Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy live in 2006.
Background information
Origin	Wilmette, Illinois, United States
Genres	Pop punk, pop rock, alternative rock, emo
Years active	2001–2009 (hiatus)
Labels	Island
Associated acts	Patrick Stump, Black Cards, The Damned Things, Arma Angelus, With Knives, Enabler, Project Rocket, Racetraitor, Birthright, Burning Empires, Anthrax, Every Time I Die
Website	falloutboyrock.com
Members
Patrick Stump Pete Wentz Andy Hurley Joe Trohman
Past members
Brandon Hamm[1] T.J. Kunasch Mike Pareskuwicz

Fall Out Boy is an American pop punk band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The members originally played in local hardcore bands before forming Fall Out Boy.

With Pete Wentz as the band's primary lyricist and Patrick Stump as the primary composer, Fall Out Boy broke out of the underground music scene and reached mainstream success with their major label debut, From Under the Cork Tree. Released in 2005 as the follow-up to their 2003 effort Take This to Your Grave, the album won several awards and achieved double platinum status after selling more than 2.5 million albums in the United States, bolstered by singles "Sugar, We're Goin Down" and "Dance, Dance." In 2007, Fall Out Boy released their follow-up album, Infinity on High, to major chart success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and selling 260,000 copies in its first week, with top five chartings worldwide. It contained the hits "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and "Thnks fr th Mmrs." The group released Folie à Deux in 2008 and further evolved their musical palette.

The group announced an indefinite hiatus in late 2009 asserting that it has not broken up, rather that the members are taking a rest and engaging in various side projects. Stump released a solo album in 2011, Wentz formed Black Cards, while Hurley and Trohman formed The Damned Things and have since respectively moved onto With Knives and Enabler. Fall Out Boy was ranked the 93rd Best Artist of the 2000–10 decade by Billboard.^[2]

History[link]

Early years (2001–2002)[link]

Fall Out Boy was formed in early 2001 by friends Pete Wentz and Joe Trohman, who had played in various hardcore punk bands in the Chicago area. Inspired by bands they grew up listening to, such as Green Day, Descendents, and The Smiths, the pair decided to start their own band.^[3] Trohman met high schooler Patrick Stump in a Borders Bookstore.^[4] Stump introduced himself to Trohman when he overheard him talking about the band Neurosis, in which they shared a mutual interest.^[4] Stump auditioned as a drummer, but the discovery of his impressive vocal range led to his placement as the lead vocalist.^[5] Ben Rose was the drummer for the band's first line-up although he shortly left. Several line-up changes in the rhythm guitar and drumming positions would follow before drummer Andy Hurley joined, with three of the four founding members the current members.

The band was nameless for their first two shows. They decided that the audience should decide, and at the end of their second show they asked the audience to yell out their ideas for a name. One audience member suggested "Fallout Boy",^[4][6] a reference to the sidekick of the Radioactive Man from The Simpsons^[3][7] (which the band performed the closing theme song for in the 2009 episode "Lisa the Drama Queen"). The following year, the band debuted with a self-released demo and followed it up with the May 28, 2002 release of Project Rocket / Fall Out Boy split EP with Project Rocket, on the small independent label Uprising Records.

[edit] Take This to Your Grave (2003–2004)

The group released a mini-LP, Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend, on Uprising in 2003.^[8] The album was recorded in two days and was not originally supposed to be released. During this period the band played small shows as part of the indie rock underground Chicago music scene, before any mainstream success.

Following the release of their mini-album, the band saw a lineup change with the addition of Andy Hurley (formerly of Racetraitor) on drums and Stump picking up guitar, completing the current four-piece band. During this time, the band often played local shows at The Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the site of their "Dead on Arrival" video.^[9] The same year, after signing to Fueled by Ramen, they released their first full-length album and second studio effort, Take This to Your Grave, on May 6, 2003. To record a proper debut, the band received an advance from major label Island Records which came with a right of first refusal for Island on Fall Out Boy's next album.^[10] With financing in place, the band recorded Take This to Your Grave at the Butch Vig-owned Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, with Sean O'Keefe as the producer.^[10] The album has been credited with earning the band's first significant fan base, as well as some minor commercial success. Fall Out Boy relentlessly toured all year at small venues in support.

