PJ Morton

PJ Morton grew up in New Orleans in a gospel household — his father, Bishop Paul S. Morton, leads a large congregation there — and that church grounding runs through everything he does at the keyboard. He joined Maroon 5 as a touring keyboardist and later became a full member, while keeping a parallel solo career going through his own label, Morton Records.

His solo work leans on live instrumentation, close harmony and an unhurried, songwriterly approach to soul, with albums such as Gumbo drawing heavily on his home city. He has won Grammy Awards for his solo material and is a frequent collaborator, both as a producer and as a guest keyboardist and vocalist.