Maroon 5 is getting more attention than ever since they’re set to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show. Most people are familiar with the band’s frontman — Adam Levine — but not many people know about the six other members of the band, as noted by People . Here’s a quick look at who will be performing during the halftime show.
Levine, the band’s singer, is typically the “face” of the band. You may also recognize him as a judge on the singing competition The Voice . He started his first band, Kara’s Flowers, in 1994 with three other bandmates. After a move to Los Angeles, they officially became Maroon 5, after adding a few members to the ensemble.
Levine went to Brentwood School with Jesse Carmichael, who served as guitarist for Kara’s Flowers and then the keyboardist for Maroon 5. Carmichael briefly attended Five Towns College after Kara’s Flowers first album didn’t take off. While in college, he learned to play the keyboard. He eventually decided to drop out of school and try to start up his music career again, and thus, Maroon 5 was born. He took a brief hiatus from the band in 2012 to study spiritual healing but returned to the band two years later to join them in recording their fifth studio album. He also has a solo album released under the alias 1863.
Mickey Madden also attended Brentwood with Levine and Carmichael. He was the bassist for Kara’s Flowers and he later attended UCLA. Like his bandmates, he eventually dropped out of college to start up Maroon 5. Madden is passionate about veganism and is a huge supporter of Farm Sanctuary, an animal protection organization.
James Valentine joined the group in Los Angeles and is a guitarist for the band. He’s also mastered the piano and drums, however. Valentine briefly attended Berklee College of Music in Boston back in 1996. While studying there, he became friends with a classmate named John Mayer. Mayer invited Maroon 5 to be his opening act for a couple of his tours, and Mayer and Valentine are close friends to this day. Valentine also plays in the band JJAMZ.
P.J. Morton is a keyboardist and backup vocalist for Maroon 5. He grew up in New Orleans with a pastor and a gospel singer for parents. After receiving a marketing degree from Morehouse College in 2003, he worked on launching a solo career. He released an album in 2005 before forming The PJ Morton Band, who released an album in 2007. In 2009, he wrote a book called Why Can’t I Sing About Love? The Truth About the Church Against Secular Music. It wasn’t until 2010 that his friend Adam Blackstone, who was the musical director for Maroon 5, suggested he audition for Carmichael’s role while he was on hiatus. He was so good that he remained in the band even after Carmichael returned.
Matt Flynn is the drummer for Maroon 5. He joined the band in 2004 after the original drummer had to leave the band. Flynn has a wife, Heidi Ford, and two kids, Michael and Ryan.
The newest member of the band is Sam Farrar. He was originally the bassist for the band Phantom Planet. He filled in for Madden in 2012 while he was on a brief hiatus, and in 2016, Farrar was asked to be a permanent member. He’s married to Stephanie Eitel, and they have two children, Vesper Pearl, and Flynn Roscoe.
Maroon 5’s 2019 Super Bowl LIII Pepsi Halftime Show airs Feb. 3 on CBS .
