00:00Being a preacher's kid transitioning into mainstream music was sort of something that
00:16chose me it wasn't something that I necessarily chose it's just as a songwriter which I was
00:21initially even before an artist I was just inspired to write things other than just gospel
00:28songs and I just went with that I'm a person who follows my heart my first inspiration to
00:35write love songs were my parents they have they're about to make 34 years of marriage
00:41and they still have fun they still are friends you know they're still cool they make love
00:48look wonderful my inspirations and influences Stevie Wonder is definitely the number one
00:54for me my mother put me onto the Beatles as a kid I've always been drawn to songwriters
01:00who were musicians because that's what I was I started playing keys first gigged as a musician
01:06and started writing after that so the Stevie's the Prince's the Stings the Beatles those guys
01:12who played instruments and wrote songs were people I was always drawn to I believe being
01:17a songwriter can make you stronger as a singer because you really know what the song is trying
01:21to say so you're able to get that across and really express that I don't know that it was someone
01:28specifically in New Orleans that that I focused on that influenced me but of course the Marcellises
01:36as a family was a huge influence Harry Connick who made it out but really it's just the city that
01:42inspires you you know the culture is so rich it has its own sound as far as music is concerned and I
01:49think that's why my music has always has horns in it you know that brass influence because that's
01:57the sound of the city performing at the essence music festival for me is is huge it's um I mean
02:03I'm I'm honored you know because I saw some shows there that changed my life and kind of shaped me so
02:12to be playing that same room that kind of shaped me to understand shows and how to do live shows it's
02:19just crazy to be back there and I'm super honored I heard Janet is uh is doing it this year and uh you
02:26know Janet is just known for the show she's known for the show so I know she's going to kill it um I
02:31know Mary J is there I'm sure she's going to kill it uh Layla's uh Layla Hathaway is in one of the
02:38lounge rooms she's always incredible so I'm gonna have a good time as well as performing well I've just
02:43released a new record on April 6th and it's still fresh to me called walk alone it's just a group
02:50of songs I love love so I'm still talking about love just some inspiring songs as well as I have a
02:56documentary that's coming out kind of touching on what we talked about today called son of a preacher
03:01man showing how I've been able to maintain mainstream and success in the gospel as well just
03:08keeping busy staying on the road and moving this music what's up y'all this is PJ Morton and I'll be
03:14performing at the 2010 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans
Comments