After an unprecedented year of civil unrest amidst a global pandemic that left so many isolated and suffering devastating losses, Nashville based reggae artist Gramps Morgan is all about spreading positive vibrations in 2021. Offering a unique voice to Music City’s increasingly diverse sounds, the soulful GRAMMY award-winning crooner offered fans an early taste of his forthcoming album today with release of latest track “Positive Vibration.” Listen HERE.
“Music has the power to unite us whether in times of sorrow or joy. And after the last year, I think we all need more joy,” Gramps shared. “With ‘Positive Vibration’ we wanted to create a sonic celebration that spreads the love and good vibes we need in 2021.”
Produced by Scottish-born, multi-platinum recording artist/producer Johnny Reid and written by Gramps along with Reid and Tyler Cain, the track was recorded at Nashville’s Soultrain Sound Studios the former home of historic Scruggs Sound Studios. “Positive Vibration” offers fans another taste from Gramps first solo project in over eight years set for release later this summer.
A Nashville native since 2012, Gramps moved to town after falling in love with Music City following a performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium while on tour with India.Arie. While his reggae roots are at the forefront with “Positive Vibration,” Gramps sees his music as genre-less…bursting with positive vibration…a soundtrack to celebrate both love and Music City. By flavoring reggae with dashes of both country and soul, Gramps effortlessly blends the sounds of legendary artists like Ken Boothe, Toots Hibbert, Jimmy Buffet and Kenny Chesney creating a sonic recipe all his own to bring everyone to the metaphoric table.
This latest track follows “A Woman Like You” released this spring and last year’s “Runaway Bay,” a love letter to Jamaica incorporating elements of 1950s-skaa, a precursor to reggae as well as “People Like You.” The latter was dedicated to the everyday heroes on the pandemic’s front lines the song was a heart-warming tribute to two men who lost their lives to COVID-19 – a beloved uncle and Morgan Heritage producer Robert “Bobby Digital” Dixon.
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About Gramps Morgan
Roy “Gramps” Morgan entered one of reggae’s royal families when was born on July 7, 1976. His father, Denroy Morgan, a Jamaican immigrant, helped form the Black Eagles, New York’s first reggae group. He also organized several of his children into a reggae band with Gramps joining the appropriately titled Morgan Heritage. Morgan Heritage debuted at Jamaica’s Reggae Sunsplash Festival in 1994 and signed a recording contract with MCA Records that same year. Their debut album, Miracles, featured Gramps on vocals and keyboards. In 2009, after fifteen years of touring and recording with Morgan Heritage, the band decided to pursue solo careers.
Gramps’s first solo effort, 2 Sides of My Heart, Volume 1, came out that same year. It landed him on “Good Morning America” and on tour with India.Arie and John Legend. India.Arie invited Gramps to be the featured vocalist on her breezy 2009 single “Therapy.” The song hit No. 22 on Billboard’s R&B and Adult Contemporary charts and remains Gramps’ highest charting single.
In addition to his solo career, Gramps continued to work with Morgan Heritage. The group’s 2015 Strictly Rootstopped the Reggae Music charts and earned a GRAMMY® Award in 2016 for Best Reggae Album. Morgan Heritage garnered two more GRAMMY® nominations: for 2017’s Avrakedabra and for feature vocals on Shaggy and Sting’s “44/876” (A&M Records, 2018).
