02/07/2022
I’m totally honored and humbled to be a 2022 Candle in the Dark honoree! 🙏🏾 When I was at Morehouse and would hear of the names that were honorees, never in a million years did I think I’d one day be one of them! God is the greatest! 🙌🏾🤯
Repost from
Bennie Achievement Award
Paul 'PJ' Morton Jr. '03
Paul "P.J." Morton '03 is perhaps best known as
a keyboardist for the pop band Maroon 5, but
he's much more than a musician. The
Morehouse College graduate has been making
his mark as a versatile producer, arranger,
singer, songwriter, and multiple Grammy
Award-winner, known for his own albums, as
well as studio work for other performers.
Morton, a New Orleans native, was born to
renowned gospel musician Paul S. Morton and
Pastor Debra Brown Morton. Influenced by his
talented family while growing up, he learned to
play musical instruments such as the keyboard,
and sang in church.
After graduation from St. Augustine High
School~a Catholic, all-boys school in New
Orleans-Morton attended Morehouse, earning
a marketing degree in 2003.
During this period, Morton also launched his
music career, releasing an album with Freestyle
Nation and contributing to India Arie's
Grammy-winning 2002 album, "Voyage to
India." He released independent albums, such
as "Emotions" (2005) and "Perfect Song'
(2007) while collaborating with Anthony David,
LL Cool J, Faith Evans, Monica, and Kierra
"Kiki" Sheard. And Morton had his own gospel
hit with "Let Go.
Morton also added to the song "Sajna" from
the film "Couples Retreat" and won Grammy
Awards for his songwriting and production on
India Arie's "Interested." In 2009, Morton
published the book "Why Can't I Sing About
Love?" And a year later, he was chosen by
Maroon 5 to temporarily take the place of
keyboardist Jesse Carmichael. Morton toured with the group in
2010, and became a full member, as
keyboardist and background vocalist, in 2012.
In 2016, Morton moved back to New Orleans
and founded his own Morton Records label.
The next year, he released his album "Gumbo"
which included Morton's Grammy Award-
winning cover of the Bee Gees'
"How Deep is
Your Love."