Stump collaborated with Wentz on the lyrics. Commenting on the album, Wentz said "Take This To Your Grave was very reactionary. It was like this person does this to you."^[11] During the making of the album, the band members slept on the floor of a stranger's house for two weeks. The group ran out of money halfway through the process, so they asked the studio who provided them with soda to give them small amounts of food instead. ^[12] Fall Out Boy's goal with Grave was to make an album that was as "seamless and good from song to song" as Saves the Day's Through Being Cool.^[13] With singles "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy" and "Saturday" receiving video airplay on FUSE, mtvU and Target's in-store video stream and radio airplay across the country, the album sold very well and was eventually certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies,^[14] but only after the success of the band's next album, From Under the Cork Tree.

In mid-2003, as part of their deal with Fueled By Ramen, Fall Out Boy signed with major label Island Records which is a part of the mainstream label Island Def Jam Music Group, along with Def Jam Records. This was after the group picked up the option for their next album. In the meantime of recording their mainstream debut, the band released the acoustic EP/DVD My Heart Will Always Be the B-Side to My Tongue through Fueled by Ramen on May 18, 2004. It debuted at No. 153 on the Billboard 200, the band's first entry on the chart.^[15] The two-disc set included more acoustic performances and a fan photo gallery.^[8]

[edit] From Under the Cork Tree (2005–2006)

With bassist Pete Wentz as the band's primary lyricist, and vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump the primary composer, Fall Out Boy began work on a follow-up to Take This to Your Grave in late 2004. However, the group suffered a setback in February 2005 after Wentz's anxieties about creating a new record culminated in a suicide attempt.^[11] Wentz explained, "It was overwhelming. I was either totally anxious or totally depressed. It is particularly overwhelming when you are on the cusp of doing something very big and thinking that it will be a big flop. I was racked with self-doubt."^[11] After undergoing therapy, Wentz joined the rest of the band and headed to Burbank, California to record the album. Fall Out Boy rose to mainstream success with their Island major label album, From Under the Cork Tree.^[8] Released on May 3, 2005, it debuted on the US Billboard 200 at No. 9, selling over 68,000 copies in its first week. It marked a lengthy stay of 77 weeks on the charts, logging 19 weeks in the top 20. The album achieved great commercial success and was certified double platinum after selling more than 2.5 million albums in the United States alone,^[11][16] and it has sold over three million copies worldwide, making it the band's best-selling album.

From Under the Cork Tree was bolstered by the hit lead single "Sugar, We're Goin Down" which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 6 on the defunct Billboard Pop 100. The song spent five weeks in the top 10 and logged 20 weeks in the top 20. Receiving heavy airplay rotation at both Pop and Alternative stations, it charted at No. 3 on the Modern Rock Charts^[17] and exposed the band to a new, mainstream audience via the radio and internet. It was a mainstay on the Hot 100, spending 42 weeks on the chart before it was retired. The music video reached number one on MTV's TRL, where it was retired on August 26, 2005. The video won the MTV2 Award at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, prompting a huge new interest and surge in sales. The song has sold over two million copies and is certified double platinum by the RIAA.^[18][19] The band was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2006 Grammy Awards.

The second single released from the album, "Dance, Dance", became Fall Out Boy's second top 10 single when it peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100 and stayed in the top 20 for 14 weeks. It reached No. 6 on the Pop 100, becoming the band's highest charting single in terms of airplay when it reached No. 2 on the Modern Rock Charts.^[17] It contributed to Fall Out Boy's breakthrough mainstream success through heavy radio play. The music video for the song premiered on TRL on October 11, 2005; it soon also reached number one and was later retired on January 17, 2006. The third and last single commissioned from the album, "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me"", was much less popular than both prior singles, but still managed to peak at No. 65 on the Hot 100^[17] and hit the top position twice on TRL, retiring on June 6, 2006.

