PJ Morton Working to Restore Home of Jazz Legend Buddy Bolden

4/1/2019 by Associated Press

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

PJ Morton performs onstage during Majic 107.5 After Dark at City Winery on March 18, 2019 in Atlanta.

PJ Morton, the keyboard player with Maroon 5, is working to restore the New Orleans home of jazz legend Charles “Buddy” Bolden.

Bolden led a band that was the first to play what became known as jazz music.

His Central City home has been crumbling for years.

WWL-TV reports that Morton founded a non-profit that will take over the home and plans to turn it into a museum, recording studio and event space.

The properties are currently owned by Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church, where Morton’s father is the bishop. The church faces steep fines if it doesn’t address blight issues at the property.

Morton says part of the delay in rehabbing the property was a lack of knowledge about its historical significance but he’s promising “forward movement” now.