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PJ Morton

It all starts and ends with the music. For PJ Morton, the songs, records, and shows say everything that needs to be said—and more. Whether performing, playing, or producing, the GRAMMY® Award- and Dove® Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, Morton Records founder, and Maroon 5 keyboardist fills one timeless role most comfortably, that of a “Music Man.” In doing so, he consistently crafts work of a classic caliber on stage and in the studio. “I’ve been blessed to communicate through songs better than words or anything else,” he admits. “I believe in the power of music and honesty. When those two things come together, there’s nothing more powerful. I endeavor to be a true ‘Music Man’ who loves these instruments and the lineage that got us here. It doesn’t matter if I’m putting out another artist on my label, making material of my own, producing someone else, or in Maroon 5, I’m a ‘Music Man’ in every way.” 2019 upheld this claim for Morton. Recorded live and released under Morton Records, Gumbo Unplugged garnered a 2019 GRAMMY® in the category of “Best Traditional R&B Performance” for “How Deep Is Your Love” [feat. Yebba] among three nominations. His total back-to-back tally of solo nominations is now five, including a pair of 2018 GRAMMY® nods for the original Gumbo. Just a week prior to the ceremony, he walked on to the world’s biggest stage and delivered a historic performance alongside Maroon 5 at Super Bowl LIII. These moments marked a much-deserved victory lap for the consummate musician. Throughout 2018, he continued a steady expansion of his growing discography. He composed the score for YouTube Premium’s critically acclaimed comedy series Champaign ILL and penned the theme to OWN’s Ready to Love. Not to mention, he wrapped up a heartfelt holiday album, Christmas With PJ Morton, which Entertainment Weekly dubbed “this year’s surprise stocking stuffer.” He touched down on a total of four continents during the six-month Gumbo World Tour, selling out gigs everywhere from Spain and Japan to Seoul, Korea. At the same time, he focused on further building his company. He grew the roster by way of flagship signings The Amours and producer Erick Bardales. Two Washington D.C.-bred sisters, The Amours traveled the world as part of the label founder’s band and could be heard on Gumbo Unplugged as backing vocalists. As Morton manned the board as producer and executive producer back in New Orleans, the pair cooked up a striking, simmering, and soulful debut for 2019.

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