Morgan James(VII)

Singer and actress Morgan James was born Morgan Aland Grunerud on November 24, 1981 in Boise, Idaho. She's the daughter of educators and actors Allen Grunerud and Shellie Harwood. Moreover, her younger brother Nicholas is an avant-garde musician and comedian. James and her family moved around several times when she was a child; they went from Pocatello, Idaho to Utah and Tennessee before eventually settling down in Modesto, California where James attended high school. Morgan was inspired by her parents to enter the performing arts and joined a choir in middle school. Following graduation from Peter Johansen High School in Modesto, California in 1999, James went on to study opera at the Juilliard School in New York City and graduated from Juilliard with a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice in 2003. In the wake of finishing college Morgan initially struggled to find work and looked for jobs in which she could put her classical and operatic training to fruitful use.

James made her Broadway stage debut in a musical production of "The Adams Family" in 2010. Morgan subsequently went on to appear in Broadway productions of "Wonderland," a revival of "Godspell," and "Motown: The Musical." James has also played at various New York City clubs that include 54 Below, Birdland, Rockwood Music Hall, and (Le) Poison Rouge. Morgan released her first album "Morgan James Live: A Celebration of Nina Simone" in 2012. This was followed by her second album "Hunter" in 2014. James did the Joni Mitchell cover album "Blue" in 2016, the solo album "Reckless Abandon" in 2017, and her own interpretation of "The White Album" by The Beatles in 2018. In addition, Morgan has frequently collaborated with the popular musical collective Postmodern Jukebox.