Fletcher Morton -A Pirate Looks At… 10!

Some time ago my son introduced me to a talented young musician he thought I should give a listen to.  Now it’s a fact that he and I don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to our musical tastes, so I proceeded with a little trepidation.  But on this one, he was dead on!

I don’t profess to be a musical expert by any stretch of the imagination, but as a misplaced Beach Bum, I have come to love the sounds of today’s Trop Rockers, and really just about anything with an island vibe.  So when he told me the musician was a 10-year old kid, who played Jimmy Buffet favorites, I thought it was at least worth a listen.  And boy was I glad I did.

The video he forwarded was a short clip of young Fletcher Morton kicking back and playing

a little Jimmy Buffett with a group of musicians in a local guitar shop.  Fletcher is in many ways a typical young boy, but with an atypical talent.  Small in stature, but big in style, this young musician really enjoys playing music, and it shows in each line he sings.

Recently we had the opportunity to see Fletcher play at the Rum Barrel in Key West.  A good sized crowd had gathered for the nightly entertainment, not knowing the special guest musician for the night.  Fletcher wowed the crowd, and as you’ll see, really enjoyed himself in the process.  We had the opportunity to interview Fletcher, and to get his thoughts about music, flying, and life in general.  Here is what he shared with us:

IAT.   When did you first become interested in music? 
FM.  I have always loved music, but I first became interested in playing guitar when I was 7 years old.

IAT.  Do you come from a musical family?
FM.  My mom plays the mandolin, my dad plays brass instruments, and both of my uncles play guitar.

IAT.  Who are some of your favorite artists?
FM.  The Beatles, The Eagles, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley, B.B. King, Bruce Hornsby, The Allman Brothers, Styx , Bing Crosby, Carlos Santana, Pink Floyd, and Eric Clapton.

IAT.  Tell me a little about your musical training, do you take lessons? 
FM.  I have taken lessons from our friends David Keith and Jim Liberato, and I jam with them whenever I get the chance.

IAT.  Is that a six-string Martin that we see you playing?  Tell us about your first guitar. 
FM.  Yes it is.  A Little Martin LX1E. My very generous Grandpa bought it for me for Christmas a couple years ago. My mom and dad bought me my first guitar which was a six string acoustic made by First Act.

IAT.  What type of music is on your iPod?  Who are your favorites?
FM.  I like classic rock, blues, & tropical rock.  My favorites are Carlos Santana, Jimmy Buffett, Pink Floyd, and B.B. King.

IAT.  What other hobbies or interests do you have outside of music?
FM.  I like flying airplanes, acting and dancing.

IAT.  How does Fletcher Morton like to spend his weekends? 
FM.  I like to spend my weekends playing with my friends, playing with my dog, Sam, going to the beach, taking flight lessons, going to playgrounds and spending time with my mom and dad.

IAT.  Tell us about playing at The Rum Barrel during MOTM.  Did you enjoy that evening?
FM.  It was great! I loved listening to all the other musicians and making the audience happy with my performance.  It was great meeting ya’ll in Key West (too).

IAT.  Do you ever get the chance to play with other musicians?  What other artist would you like to play with? 
FM.  I once had an opening gig for Scott Kirby and played his song ‘It’s All About The Girl’.  I’d like to play with The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett some day.

IAT. Have you ever tried to write your own music?
FM.  I have written my own original song called ‘I Like Earth The Way It Is’.  It’s about a space alien from Venus who comes to Earth to explore our planet.

IAT. I know you have several years to plan, but what would you like to do in the future? 
FM.  I want to be a pilot, an actor and dancer, and a rock star.

IAT. How can people find out where you’re playing? 
FM.  My parents post my gigs on my FaceBook page at FletcherMorton

Listen and enjoy as this short video clip we shot of 10-year old Fletcher as he sings and plays Jimmy Buffet’s “A Pirate Looks at 40″.

Currently Fletcher is taking flying lessons and would some day like to obtain his own Pilot’s License.   He’s sounding more and more like Jimmy every day!  Good Luck Fletcher, we hope to hear more about you in the years to come.

Live the Life,
JVbytheSea

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