
His success comes from hard work and dedication, and the Grammy Award-winning artist hopes to inspire others to dream big.
“You all know the journey that I took to get to this point, which is winning five Grammys independently, which is something that was unimaginable when I was growing up. I had to be signed to a major label, that’s the only way I could do it. So I’ve always felt like an underdog,” Morton explained.
Though he’s enjoyed success both as a solo singer and with his own band, many R&B fans aren’t aware that he’s also the keyboardist for the hugely successful pop group Maroon 5.
“I was in a band. [for] Every year for 14 years, it turns out there’s a black guy in Maroon 5. And then it turns out that black guy is PJ Morton.”
A native of New Orleans, he grew up as a minister’s son and began playing the piano at an early age.
On his path to stardom, he lived in the Northeast Bronx for about a year, trying to break into the New York music scene.
“I remember the first time I got on the train, I was lost, wandering all over the place, and I was about to miss the train and this guy opened the door for me, like, ‘Hey, hey, hey, it’s alright,’ and I was like, ‘Hey, New York isn’t so bad,'” he said.
Morton recently traveled to Africa to experience his roots, spending 30 days writing and recording his new album, “Cape Town to Cairo,” while traveling across the continent.
The musician said Black music is important and has influenced many genres.
“For me, that’s what it’s all about. When I talk about where I started, the church, gospel music and the influence it had on me, the influence gospel music had on soul music and how I got to R&B music, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
“And rock ‘n’ roll and pop music,” Morton added.
And the musical celebration continues: He can proudly say he, like so many other champions, is going to Disney World.
“Yes, I’m going to Disney World and Disneyland this fall. I just wrote a song as the first Black composer to write for a Disney attraction. I wrote it for Tiana, the first Black princess,” Morton said.
The new attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, opened on June 28th.
Morton is also set to release a book about his life, “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning,” this fall.