John Mayer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
For other persons named John Mayer, see John Mayer (disambiguation).
John Mayer
John Mayer performing at the Crossroads Guitar Festival on July 28, 2007
John Mayer performing at the Crossroads Guitar Festival on July 28, 2007
Background information
Birth name John Clayton Mayer
Born October 16, 1977 (1977-10-16) (age 31)
Bridgeport, Connecticut,
USA
Genre(s) Blues-rock, pop rock, blues
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, Musician, Columnist
Instrument(s) Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Mandolin
Voice type(s) Baritone
Years active 1998 – present
Label(s) Aware, Columbia, Sony BMG
Associated acts John Mayer Trio
LoFi Masters
Website www.johnmayer.com
Notable instrument(s)
Fender Stratocaster

John Clayton Mayer (pronounced /ˈmeɪ.ər/ MAY-ər;[1] born October 16, 1977) is an American musician. Originally from Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music before moving to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1997, where he refined his skills and gained a following. His first two studio albums, Room for Squares and Heavier Things, did well commercially, achieving multi-platinum status. In 2003, he won a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Award for "Your Body Is a Wonderland".

Mayer began his career performing mainly acoustic rock, but gradually began a transition towards the blues genre in 2005 by collaborating with renowned blues artists such as B. B. King, Buddy Guy, and Eric Clapton, and by forming the John Mayer Trio. The blues influence can be heard on his album Continuum, released in September 2006. At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007 Mayer won Best Pop Vocal Album for Continuum and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Waiting on the World to Change". Mayer's career pursuits have extended to stand-up comedy, design, and writing; he has written pieces for magazines, most notably for Esquire. He is also involved in philanthropic activities through his "Back to You" fund and his concern over global warming.

Contents

Early life

John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Margaret (an English teacher) and Richard (a high school principal).[2] He grew up in nearby Fairfield, the second of three children.[3] There, he became friends with future tennis star James Blake.[4] Mayer attended the former Fairfield High School, although he was enrolled in the Center for Global Studies at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, Connecticut for his junior year. (Then known as the Center for Japanese Studies Abroad, it is a magnet program for students wanting to learn Japanese[5]). During an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, he said that he had played the clarinet for a while in middle school, with minor success. After watching the Marty McFly character's (Michael J. Fox) guitar performance in Back to the Future, he became fascinated with the instrument.[6] Subsequently, when Mayer was thirteen, his father rented one for him.[7]

Soon after Mayer got his guitar, a neighbor gave him a Stevie Ray Vaughan cassette, which began Mayer’s intense love of the blues.[8]a[›] Despite the reservations of his parents, Mayer became consumed with playing the guitar,[9] and after two years of practice, he started playing at blues bars and other venues in the area, while in high school.[5][7] In addition to performing alone, he was in a band called Villanova Junction with Tim Procaccini, Joe Beleznay, and Rich Wolf.[10]

When Mayer was seventeen, he was stricken with a cardiac arrhythmia that sent him to the hospital for a weekend. Reflecting on the incident, Mayer said, “That was the moment the songwriter in me was born,” and he penned his first lyrics the night he got home.[11] Shortly thereafter, he began suffering from crippling panic attacks, and even now he keeps Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, with him.[11][12] After graduation, he worked for fifteen months at a gas station until he saved up enough money to buy his first proper guitar—a 1996 Stevie Ray Vaughan signature Stratocaster.[13]

Career

Early career

John Mayer enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of nineteen.[3] After two semesters, he chose to cut his studies short, and at the urging of his college friend and Atlanta native, Clay Cook, the two moved to Atlanta, Georgia.[14] Quickly making a name for their two-man band, LoFi Masters, they began their career in earnest there, frequenting the local coffee house and club circuit in venues like Eddie’s Attic.[7] Cook has said, however, that they began to experience musical differences due to Mayer’s desire to take the duo in more of a pop direction.[15] The two parted ways, and Mayer embarked on a solo career.[14]

With the help of local producer and engineer Glenn Matullo, Mayer recorded the independent EP Inside Wants Out. Cook is also cited as the co-writer of many of the songs from the EP, most notably, Mayer's first commercial single release, "No Such Thing".[15] The EP includes only eight songs, all with Mayer on lead vocals and guitars, with the exception of “Comfortable” in which Mayer only recorded the vocals. For the opening track, “Back To You”, a full band was enlisted, including the EP’s co-producer David "DeLa" LaBruyere on bass guitars.[16] Mayer and LaBruyere then began to tour throughout Georgia and the surrounding states.

