PJ Morton is a lovable, extroverted, passionate American keyboardist, musician, songwriter, singer, and record producer of the pop-rock band Maroon 5 alongside Jesse Carmichael, Adam Levine, James Valentine, Mickey Madden, and Matt Flynn. Like Matt Flynn, PJ Morton is one of the current band members who didn’t join from the beginning and didn’t join until 2012 to play the keys alongside Carmichael, the band’s lifelong keyboardist. Follow us as we reveal facts about PJ Morton’s musical career and personal life.
PJ Morton Biography
PJ Morton was born on Sunday, March 29, 1981, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America. He comes from the family of Bishop Paul S. Morton, a Canadian-born American gospel singer, and Debra Brown Morton, a pastor of the Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church. PJ Morton is of African-American descent and, unlike his parents, grew up not to become religious.
Morton attended and graduated from St. Augustine High School for his education and then moved on to Morehouse College, where he majored in marketing. He received his BA in 2003.
Joining Maroon 5
As a tour member, he became part of the band Maroon 5 in 2010 when his friend and musical director of Maroon 5 asked him to audition for a position in the band as a keyboardist and background singer. As he was the first to audition, he left an indelible mark on the group, and since then he has been playing with the band at concerts and other live performances.
From 2012-1014, PJ Morton filled in for the band’s keyboardist, Jesse Carmichael, who was unable to perform with the group for an indefinite period of time. As a full member of Maroon 5, he contributed his vocals and was an integral part of the instrumentation for the band’s fourth studio album, Overexposed. He was also on board for the band’s 2014 and 2017 albums, V and Red Pill Blues.
ALSO READ: Who is Melissa McKnight – Matt LeBlanc’s Ex-Wife? 5 Facts You Must Know
Solo Music Projects
In 2011, Morton’s solo work caught the attention of Mack Maine, who signed him to his production company Soothe Your Soul and Young Money Entertainment. His first studio album, entitled New Orleans, was released on May 14, 2013, on Young Money Records. His lead single “Only One” with Stevie Wonder was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 2014 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
When you look at PJ Morton’s musical career, it’s easy to forget that he’s the son of a preacher who started with gospel music. PJ Morton, who is a keyboarder with Lil Wayne’s Young Money, talked about the grass smoking, the wild party atmosphere that prevails at Young Money.
In 2016, Morton moved to New Orleans, where he founded his record label Morton Records, which he envisioned as “New Orleans Motown. In the same year, he began work on his own album entitled Gumbo. In anticipation of the gumbo album entitled Say So and Religion, Morton dropped a few songs
Although Gumbo failed to make it into the U.S. Billboard charts, it received positive reviews from most music critics after its release and earned Morton two Grammy nominations for Best R&B Album and Best R& B Song at the 60th Grammy Awards. After winning the Grammy Awards, Morton also won the 2008 Dove and Stellar Awards.
Net Worth
According to various sources, PJ Morton has an estimated net value of $2 million. As a member of the successful band Maroon 5 since 2012, the income from their successful albums and tours is an important source of income for him.
PJ Morton’s collaborations with other artists, from songwriting to production to performing, provide him with a huge income. Some of the top names he has produced/written for include Jagged Edge, India Arie, Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Monica, and gospel singer Fred Hammond. He is also the author of the book Why Can’t I Sing About Love? published in 2009.
ALSO READ: Bonner Bolton Bio, Girlfriend, Wife, Height, Is He Gay?
Who is PJ Morton Wife?
PJ Morton is married to Kortni Morton, a professional hairdresser. The couple grew up in New Orleans, with both families visiting the Greater St. Stephen Church, where PJ Morton’s mother Debra Brown Morton worked closely with Kortni’s mother.
After Kortnis’s family was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, her family moved to Atlanta where she reunited with PJ, who was studying at Morehouse College at the time. They married on Christmas Day 2008, and the reunion is blessed with three children.
