Saturday Night, Sunday Morning: Staying True to Myself from the Pews to the Stage

by PJ Morton

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, keyboardist for the mega pop band Maroon 5, and founder of Morton Records, PJ Morton details the inspiring journey that led to his unique sound and urges readers to follow their own dreams. The son of pastors and gospel artists, PJ Morton grew up in church, singing gospel music, grounded by its soulful sound. As he was drawn to R&B and pop, PJ  experimented in combining genres to create his own sound that record labels struggled to categorize. Pressured to align with industry standards but committed to his own  dream of his original music, he defied expectations and risked launching his own label, Morton Records. Under it, he developed six self-released and self-produced albums that garnered twenty Grammy nominations and awards, and included collaborations with such acclaimed artists as Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin, and Lil Wayne.   PJ Morton is the rare artist who has straddled the tensions of life, whether in music or faith expressions, or in racial and cultural identities, while staying true to his New Orleans and Christian roots. A pioneer blazing his own path, he developed an independent sound without even knowing what that was in an industry he didn't fully understand, setting the way for artists who follow him. Saturday Night, Sunday Morning captures his powerful, courageous journey of combining his two worlds, showing readers how to overcome obstacles as they seek their own dreams.

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Dewayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about the artist P.J Morton, someone whom I only recognized as the black guy in Maroon 5 prior to this reading. I now have so much more respect for his life and path to success as a musician that really was unique and seemed built specifically for him. I enjoyed hearing his view as a musician seeking to maximize his craft while not subjecting his art form to the opinions of others who sought to make him mainstream. This book was a great reminder for me on how important it is to seek and understand your own God-given purpose and let that always be the anchor to your path rather than what others think. His professional success as an artist reflects that. Since reading this book, I have him on constant rotation on my playlist with his Gumbo album being an all-time classic.

[Tranyce Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know how to review this one. I have conflicting views on what to complain about and what to compliment. I really appreciate how much he's been able to accomplish in such a short period of time but I don't know if he ever addresses why his readers should care. It felt like he was documenting his life's journey so far to have to reproduce for memory or later use, if need be, almost like this could serve as a resume. There weren't any encouraging messages or life lessons shared from his perspective, only fact of the matter recitations. I love his music, but unless his reader is looking for music history, I don't think most readers will enjoy this.

[Damena Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

PJ’s storytelling is so relatable and easy to read. You don’t have to be a musician to understand his story and resonating message: remain authentic no matter what.

[LiteraryMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a perfect title for PJ Morton's new memoir! Saturday Night Sunday Morning is a new released book by the accomplished entertainment executive, musician and artist with a unique sound. PJ Morton is the rare artist that straddles religious and secular music lines, racial and cultural identities and combining his two worlds.

PJ Morton shares his influences in life, from his dad to church, gospel groups, second lines in New Orleans, piano teachers, bands and more. The first section highlights his early and most important influences. The second section begins with memories as a student of the prestigious St. Augustine High School. Known for its academic excellence and many successful alumni, it reminds me of the high school I graduated from (Cass Tech).

Morton goes on to talk about Morehouse, a very public bad breakup, finding new yet familiar love and starting a family. The rest of the memoir goes into great detail of his music career. The most interesting tidbit I learned was PJ Morton's connection to Mack Maine, president of Young Money Entertainment, his introduction to Maroon 5 and the bittersweet Super Bowl moment. Bookhearts, this is the PJ Morton you may know. Yes, that Black dude in Maroon 5! This is the part I looked forward to reading most. It took a while to get to that good part, but we needed the background and grass roots to fully understand his journey.

The blessings and opportunities that PJ Morton shares within his memoir are inspiring. I recommend reading Saturday Night Sunday Morning with access to your preferred music streaming service. Play the songs he mentions. Play the artists he name drops. Read the lyrics to his songs and get lost in the music while reading his story. There are a couple times where he references a topic but doesn't go further, yet he always came back to it eventually which I can appreciate!

Happy Early Pub Day, P.J. Morton! Saturday Night, Sunday Morning will be available Tuesday, November 12.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

[Doris Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already knew this would be a 5 star book, I absolutely love PJ. As a Louisiana native, I grew up watching his dad, Bishop Paul Morton, so PJ has always felt familiar to me.

I first heard PJ’s Gumbo album back in college (the unplugged version is still my favorite), and it’s been up ever since. Reading about his journey in music and the church made me appreciate him even more. PJ is incredibly talented, driven, and wonderfully spontaneous. This book just confirmed everything I already adored about him.

[Kiryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

PJ is my favorite secular/R&B artist so I enjoyed it. I guess I was just expecting a little more. I felt a lot of the book just talked about what he’s accomplished in the music industry. I would’ve like to know more about PJ aside from the music. But it was cool to listen (audiobook) to how his albums came about :)

[Bria · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a PJ Morton fan, I can appreciate this book a lot! It was full of gems, important moments, beginnings and ends. It reminds me to never give up on the things you want, even if it takes you a little longer to get there. Some of the parts are a little repetitive but he always brings the story home at the end. Good read!

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a bit biased as a PJ Morton fan and a musician but this was a really easy listen which really focuses on determination, passion, consistency and finding your true purpose, love and North Star. I can relate to this story a lot so it was quite enjoyable for me and I appreciated that he was the voice of his audiobook. It’s light. It’s honest. It’s inspiring.

[Darlene Dejohnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I Understand!!!

Love, love PJ and his music. Unfortunately, I was late to the party, but have been on board since 2016. This book has filled in missing pieces to his story for me. Now I need to go back and listen to the early music that I missed.

[latrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always loved PJ Morton’s music so I was excited about this book but it was a little boring. It was a report of his life. Nothing more or nothing less. It didn’t have any feelings or emotions.

[M. Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

i enjoyed this book immensely because I enjoyed reading about his journey. An amazing musician and artist!