Major label success
"City Love" excerpt
From the album Room for Squares.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Mayer’s reputation began to build, and a March 2000 appearance at South by Southwest[17] brought him to the attention of "launch" label, Aware Records.[18] After including him in the Aware Festival concerts and having his songs included on Aware compilations, in early 2001, Aware released Mayer’s internet-only album entitled, Room for Squares. During that time, Aware inked a deal with Columbia Records that gave Columbia first pick in signing Aware artists, and so in September of the same year, Columbia remixed and re-released Room for Squares.[19] As part of the major label "debut", the album's artwork was updated, and the track "3x5" was added. The re-release also included reworked studio versions of the first four songs from his indie album, Inside Wants Out.[20]

By the end of 2002, Room for Squares had spawned several radio hits, including "No Such Thing," "Your Body Is a Wonderland," and ultimately, "Why Georgia." In 2003, Mayer won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Your Body Is a Wonderland." In his acceptance speech he remarked, "This is very, very fast, and I promise to catch up."[21] He also figuratively referred to himself as being sixteen, a remark that many mistook to mean that he was only sixteen years old at the time.[22]

In 2003, Mayer released a live CD and DVD of a concert in Birmingham, Alabama entitled, Any Given Thursday. The concert featured songs previously not recorded, such as "Man on the Side" (co-written with Cook) and "Something's Missing", which later appeared on Heavier Things. The concert also included "Covered In Rain". According to the accompanying DVD documentary, this song is "part two" of the song "City Love", which features the line "covered in rain". Commercially, the album quickly peaked at number seventeen on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD/DVD received conservative, although consistent, praise, with critics torn between his pop-idol image, and (at the time) emerging guitar prowess. Erik Crawford (of Allmusic) asked "Is he the consummate guitar hero exemplified when he plays a cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'Lenny', or is he the teen idol that the pubescent girls shriek for after he plays 'Your Body Is a Wonderland?'"[23][24]

Heavier Things, Mayer's second album, was released in 2003 to generally favorable reviews. Rolling Stone, Allmusic and Blender all gave positive, although reserved, feedback. PopMatters said that it "doesn't have as many drawbacks as one might assume".[25] The album was commercially successful, and while it did not sell as well as Room for Squares, it peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. Mayer earned his first number one single with the song "Daughters" as well as a 2005 Grammy for Song of the Year, beating out fellow contenders Alicia Keys and Kanye West. He dedicated the award to his grandmother, Annie Hoffman, who died in May 2004. He also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, beating Elvis Costello, Prince, and Seal for the award. In his February 9th 2009 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Mayer said that he thought he shouldn't have won the Grammy for Song of the year because he thought that Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You was the better song. Because of this, he removed the top half of the Grammy and gave it to Keys, and kept the bottom part for himself.[26] At the 37th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2006, Mayer was honored with the Hal David Starlight Award.[27]

Mayer again recorded live concerts across seven nights of his U.S. tour in 2004. These recordings were released to the iTunes music store under the title as/is, indicating that the errors were included along with the good moments. A few months later, a "best of" CD was compiled from the as/is nights. The album included a previously unreleased cover of Marvin Gaye's song "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", featuring a solo from Mayer's support act — jazz and blues turntablist, DJ Logic. All the album covers of the as/is releases feature drawings of anthropomorphic bunnies.[28]

January 2005, left to right: David Ryan Harris, John Mayer and Steve Jobs at Macworld 11, SF Moscone Center.

With increased exposure, Mayer's talent came into demand in other areas. Steve Jobs invited Mayer to perform during the keynote address of Apple's annual Macworld Conference & Expo, in January 2004, as Jobs introduced the software application GarageBand.[29] The gig led to Mayer becoming a fixture of the event. He rejoined Jobs on stage for a solo performance at Macworld 2007, following the announcement of the iPhone.[30] Mayer has also done endorsements, such as a Volkswagen commercial for the Beetle's guitar outlet and for the BlackBerry Curve.[31]

Change in musical direction
"Go!" excerpt
From the album Be. In 2004, after the three saw the movie Ray together, Kanye West and Mayer joined Common back in the studio. Mayer came up with the song's concept — fantasies — and his vocals were sampled for the track.[32]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Mayer began to collaborate extensively, often working with artists outside of his own genre. He appeared on Common's song "Go!" and on Kanye West's "Bittersweet Poetry".b[›] Following these collaborations, Mayer received praise from rap heavyweights Jay-Z and Nelly.[33] When asked about his presence in the hip hop community, Mayer said, "It's not music out there right now. That's why, to me, hip-hop is where rock used to be."[34]

It was around this time that Mayer began hinting a change in his musical interests, announcing that he was "closing up shop on acoustic sensitivity."[34] In 2005, he began a string of collaborations with various blues artists, including Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, as well as jazz artist John Scofield. He also went on tour with legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, which included a show at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. These collaborations led to recordings with several of these artists, namely, Clapton (Back Home, Crossroads Guitar Festival), Guy (Bring 'Em In), Scofield (That's What I Say), and King (80). Although Mayer has maintained a reputation for being a sensitive singer-songwriter, he has also gained distinction as an accomplished guitarist, influenced by the likes of the above artists, as well as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, and Freddie King.[35]

John Mayer Trio

Main article: John Mayer Trio
"Who Did You Think I Was?"
From the album Try! The first single, "Who Did You Think I Was?," lyrically underscores Mayer's decision to move away from acoustic pop music and towards blues, with lines such as, "Got a brand new blues that I can't explain."[36] This sample features an extended electric guitar solo.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

