PJ Morton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids PJ Morton
Morton in 2011
Born	Paul Sylvester Morton Jr. (1981-03-29) March 29, 1981 (age 44) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	Musician singer songwriter record producer
Years active	2005–present
Spouse(s)	Kortni Morton ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop soul funk rock Christian jazz fusion
Instruments	Vocals keyboards
Labels	Young Money Cash Money Republic 222 Interscope Morton Recordings A&M/Octone

PJ Morton, whose full name is Paul Sylvester Morton Jr., is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. He was born on March 29, 1981. Since 2012, he has been the keyboard player for the popular band Maroon 5.

Morton first joined Maroon 5 as a touring musician in 2010. He became an official member in 2012 when the band's keyboardist, Jesse Carmichael, took a break. Carmichael returned to the band in 2014.

PJ Morton also has a successful solo career. He released his first solo music, an EP called Following My First Mind, in March 2012. His first full album, New Orleans, came out in May 2013. In 2017, his album Gumbo was released. This album earned him two nominations for the Grammy Awards.

In April 2019, Morton announced a plan to help restore the New Orleans home of jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden. He wanted to turn it into a museum and community space.

About PJ Morton

Early Life and Family

PJ Morton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father is Bishop Paul S. Morton, a gospel singer and church leader. His mother is Dr. Debra Brown Morton, who is also a pastor.

Morton went to St. Augustine High School. He then studied marketing at Morehouse College, graduating in 2003.

Music Career Highlights

Joining Maroon 5

In 2010, a friend who worked with Maroon 5 asked PJ Morton to try out for the band. They needed a keyboard player and someone to sing backup. Morton was the first person to audition. He made a great impression on the band.

Since then, he has played with Maroon 5 in many concerts and live shows. From 2012 to 2014, he filled in for Jesse Carmichael, the band's main keyboardist. In 2012, Morton officially became a full-time member of Maroon 5. He has played keyboards and sung on their albums, including Overexposed (2012), V (2014), Red Pill Blues (2017), and Jordi (2021).

Solo Music and Albums

PJ Morton's solo music caught the attention of Mack Maine, who signed him to Young Money Entertainment in 2011. His EP, Following My First Mind, was released in March 2012.

In May 2013, Morton released his first major album, New Orleans, with Young Money Records. The song "Only One," which features Stevie Wonder, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014.

Gumbo and Paul Albums

In 2016, Morton moved back to New Orleans. He started his own record label called Morton Records. He hoped it would be like a "New Orleans Motown." That same year, he began working on his album Gumbo. He named it Gumbo because the dish mixes many different ingredients to make something wonderful. He wanted to mix different topics in his songs, like what was happening in the world.

In March 2016, Morton released Bounce & Soul Vol. 1. This mixtape had new versions of his songs in the New Orleans bounce style. In July 2016, he released the Sticking to My Guns EP. The album Gumbo was released on April 14, 2017.

Music critics liked Gumbo and praised Morton's singing and songwriting. The album was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best R&B Album and Best R&B Song. In February 2019, Morton worked with singer JoJo on the song "Say So." This song was the first single from his sixth album, Paul.

Gospel and Piano Albums

In 2020, Morton recorded a live album called The Piano Album. It included songs from his Gumbo and Paul albums. On August 28, 2020, he released his gospel album, Gospel According To PJ. This album featured many other gospel artists. It also had new versions of popular gospel songs. A documentary was released about the making of this album.

Other Music Work

PJ Morton has won several awards for his songwriting and production. He won Dove and Stellar Awards in 2008.

He also worked with AR Rahman, who composed music for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Morton contributed a song called "Sajna" to the movie Couples Retreat. He has produced and written songs for many other musicians, including India.Arie and Monica. In 2009, he wrote a book called 'Why Can't I Sing About Love?'.

In 2016, Morton wrote a song called "Battle Field" for Chinese singer Jane Zhang. This song was for the movie The Great Wall. In October 2023, he was featured on a song called "Ego" by Portuguese singer Barbara Bandeira.

Morton also wrote the song "Special Spice" for the theme park ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure. This ride is based on the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog.

Personal Life

PJ Morton married his wife, Kortni Morton, on December 25, 2008. They grew up attending the same church. They have three children together.

Film and TV Appearances

PJ Morton has appeared in several TV shows and films.

Composer Work

Morton has also composed music for web series.

Music Releases

Solo Albums

Studio Albums

• Emotions (2005)
• Walk Alone (2010)
• New Orleans (2013)
• Gumbo (2017)
• Christmas with PJ Morton (2018)
• Paul (2019)
• Gospel According to PJ: From the Songbook of PJ Morton (2020)
• Watch the Sun (2022)
• Cape Town to Cairo (2024)

Live Albums

• Live from LA (2008)
• Live Show Killer (2015)
• Gumbo Unplugged (2018)
• The Piano Album (2020)
• Watch the Sun Live: The Mansion Sessions (2023)

Mixtape

• Bounce & Soul Volume 1 (2016)

EPs

• Following My First Mind (2012)
• Sticking to My Guns (2016)

With the PJ Morton Band

• Perfect Song (2007)

With Maroon 5

• Overexposed (2012)
• V (2014)
• Red Pill Blues (2017)
• Jordi (2021)

Awards and Nominations

PJ Morton has won several Grammy Awards and received many nominations for his music. Grammy Awards

See also

In Spanish: PJ Morton para niños