In support of From Under the Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy headlined extensive tours around the world and performed at music festivals in 2005 and 2006, including the third Nintendo Fusion Tour in the fall of 2005, joining The Starting Line, Motion City Soundtrack, Boys Night Out, and Panic! at the Disco on a 31 city tour.^[20] Due to its increased success from their MTV Video Music Award, the group headlined the Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour, a pop punk event that featured The All-American Rejects, Well-Known Secret, Hawthorne Heights, and From First to Last. The tour also featured The Hush Sound for half of the tour and October Fall for half. They played to 53 dates in the US, Canada, and the UK.^[21]

[edit] Infinity on High and Live in Phoenix (2007)

After taking a two month long break following the band’s Black Clouds and Underdogs tour in promotion of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree, Fall Out Boy returned to the studio to begin work on a follow-up effort.^[22] The band began writing songs for the new album while touring, and intended to quickly make a new album in order to keep momentum in the wake of its breakthrough success.^[23] In early 2007, Fall Out Boy released their fourth studio album, Infinity on High, as their second release on major label Island. The album marked a departure in Fall Out Boy’s sound in which the band implemented a diverse array of musical styles including funk, R&B, and flamenco.^[22][24] As reported by Billboard, Fall Out Boy "drifts further from its hardcore punk roots to write increasingly accessible pop tunes," a slight departure from the group's previous more pop punk sound predominant on their 2003 effort, Take This to Your Grave.^[25]

Infinity's first week was a major success and was the band's biggest selling week, selling 260,000 copies to debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200^[26][27] and inside the top five worldwide. This charting was spurred by the lead single "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race", which reached No. 2 in both the US and UK as well as the top five in many other countries. On the band's decision to pick the song as the first single, Wentz commented "There may be other songs on the record that would be bigger radio hits, but this one had the right message."^[28] "Thnks fr th Mmrs", the second single peaked just outside the top 10 at No. 11 on the strength of sales and popular radio play, and went on to sell over two million copies in the US.^[29] It found its greatest success in Australia where it charted at No. 3. In 2007, Fall Out Boy placed at No. 9 in the Top Selling Digital Artists chart with 4,423,000 digital tracks sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[30] The album itself has sold over two million copies worldwide^[31] and subsequently went RIAA Platinum.^[32]

Fall Out Boy then headlined the 2007 Honda Civic Tour to promote the album. Though the tour was initially postponed due to personal issues,^[33] it would take place with +44, Cobra Starship, The Academy Is... and Paul Wall as supporting acts. The band also headlined the Young Wild Things Tour, an international arena tour featuring Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T's and Cute Is What We Aim For.^[34] Inspired by Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book Where the Wild Things Are, the concert tour and included sets designed by artist Rob Dobi containing images from the book. Commenting on the decision to incorporate elements from the book, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz explained "Where the Wild Things Are is a great narrative. It encapsulates pretty much every FOB song ever written: You know, tantrums and monster islands and all."^[34]

	"Beat It (feat. John Mayer)" cover excerpt noicon From the album **** Live in Phoenix.
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A CD and DVD of live material recorded during a June 22, 2007, concert at Phoenix's Cricket Wireless Pavilion, a date of the Honda Civic Tour, was released on April 1, 2008. Of note, the album, simply called Live in Phoenix, contains a new studio recording covering Michael Jackson's "Beat It" with John Mayer as a guest guitarist.^[35] The song premiered for the first time on Wentz's site Friends or Enemies,^[36] and was released as a single on March 25, 2008. Following its release, it debuted at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 19. On March 18, Fall Out Boy revealed plans to play a show in Antarctica so they would in the Guinness Book of World Records be the only band to play a concert on all seven continents in less than nine months. However, weather conditions prevented them from flying to Antarctica.^[37]

[edit] Folie à Deux and Greatest Hits (2008–2009)

On December 16, 2008, the band released their fifth studio album, Folie à Deux, as a follow-up to their 2007 effort Infinity on High. Fall Out Boy further evolved their sound and took a new musical direction for the record. Folie debuted and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 150,000 units. The album was certified gold for shipments of 500,000 copies, but commercially performed less than stellar in comparison to Infinity on High. The band collaborated with an extensive list of guest artists including Elvis Costello, Lil Wayne, Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, Alex DeLeon of The Cab, William Beckett of The Academy Is..., Debbie Harry of Blondie, and Pharrell Williams.