In the spring of 2005, Mayer formed the John Mayer Trio with bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan, both of whom he had met through previous studio sessions. The trio played a combination of blues and rock music. In October 2005, the Trio opened for The Rolling Stones during a sold-out club tour of their own,[37] and that November, released a live album called Try! The band took a break in mid-2006. In September 2006, Mayer announced plans for the Trio to begin work on a future studio album.[38]

Continuum and beyond

Mayer's latest album, entitled Continuum, was released on September 12, 2006, and was produced by Mayer himself and Steve Jordan. Mayer suggested the album was intended to combine his signature pop music with the feel, sound, groove, and sensibilities of the blues. In that vein, two of the tracks from his trio release Try! — the funky "Vultures" and the blues centerpiece "Gravity" — also were included on Continuum.[3] Mayer has said that "Gravity" is the most important song he's ever written.[39][40]

The first single from Continuum was "Waiting on the World to Change," which debuted on The Ron and Fez Show. The song was the third most downloaded song of the week on the iTunes Music Store following its release on July 11, 2006, and debuted at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. On August 23, 2006, Mayer debuted the entire album on the Los Angeles radio station Star 98.7, giving commentary on each track.[41] A subsequent version was released the next day on the Clear Channel Music website as a streaming sneak preview. On September 21, 2006, Mayer appeared on CSI, playing "Waiting on the World to Change" and "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room." The song "Gravity" was featured on the television series House in the episode "Cane & Able" and Numb3rs. He recorded a session for the British program Live From Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios on October 22, 2006.

On December 7, 2006, Mayer was nominated for five 2007 Grammys, including "Album of the Year." The John Mayer Trio also received a nomination for their album, Try!. He won two: Best Pop Song with Vocal for "Waiting on the World to Change" and Best Pop Album for Continuum. Mayer remixed an acoustic version of his single "Waiting on the World to Change" with vocal additions from fellow musician Ben Harper. In preparation for recording Continuum, Mayer had booked the Village Recorder in Los Angeles to record five demo acoustic versions of his songs with veteran musician Robbie McIntosh. These recordings became The Village Sessions, an EP released on December 12, 2006. As usual, Mayer oversaw the artwork of the release.[42]

Mayer (center), with Frusciante (right) and Trucks (left), on the cover of Rolling Stone 1020

Mayer was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone (#1020) in February 2007, along with John Frusciante and Derek Trucks. He was named as one of the "New Guitar Gods," and the cover nicknamed him "Slowhand, Jr.," a reference to Eric Clapton.[35] Additionally, he was selected by the editors of Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2007 and was listed among artists and entertainers.[43]

On November 20, 2007, the re-issue of Continuum became available online and in stores. The release contains a bonus disc of six live songs from his 2007 tour: five from Continuum and a cover of the Ray Charles song "I Don't Need No Doctor."[44] His new single, "Say," also became available through iTunes. On December 6, 2007, "Belief" was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. He accompanied Alicia Keys on guitar on her song "No One" at the ceremony.

In February 2008, Mayer hosted a three-day Caribbean cruise event that included performances with various musicians including David Ryan Harris, Brett Dennen, and Colbie Caillat, among others. The event was called "The Mayercraft Carrier" and was held aboard the cruise ship known as the Carnival Victory.[45] A follow up cruise titled "Mayercraft Carrier 2" set sail from Long Beach, California on March 27-31, 2009 on the Carnival Splendor.

On July 1, 2008, Mayer released Where the Light Is a live concert film of Mayer's performance at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on December 8, 2007. The film was directed by Danny Clinch. It features an acoustic set and a set with the John Mayer Trio, followed by a set with John's band from the Continuum album. The DVD and Bluray bonus material includes footage of Mayer backstage and playing outside on Mulholland Drive.[46]

CBS confirmed on January 14, 2009 that Mayer is in negotiations with the station for a variety show. The details of the deal and the nature of the show are yet unknown.[47]

Other projects

Philanthropic activities

In 2002, Mayer began the "Back To You" Fund, a non-profit organization that focuses on fundraising in the areas of health care, education, the arts, and talent development. The foundation raises funds through the auction of exclusive John Mayer items, such as guitar picks, t-shirts, and signed CDs, made available on Mayer's auction site. The auctions have been successful, with some tickets selling for more than seventeen times their face value.[48][49]

In an April 2007 blog entry, Mayer announced a new effort to help reverse global warming, dubbed "Another Kind of Green" (originally "Light Green", but changed because of copyright concerns).[50] Mayer regards his proposal as a mid-ranged approach to being ecologically aware: neither fearful nor ambivalent about global warming.[51] In this vein, while generally maintaining his lifestyle, he is gradually designing and implementing "products that are cheap, easy alternatives to cut down on plastics," and encouraging others to do the same through his blog.[51] He has also converted his tour bus to bio-diesel fuel.[51] Mayer is partnering with Incase to produce items such a reusable grocery tote and water bottles.[50] Mayer also participated at the East Rutherford, New Jersey location of the Live Earth project, a musical rally to support awareness for global warming held on July 7, 2007.[52] Beginning in the summer of 2007, the environmental advocacy group Reverb has set up informational booths and helped his crew conserve energy on his tour dates.[53]

