LOS ANGELES, CA  [Wednesday Jun.16.2004]  /Mix103FM.com/ -- On his web site, Jason Mraz talks about the music he listened to growing up. Says Mraz, "Growing up I listened to all kinds of music beginning with pop. I'll admit I learned to dance to "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" by the Gap Band, and I followed my performances using songs from the artist formerly loved as Michael Jackson, as well as many other disco breaks and 80s dance-ables."

Mraz also worked on his dance moves each weekend. Mraz recalls, "Every Saturday morning I would take my boom-box to the backyard and break-dance to the 'Breakin' Movie Soundtrack. I lived in a small town and we didn't have cable or even good record stores that I knew of. My friends and I relied on the radio and the skating rink to play us the freshest beats and remixes." Luckily, says Mraz, his parents had "great taste" in music.

Says Mraz, "On my dad's side of the family structure I listened to the Motown sound, 50 and 60s doo-wop, be-bop, rhythm and blues, and a whole lot of soul, whereas at my mom's house I heard the great vocalists from as far back as Nat King Cole to the modern day Celine Dion/Josh Groban duet. She hates when I mention Celine and leave out so many other's that she digs. I'm just trying to make an example. It was my mom who took me to see Yanni and Barry Manilow. My dad took me to see The Commodores, The Four Tops and The Temptations, Kenny Loggins, and an assortment of what they called 'beach music festivals.'"

Mraz's sister also contributed to his music education. "My sister, being a few years older gave me my first Nirvana cassette, which got me out of my Boyz II Men phase," says Mraz. "I was lucky to be turned on to so many things but also lucky to have been open to all that stuff."

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