The lead single preceding the album, "I Don't Care", was released on September 3, 2008 to iTunes, and was No. 68 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.^[38] Receiving much less radio play and interest than the band's prior hit single releases ("Sugar, We're Goin Down", "Dance, Dance", "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race") from previous albums, "I Don't Care" peaked at No. 21 on the Hot 100. The second single to receive radio play was "America's Suitehearts", released on December 8, 2008.

In January 2009, Fall Out Boy announced they would embark on the Believers Never Die Tour Part Deux Tour with supporting acts All Time Low, Hey Monday, Cobra Starship, Metro Station and 50 Cent and to support the Folie à Deux release. Its name is based on their 2004 Believers Never Die Tour. The group also performed alongside Kanye West and Kid Rock at the Youth Ball for the inauguration of President Barack Obama.^[39] They also played for TV performances, including the 2009 Toyota Concert Series on the Today Show on May 22.^[40]

On April 27, 2009 an EP was released on iTunes, titled America's Suitehearts: Remixed, Retouched, Rehabbed and Retoxed. It contains a remix from Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus. Fall Out Boy, along with Weezer, were the supporting acts for Blink-182's summer reunion tour in 2009^[41].

Fall Out Boy released a greatest hits compilation album titled Believers Never Die – Greatest Hits on November 17, 2009 soon after their tour as the opening act for Blink-182's summer reunion ended. It includes all the band's songs previously released as singles as well as two new songs and two rarities. One of the new songs is the full version of "Alpha Dog", which was released as the first and only single. It was a track that was previously released as a demo on the Welcome to the New Administration mixtape, and the other ""From Now On We're Enemies"". The album artwork, created by Daniel Danger,^[42] features two skeletons hugging; a reference to the skeletons found outside of Mantua, Italy who were found buried together while locked in an embrace.^[43] There are also numerous references to the band's career and previous works.

On November 20, 2009, the four band members announced they will be taking an indefinite hiatus, saying they were unsure of the future of the band. Bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz has said that his personal reason for taking a break is that he feels that his name and marriage to pop singer Ashlee Simpson had become a hindrance for the band. He added: "I think the world needs a little less Pete Wentz". The band has not broken up, but are instead on an indefinite break, "decompressing" as Wentz stated it.^[44] On his Tumblr Stump wrote, "I am confident that we’ll have a record out sooner than later but there are currently no plans, no “2 years,” no “6 years,” no parameters. It might happen later than any of that, it might happen sooner. It is literally, as it’s always been, an indefinite hiatus. We never did breakup, we’re still friends, and we still would like to make music together [...] I’ll see all of you if/when the band works on a new record or tour. Until then though, I’m just gonna shut up about it and focus on Soul Punk and hopefully ongoing tour."^[45] The members have also cited that they have been worked out from the band's busy writing, recording and touring schedule.

Hiatus and solo careers (2010–present)[link]

After the announcement of the band's hiatus, Fall Out Boy members moved on to musical side projects that they felt they could not participate in while Fall Out Boy was active. Guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley teamed up with Keith Buckley and Josh Newton from Every Time I Die, and Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax to form the heavy metal supergroup The Damned Things.^[46] The band released their debut album Ironiclast in December 2010. Hurley also plays in the hardcore band Burning Empires,^[47] as well as other hardcore punk/heavy metal bands. He continues to manage his record label, Fuck City.^[48] With Damned Things on hiatus as Anthrax and Every Time I Die members are on new album cycles, Trohman formed With Knives and Hurley drums in the hardcore band Enabler.

In 2010, Patrick Stump began producing his debut solo album, titled Soul Punk^[49] and released it on October 18, 2011. He has released a remix of an album track called "This City" to iTunes as the album's first single and created a music video for it. During his production of Soul Punk, Stump released his debut 6-song EP titled Truant Wave as a digital download to iTunes on February 22, 2011. Soul Punk features no guest musicians as Stump plays all the instruments on the album, as well as writing all lyrics, composing all music, and self-producing. He jokingly considers the album a "big, convoluted way to get me to play drums again, because I really just miss playing drums".^[50]