Mayer has performed at a number of benefits and telethons for charity throughout his career. In response to the Virginia Tech massacre, Mayer (along with Dave Matthews Band, Phil Vassar, and NaS) performed a free concert at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium on September 6, 2007.[54] On December 8, 2007, Mayer hosted the First Annual Charity Revue. He performed an acoustic set, a set with the John Mayer Trio followed by a performance with his tour band. The proceeds of this concert will be donated to Toys for Tots, Inner City Arts, and the Los Angeles Mission.[55] Both CDs and DVDs of the concert were released under the title "Where the Light Is" in July 2008. It has not been announced whether the DVD proceeds will go to charity or not.[56] Mayer also appeared on Songs for Tibet, a celebrity initiative to support Tibet and the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.[57]

Design

I'm actually into sneakers on a design level. I've got a big design thing going on in my life right now ... I love designing stuff. I mean, my biggest dream, forget Grammys, I want to be able to design an Air Max.
—John Mayer (AP, 2006)[58]

In a Rolling Stone interview, Mayer recalled that after former Columbia Records head, Don Ienner, panned Continuum, he briefly considered quitting music and studying design full time.[11] Mayer's interest in design, however, had long manifested itself in a number of ways. In 2003, Martin Guitars gave Mayer his own signature model acoustic guitar called the OM-28 John Mayer.[59] The guitar was limited to a run of only 404, an Atlanta area code.[60] This model was followed by the release of two Fender signature Stratocaster electric guitars, beginning in 2005. A third Stratocaster, finished in charcoal frost metallic paint with a racing stripe, was also a limited-release, with only 100 guitars made. In January, 2006, Martin Guitars released the Martin OMJM John Mayer acoustic guitar. The guitar was intended to have many of the attributes of the Martin OM-28 John Mayer but with a more affordable price tag.[61] In August 2006, Fender started manufacturing SERIES II John Mayer Stratocasters. The new Olympic white with mint green pickguard and cream plastics replaced the shoreline gold model.[62] In January 2007, Two Rock collaborated with Mayer on custom-designed amps. Only 25 (all signed by Mayer himself) were made available to the public.[63][64] June 2007 saw the release of the "album art" guitar, with the Continuum motif repeated on the face of the instrument,[65] as well as a 500-run John Mayer signature Fender Statocaster in Cypress-Mica. Included with the limited Cypress-Mica model was the INCSvsJM gig bag that Mayer collaborated on with Incase designs. Not surprisingly, Mayer is a passionate collector of guitars, and in 2006 his collection was estimated at more than 200.[11]

In addition to guitars, Mayer's handiwork ranges from T-shirts, guitar totes and, most dear to his heart, sneakers. In August 2006, Mayer started JMltd, a minor clothing line of Mayer-themed merchandise that he has designed. The products are currently available online through his website store.

Writing

With the June 1, 2004, issue of Esquire, Mayer began a column called, "Music Lessons with John Mayer". Each article featured a lesson and his (often humorous) take on various topics, both of personal and popular interest. In the August 2005 issue, he invited readers to create music for orphaned lyrics he had written.[66] The winner was Tim Fagan of L.A., as announced in the following January's issue.[67]

Mayer has been active online, and has maintained four blogs: a MySpace page, a blog at his official site, another at Honeyee.com, as well as a photoblog at StunningNikon.com. Although they primarily deal with career-related matters, they also contain jokes, comedic videos, his convictions, and his personal activities; they occasionally overlap in content. He is noted for writing the blogs himself, and not through a publicist.[43][12]His official blog's entry for 2008-01-23 contained a graphic that read, "Done & Dusted & Self Conscious & Back to Work." followed by the quote "There is danger in theoretical speculation of battle, in prejudice, in false reasoning, in pride, in braggadocio. There is one safe resource, the return to nature..";c[›] all the previous blog entries were deleted.[68] He subsequently changed that entry's contents several times, and has since resumed blogging.

In the mid-2000s, stand-up comedy was a hobby of Mayer's. He would make random appearances at the famed Comedy Cellar in New York. While he said that it helped him write better,[11] he said that increased media attention has had to make him be too careful about what he says; he also felt that he wasn't funny.[69]

Television

In 2004, Mayer had a one-shot half-hour comedy special on VH1, entitled John Mayer Has a TV Show, with antics including wearing a bear suit and anonymously teasing concertgoers in the parking lot outside one of his concerts. Mayer is currently shooting a television pilot for a CBS variety show; it may air as a special or as a regular series.[70]

Touring

External videos
Official video Mayer performing an acoustic set from his DVD Where the Light Is

Despite being principally a solo musician, Mayer has toured with many groups, including Maroon 5,[71] Guster, Howie Day, Mat Kearney, Counting Crows,[72] Ben Folds, The Wallflowers, Teitur,[73] Brett Dennen and Sheryl Crow. Crow and Mayer, who had just previously appeared on the Cars Soundtrack together, co-headlined a tour that ran from August to October 2006.[74] Shortly thereafter, he began promoting Continuum in Europe with his band, as he has yet to reach the popularity abroad that he enjoys in North America.[75] Beyond this, other international dates included United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The initial North American leg wrapped on February 28, 2007, with a show at Madison Square Garden, a performance which the New York Post described as "career-defining."[76] Mayer's 2008 live touring band consists of:

