Marcus Johnson & the Urban Jam Band

Marcus Johnson
Musician, Entrepreneur, Professor, Author, Motivational Speaker

Marcus Johnson is an internationally-acclaimed, Billboard-charting jazz pianist, and founder and CEO of FLO Wine, LLC. Marcus has not only performed his music around the world, but is also an insightful and dynamic speaker, who is regularly invited to engage audiences around the country. His speaking engagements have included the Microsoft Small Business Weekly Conference, the AARP Life Reimagined Conference, the EPA, American University, Copyright Alliance, Black MBA Association, and Harvard University Law School. Marcus has also had the opportunity to teach at Georgetown University, Bowie State University, and Elmira College. He has been featured in The Washington Post and USA Today. In 2016, Marcus will publish his first book entitled For the Love of.

As a musician and independent artist, Marcus has released 18 studio albums (seven of which have appeared on Billboard’s Top 10 Contemporary Jazz chart), garnered a NAACP Image Award nomination for Jazz Album of the Year, and has toured the world, performing at various music festivals and venues both domestic and abroad, including shows in Paris, Ghana, St. Lucia, and Bermuda.

Marcus earned a JD/MBA from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree from Howard University. His educational background coupled with his entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish two successful companies. As a graduate student, he created Three Keys Music, an independent record label that produced over 25 albums by several nationally-known artists. His current venture, FLO (For the Love of) Wine, LLC, has enabled him to combine his passion for music with his love of good wine. FLO Wine is available around the country at retail outlets, including Wal-Mart, Costco, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Jewel-Osco, and Giant Foods. USA Today recently included FLO Wine on its list of Top 10 Celebrity Wines. As a result of his business pursuits, Marcus was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Small Business Administration in 2004.

Whether in a university classroom, at a speaking engagement, or from his “keyboard pulpit” in music venues around the world, Marcus motivates and inspires his audiences. He speaks on several topics, including entrepreneurship, the music industry, spirituality, and community. Regardless of the topic, the message is the same. He has said, “I am committed to using my talents to help artists and others create and protect the rights in their passion. Furthermore, my goal is to use my “keyboard pulpit” to spread the word about faith and the fact that all things are possible through dreaming, planning, executing, listening, and learning.”