Matthew Burton Morris (born May 9, 1979) is an American pop artist and songwriter. He is the son of country music star Gary Morris. He achieved early fame when he appeared on the Disney Channel television series The Mickey Mouse Club in the early 1990s, where he was a cast member from 1991-1995 (Seasons 4-7). Here he met future collaborators Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, along with future celebrities Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Chasen Hampton, Keri Russell, and JC Chasez. Morris first experienced success as a songwriter in the early 2000s. Morris collaborated with Aguilera on her 2002 RCA Records, "Stripped", co-writing 5 songs with Aguilera and producer Scott Storch, including the hit "Can't Hold Us Down";.[1] Another of their collaborations, "Miss Independent", went on to become a number one hit for American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. Morris continued his success in songwriting by co-writing with Timberlake the song "Another Song (All Over Again)" for Timberlake's second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). The track was produced by Rick Rubin, and the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Most recently, a song of his appeared on Reba McEntire's Reba: Duets album,[2] which McEntire sings with Timberlake.
Morris' January 2010 performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" with Justin Timberlake and Charlie Sexton on the Hope For Haiti Now telethon became the most downloaded song from the international broadcast's digital release and went to #1 on the iTunes music chart and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] During the same month, Morris released "When Everything Breaks Open" on Timberlake's Tennman Records. The release gained wide distribution through Interscope Records, garnering much praise in the press.[4]
Early life
Matt Morris was born and raised in Denver, Colorado by his mother and stepfather, and had no intention of being a country singer like his father, Gary Morris, an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s. However, Morris learned much about songwriting from his father, Gary.[5]
Morris biological parents divorced while he was still an infant. Morris was raised in Denver by his mom, Teri Hernandez, and his stepdad, Ken. They lived in the Barnum neighborhood of Denver until Morris was in the fourth grade, when they moved to Bear Valley.[6]
In 1991, when Morris was in 6th Grade, he joined the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club.[6] His castmates included future collaborator and pop superstars Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. The show ended in 1994, when Morris was 15. Morris returned to his home in Denver, Colorado with the intention of distancing himself from the entertainment industry and reconnect with his friends and family.[7] Morris attended John F. Kennedy High School [8] and starred in a number of high school plays, including South Pacific and The King and I
UnSpoken
In 2003, Morris released the independent album UnSpoken. To support the album, Morris toured colleges around the U.S. and gave an interactive session and dialogue with audiences called "Reflections on Artistry and the Business of Music: A Dialogue with Matt Morris." The event consisted of a discussion of Morris' experiences in the music industry, as well as his thoughts about file sharing
Backstage at Bonnaroo and Other Acoustic Performances EP
Morris performed at the 2008 Bonnaroo Music Festival. While at the festival, Morris and producer, Charlie Sexton, recorded a series of acoustic performances backstage in the Music Allies recording studio. The songs were compiled as the 5 song EP, Backstage at Bonnaroo and Other Acoustic Performances, and released by Tennman Records September 23, 2008
When Everything Breaks Open
On January 12, 2010, Morris released When Everything Breaks Open on Justin Timberlake’s label, Tennman Records.[13] In support of the album, Morris performed on a number of television shows, including The David Letterman Show, Ellen and Lopez Tonight. When Everything Breaks Open was co-produced by Charlie Sexton and Justin Timberlake.[5] The album was recorded largely at Public Hi-Fi, a recording studio in Austin, Texas founded by Spoon’s Jim Eno