  • Bob Reynolds: saxophones and flutes
  • Brad Mason: trumpet and flugel horn
  • Tim Bradshaw: keyboards, organ, and vocals

Previous members of Mayer's live band include:

  • Michael Chaves: guitars, keyboards and backing vocals
  • Stephen Chopek: drums and percussion
  • David LaBruyere: bass
  • Onree Gill: keyboards
  • Kevin Lovejoy: keyboards
  • Matt Mangano: guitar and vocals
  • Ricky Peterson: keyboards, organ, and vocals
  • Chuck McKinnon: trumpet and flugel horn
  • Chris Karlic: saxophones and flutes
  • Erik Jekabson: trumpet

Mayer allows audio taping at most of his live performances, and he also allows for the non-commercial trading of those recordings. He does this to give fans the opportunity to recreate the live experience, and to encourage fan interaction.[77]

On April 8, 2008 his official website announced the dates for the first leg of the summer 2008 U.S. tour. Most dates include performances by Colbie Caillat and Brett Dennen.

Tour dates for the second leg of his 2008 summer U.S. tour were announced on May 29, 2008. OneRepublic and Paramore replaced Caillat and Dennen in the opening slots.

Personal life

Mayer has a number of tattoos. These include: "Home" and "Life" (from the song title) on the back of his left and right arms respectively, "77" (his year of birth) on the left side of his chest, and a koi-like fish on his right shoulder. His entire left arm is covered in a sleeve tattoo that he acquired gradually, ending in April 2008; it includes: "SRV" (for his idol Stevie Ray Vaughan) on his shoulder, a decorated rectangle on his biceps, a dragon-like figure on his inner arm, and various other floral designs. In 2003, he got a tattoo of three squares on his right forearm, which, he has explained, he will fill in gradually.[78] As of 2009, two are filled.[79]

He is an avid collector of watches and owns timepieces worth tens of thousands of dollars.[80][81] Mayer also has an extensive collection of sneakers, estimated (in 2006) at more than 200 pairs.[11][82]

Mayer dated Jennifer Love Hewitt briefly in 2002. In a comedy routine in May 2006, he joked that they never consummated their relationship; he later apologized to her for the raunchy routine.[83] Despite rumors to the contrary, Mayer did not date Heidi Klum in 2003.[78] Mayer dated Jessica Simpson for about nine months, beginning in the middle of 2006. Rumors started in August of that year with a People magazine article, but kicked into high gear when Mayer and Simpson spent New Year's holiday together in New York City, both attending Christina Aguilera's New Year's Eve party.[84] When Ryan Seacrest asked Mayer on the red carpet of the 2007 Grammy Awards, about his relationship with Simpson, Mayer responded in Japanese. Despite some initially conflicting translations, he said, "Jessica is a lovely woman, and I'm glad to be with her."[85]d[›] Simpson also accompanied Mayer for several dates of his 2007 Continuum tour, and the two went on a trip to Rome in March of that year.[86][87][88] However, the couple split in May 2007.[89] He began dating actress Minka Kelly in September 2007,[90] although the two broke up before the year's end.[91] Mayer began dating actress Jennifer Aniston in April 2008,[92] which ended after a 7-month courtship.[93] Mayer joined Aniston at the 81st Academy Awards, where she was a presenter. "It's my first Oscars," the singer told blog PopSugar during an NYC interview. "And it's my first being an Oscar boyfriend."[94] They had since resumed dating in October 2008[95], before splitting up again in March 2009.[96]


Mayer splits his time between his home in the Los Angeles suburbs (with his roommate and sound engineer, Chad Franscoviak)[11] and his apartment in the New York City neighborhood of SoHo.

Solo discography

Main article: John Mayer discography

Awards

Year Award Category
2009 51st Annual Grammy Awards
  • Best Long Form Music Video for Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles - nominated
  • Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media for "Say" (From The Bucket List) - nominated
  • Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "Gravity" from Where The Light Is - Live In Los Angeles - winner
  • Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for "Lesson Learned" (feat. John Mayer) from As I Am - nominated
  • Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Say" (From The Bucket List) - winner
2008 50th Annual Grammy Awards
  • Best Male Pop Vocal for "Belief"—nominated
2007 35th Annual American Music Awards
  • Adult Contemporary Music—nominated
23rd Annual TEC Awards
  • Tour Sound Production (for the Continuum Tour)
  • Record Production/Single or Track (for production on "Waiting on the World to Change"
  • Record Production/Album (from production on Continuum)
49th Annual Grammy Awards
  • Best Pop Vocal Album for Continuum
  • Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Waiting on the World to Change"
2005 33rd annual American Music Awards
  • Adult Contemporary: Favorite Artist
World Music Awards
  • World's Best Selling Rock Act
People's Choice Awards
  • Favorite Male Artist
47th annual Grammy Awards
  • Song Of The Year — songwriter for "Daughters"
  • Best Male Pop Vocal Performance — artist for "Daughters"
2004 BDS Certified Spin Awards
March 2004 recipients
  • Reached 100,000 spins for "Why Georgia"
2003 20th Annual ASCAP Awards
  • ASCAP Pop Award - "No Such Thing" (shared with Clay Cook)[97]
    Awarded to songwriters and publishers of the most performed songs in the ASCAP repertory for the award period.
31st Annual American Music Awards
  • Favorite Male Artist - Pop or Rock 'n Roll Music
15th Annual Boston Music Awards
  • Act of the Year[98]
  • Male Vocalist of the Year
  • Song of the Year for "Your Body Is a Wonderland"
45th Annual Grammy Awards
  • Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Your Body Is a Wonderland"
MTV Video Music Awards
  • Best Male Video
Radio Music Awards
  • Modern Adult Contemporary Radio Artist of the Year
  • Best Hook-Up Song for "Your Body Is a Wonderland"
Teen People Awards
  • Choice Music - Male Artist
  • Choice Music - Album for Any Given Thursday
Danish Music Awards
  • Best New Artist
2002 MTV Video Music Awards
  • Best New Artist in a Video for "No Such Thing" — nominated
Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards
  • Les Paul Horizon Award (Most Promising Up and Coming Guitarist)
VH1 Big in 2002 Awards
  • Can't Get You Out of My Head Award for "No Such Thing"
Pollstar Concert Industry Awards
  • Best New Artist Tour

Notes

^ a: Generally, it was believed that Mayer's father, a Bridgeport High School principal, had given him a tape player (confiscated from a student) that happened to contain Stevie Ray Vaughan album. However, in a 2006 interview on the New Zealand show Close Up (and other interviews), Mayer said that this wasn't true.[8]
^ b: "Bittersweet Poetry" was released in the summer of 2007 (three years after its creation) as an iTunes pre-order bonus track to the album Graduation.
^ c: The quote is taken from the posthumously-published book Battle Studies by Colonel Ardant Du Picq (d. 1870)[99]
^ d: His actual words were: "Jessica はとても素敵な女性で、一緒に居られて最高です。" In Romanized script, he said "Jessica wa totemo suteki na josei de, issho ni irarete saikō desu."

Footnotes

  1. ^ See inogolo:pronunciation of John Mayer
  2. ^ No byline (October 7, 2002), "It's Hip to Be Square". People. 58 (15):107
  3. ^ a b c Ruth Shaut (ELLE)(2006)."Blues Brother" J-mayer.org. Retrieved on 2006-08-03.
  4. ^ Pratt, Devin (2006). "Tennis's Nice Guy Breaks Down the Season" FHMUs.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
  5. ^ a b Eliscu, Jenny (November 27, 2003), "Songs in the Key of Mayer". Rolling Stone. (936): 52-56
  6. ^ Sound Stage staff writer (2005). "John Mayer with special guest Buddy Guy" PBS.org. Retrieved on May 31, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c (2005). "Men Of The Week: Entertainment - John Mayer" AskMen.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2006.
  8. ^ a b (2006) "Mon Nov 6: Telecom; Spam Attack; John Mayer" TVNZ online. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.
  9. ^ Mather, John; Hedegaard, Erik (March 2008), "The Wonder of John Mayer Land". Best Life. vol unknown (3):140
  10. ^ Wallace, William (2005). "Joe Beleznay wants to be the ball" TweedMag.com. Retrieved on October 30, 2006.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Hiatt, Brian (September 21, 2006), "My Big Mouth Strikes Again". Rolling Stone. (1009): 66-70
  12. ^ a b "John Mayer". Melissa and Sid. 2008-03-31.
  13. ^ No byline (2007). "John Mayer: Five Fun Facts" People.com Retrieved 2007-11-28
  14. ^ a b Small, Mark (2005). "John Mayer '98: Running with the Big Dogs" Berklee.edu. Retrieved on April 23, 2007.
  15. ^ a b Guthrie, Blake (2003). "Mayer of Atlanta: John Mayer plays Philips Arena, and all I got was this lousy cover story" CreativeLoafing.com. Retrieved on February 17, 2007.
  16. ^ Alter, Gaby (2007). "Tour Profile: John Mayer" MixOline.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2007.
  17. ^ (March 2000). South by Southwest Music Festival (Adobe Engagement Platform). Blender. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
  18. ^ Proefrock, Stacia (2005). "Biography" AllMusicGuide.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2007.
  19. ^ No byline. "A Brief History" AwareRecords.com. Retrieved on June 12, 2007.
  20. ^ Back, Alan (2001). "John Mayer carves out his own niche with national debut album" Nique.net. Retrieved on June 22, 2007.
  21. ^ Bream, Jon (2007). "Win or lose, John Mayer says his work keeps him happy" Star-Ecentral.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2007.
  22. ^ Serpick, Evan (February 2007), "Grammy Preview: John Mayer", Rolling Stone Volume unknown: 32
  23. ^ Crawford, Erik (2003). "Review" AllMusic.com. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
  24. ^ Medsker, David (2003). "Love me, love me, say that you love me..." Pop Matters. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
  25. ^ MacNeil, Jason (2003). "Heavier Things" MetaCritic.com. Retrieved on June 4, 2007.
  26. ^ The Ellen DeGeneres Show. 2009-02-09
  27. ^ (2006). John Mayer SongWritersHallofFame.org. Retrieved on September 29, 2006.
  28. ^ Bio JohnMayer.com. Retrieved on June 25, 2007.
  29. ^ Deitrich, Andy (2004). "Making music for the non-musically inclined" ArsTechnica.com. Retrieved on June 12, 2007.
  30. ^ Krazit, Tom (2007). "Live Macworld coverage" News.com. Retrieved on June 12, 2007.
  31. ^ VDubsRock official site(2006). VDubsRock.com. Retrieved on January 23, 2007.
  32. ^ MTV staff writer (2005)"Common Food for Thought" MTV.com. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  33. ^ Rodriguez, Jason (2007). "Shawty's Story: Lloyd Says He Stole From Usher, Loves John Mayer" MTV.com. Retrieved on April 16, 2007.
  34. ^ a b Moss, Corey (2005) "John Mayer Plans To 'Close Up Shop On Acoustic Sensitive'" MTV.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2006.
  35. ^ a b Fricke, David (February 22, 2007). "The New Guitar Gods" Rolling Stone. (1020): 39-47
  36. ^ Bird, Rick (2007). "Mayer slings his guitar on 'Continuum' tour" The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved on June 25, 2007.
  37. ^ Moss Corey (2005). "John Mayer Trio Geek Out With Live Album, Rolling Stones Jokes" MTV.com. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
  38. ^ Mayer, John (2006). "The Continuum Super Blog" JohnMayer.com Blog. Retrieved on December 12, 2006.
  39. ^ Youtube video. "John Mayer Gravity History" (2006). [Online video].
  40. ^ Online forum entry. "Eddie's Attic, Night 1, 12.20.05".
  41. ^ Mayer, John (2006). "Continuum First Listen" JohnMayer.com. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
  42. ^ No byline (2006). "'The Village Sessions' Released Today" JohnMayer.com. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
  43. ^ a b Tyrangiel, Josh (May 14, 2007). "John Mayer" TIME 169 (20):140
  44. ^ JohnMayer.org staff (November 14, 2007). ("Continuum (special edition) to be released on November 20; includes 6 live tracks and new single, Say" JohnMayer.com Retrieved 2007-11-19
  45. ^ "Mayercraft Carrier Cruise :: February 1-4, 2008 :: A John Mayer/Sixthman Experience". Mayercraft.com. http://mayercraftcarrier.com/artists.html. Retrieved on 2007-09-26. 
  46. ^ "where the light is" live album is released today.. Johnmayer.com. July 1, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
  47. ^ Fernandez, Maria Elena (January 14, 2009), "TCA Press Tour: CBS loves John Mayer". The Los Angeles Times. (accessed 2009-01-20)
  48. ^ No byline (2006). The Official John Mayer Auction Site JohnMayerAuction.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2007.
  49. ^ "John Mayer" BusinessHere.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2007.
  50. ^ a b Mayer, John (2007). (NOT) Waiting on the World to Change - Entry no. 2" JohnMayer.com. Retrieved on May 11, 2007. (archived link)
  51. ^ a b c Mayer, John (2007). "(Not) Waiting on the World to Change - Entry no. 1" JohnMayer.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2007. (archived link)
  52. ^ Kilgore, Kim (2007). "More cities added to John Mayer's itinerary". Retrieved on May 1, 2007.
  53. ^ No byline (2007). "Reverb On Tour This Summer With John Mayer!" Reverb Rock.org. Retrieved on May 21, 2007.
  54. ^ Virginia Tech (August 1, 2006).A Concert For Virginia Tech.
  55. ^ Mayer, John. New Show: 1st annual holiday charity revenue on December 8 at Nokia Theatre LA Live. Published November 14, 2007 by JohnMayer.com. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  56. ^ Mayer, John. DVD Shoot. Published November 26, 2007 by JohnMayer.com. Retrieved November 27, 2007. (archived link)
  57. ^ Finn, Natalie (July 22, 2008), "Sting, Matthews, Mayer Gamer for Tibet Than Beijing" E-Online (Accessed on 2008-07-25)
  58. ^ AP correspondent (2006). "John Mayer sings the blues to make better pop" MSNBC.com. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
  59. ^ (2003). "John Mayer Receives Signature Martin OM Guitar". Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
  60. ^ Sounding Board Newsletter contributor (2003). "John Mayer Signature OM" MartinGuitar.com. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
  61. ^ Fretbase, John Mayer's Signature Acoustic Guitar - the Martin OMJM (2008)
  62. ^ Mayer, John (2006). "The New JM Signature Strat Colorway" JohnMayer.com. Retrieved on January 30, 2007.
  63. ^ Mayer, John (2007). "Two-Rock Signature Amp Demo" JohnMayer.com. Retrieved on May 10, 2007.
  64. ^ No byline (2007). "John Mayer Signature" Two-Rock.com. Retrieved on May 10, 2007.
  65. ^ Mayer, John (2007). "Win This Guitar" Honeyee.com. Retrieved on June 11, 2007.
  66. ^ Mayer, John (September 2005), "The Giveaway: John Mayer's Songwriting Contest" Esquire. 144 (3):80
  67. ^ Mayer, John (January 2006), "Tim Fagan Is A Winner". Esquire. 145 (1):38
  68. ^ Mayer, John (2008-01-23), Untitled JohnMayer.com. Retrieved 2008-01-31
  69. ^ "June 8, 2008". Z100 Radio Concert. 2008-07-08. season and number unknown
  70. ^ "CBS Piloting John Mayer Variety Show". Broadcasting & Cable. (accessed January 14, 2009)
  71. ^ Dansby, Andrew (2004). "Mayer, Maroon 5 Hit the Road" Rolling Stone. Retrieved on April 12, 2006.
  72. ^ Dansby, Andrew (2003). "Mayer, Crows to Tour " Rolling Stone. Retrieved on April 12, 2006.
  73. ^ Mayer, John (2004). "Music Lessons with John Mayer" FindArticles.com. Retrieved on January 28, 2007.
  74. ^ AP (2006). "Crow, Mayer Teaming For Tour" Billboard.com. Retrieved on May 31, 2007.
  75. ^ Sinclair, David (2007). "John Mayer: My Atlantic crossing" Belfast Telegraph online. Retrieved on January 28, 2007.
  76. ^ Aquilante, Dan (2007). "Mayer: A Player On Big Stage" Nypost.com. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
  77. ^ General Information Local 83: Listener's Union. Retrieved on June 25, 2007.
  78. ^ a b Collis, Clark (2003). "Dear Superstar: John Mayer" Blender.com. Retrieved on November 2, 2006.
  79. ^ No byline (2007). "Jessica and John Get Carried Away" HollyScoop.com. Retrieved on June 22, 2007.
  80. ^ Lieberman, Bari (2007). "The Mayer of Grammy-ville" The Hurricane Online. Retrieved on January 25, 2007.
  81. ^ Mayer, John (2006). "Chronometer love/the hottest watch of '07" Honeyee.com. Retrieved on April 25, 2007.
  82. ^ Mayer, John (2006). "Perks" JohnMayer.com/blog. Retrieved on January 4, 2007.
  83. ^ (2006). "Mayer Apologises To Hewitt" ContactMusic.com. Retrieved on January 5, 2006.
  84. ^ No byline (2007). "Simpson, Mayer Ring In New Year Together" CBSNews.com. Retrieved on June 13, 2007.
  85. ^ Malkin, Marc (2007). "Mayer & Simpson's Post-Grammy PDA" E! online. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  86. ^ Warech, Jon (2007). "Jessica Simpson & John Mayer Hit Miami" People.com. Retrieved on January 23, 2007.
  87. ^ Splash News correspondent (2007). "Jessica Simpson will tour with John Mayer for next two and a half weeks" SAWF.org. Retrieved on January 26, 2007.
  88. ^ Norman, Pete, et al (2007) "Jessica and John's Roman Romance" TeenPeople.com. Retrieved on March 15, 2007.
  89. ^ No byline (2007). "Is it over for Jessica Simpson, John Mayer?" MSNBC.com. Retrieved on May 21, 2007.
  90. ^ No byline. (October 1, 2007) "Hand in Hand" People.com. Retrieved October 1, 2007
  91. ^ Garcia, Jennifer (January 9, 2008), "John Mayer and Minka Kelly Quietly Split" People.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-10
  92. ^ Marx, Linda (April 26, 2008), "Jennifer Aniston On the Town with John Mayer" People.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-28
  93. ^ No byline (August 17, 2008), "John Mayer didn't wanna 'waste' Jennifer Aniston's time" LA Times. (Accessed on 2008-0818)
  94. ^ http://www.usmagazine.com/news/jennifer-aniston-and-john-mayer-going-to-the-oscars
  95. ^ Van Meter, Jonathan (December 2008), "". Vogue.
  96. ^ Cedenheim, Pernilla (March 12, 2009), "John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston Call It Quits – Again" People.com. Retrieved on 2009-04-08
  97. ^ Twentieth Annual Pop Music Awards ASCAP.com Retrieved 2007-11-28
  98. ^ Macone, Steven (2003). "Local musicians honored at BMAs" Daily Free Press. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  99. ^ Du Picq, Ardant; Translated by Greely, John N.; Cotton Robert C. (2006) Battle Studies Location unknown:BiblioBazaar, LLC, 35. ISBN 142642311X

References

Sister project Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: John Mayer
Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Mayer

External links

Official
Written by Mayer
General


v • d • e
John Mayer
Studio albums
Live albums
Extended plays
Videos
Singles
Featured singles
"Go!" · "Beat It"
Other songs
Related articles
v • d • e
John Mayer Trio
John Mayer · Pino Palladino · Steve Jordan
Albums
Singles
Persondata
NAME Mayer, John Clayton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mayer, Johnny
SHORT DESCRIPTION Guitarist and singer/songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH October 16, 1977
PLACE OF BIRTH Bridgeport, Connecticut
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mayer"
Personal tools