In July 2010, Pete Wentz, with singer Bebe Rexha, formed the ska/electropop band Black Cards, a project inspired by a discussion Wentz had with producer Sam Hollander about mashing up ska, dance and reggae with 80s British rock and pop to create a new experimental sound.^[51] After several failed attempts to produce an album, Rexha left the band and the group reshuffled, announcing plans to release a mixtape, write new material, and continue to remix tracks by other artists. A remix mixtape of popular artists was released online, and Black Cards now tours as a DJ duo. Wentz continues to manage his clothing label Clandestine Industries, record label Decaydance Records, film production company Bartskull films and two bars in Chicago and Barcelona. Wentz also acts as spokesperson of UNICEF's Tap Project, a fundraising project that helps bring clean drinking water to people worldwide.^[52] Wentz has also expressed his interest in working on new music projects, though he hopes to move outside the limitations of the common 4/4 time signature of pop music. Commenting on this, Wentz stated, "I have ideas that extend beyond [a 4/4 time signature] and I guess I scratched a lottery ticket enough that, because of my band, people let me do these (other) ideas, and some of them are good, some of them are not so good."^[52]

Musical style[link]

While widely considered to be a pop punk band,^[53][54] Fall Out Boy has also been described as pop rock^[55] and emo^[56] and cites emo group The Get Up Kids as an influence. When interviewed for a retrospective article in Alternative Press at the time The Get Up Kids disbanded in 2005, Pete Wentz stated that "Fall Out Boy would not be a band if it were not for The Get Up Kids."^[57] Early in the band's career, when Jared Logan was producing their debut album, he asked bassist Pete Wentz what sound the band desired for recording. Wentz responded by "handing over the first two New Found Glory records".^[58] The band acknowledges its hardcore punk roots as an influence; all four members were involved in the Chicago hardcore scene before joining Fall Out Boy.^[11] Wentz described the band's affiliation with the genre by saying "I think the interesting thing is that we are all hardcore kids that are writing pop music...It gives us a different style because at our core we are always hardcore. That aspect is always going to be evident in the music. We are hardcore kids that couldn't quite cut it as hardcore kids."^[11] He referred to Fall Out Boy's genre as "softcore": hardcore punk mixed with pop sensibility.^[11]

Their albums Take This to Your Grave and From Under the Cork Tree are both said to have pop punk as well as punk rock sounds and influences,^[59][60] and Infinity on High features a wide range of styles and instrumentation, including orchestral and choral arrangements ("Thnks fr th Mmrs" and "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave") and a slower piano ballad ("Golden"). R&B influences on Infinity on High are on songs such as "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and two of the album's tracks are produced by R&B singer/producer Babyface. On Folie à Deux, Fall Out Boy continues to evolve their sound, with less of a pop punk sound and increasing the use of piano ("What a Catch, Donnie", "Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet", and "20 Dollar Nose Bleed"), synthesizers, and guest artists. The band also shows a number of influences, with the opening track borrowing a chord sequence from The Who song "Baba O'Riley".^[61] The group has worked with many producers and artists, including The Neptunes, Timbaland, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, the latter of which Patrick Stump described as "the Prince of his generation."^[62]

A central part of Fall Out Boy's sound is rooted in the band's lyrics, mainly penned by bassist Pete Wentz, who commonly uses irony and other literary devices to narrate personal experience and stories.^[59] He draws inspiration from authors such as Charles Bukowski, Ernest Hemingway, and JT LeRoy, as well as rappers such as Lil Wayne, who he described as his primary influence while writing Infinity on High.^[63][64] On Fall Out Boy's earlier works, Wentz wrote primarily about love and heartbreak.^[65] Themes addressed on From Under the Cork Tree include narcissism and megalomania, while many tracks on Infinity on High discuss the ups and downs of fame.^[63][66][67] While writing Folie à Deux, he explored moral dilemmas and societal shortcomings, as well as concepts such as trust, infidelity, responsibility, and commitment.^[68] While the album does contain political overtones, the band wanted to avoid being overt about these themes, leaving many lyrics open to interpretation for listeners.^[68]

Band members[link]

Current members

• Patrick Stump – lead vocals (2001–2009), lead and rhythm guitar (2003–2009)
• Pete Wentz – bass guitar, backing vocals (2001–2009)
• Joe Trohman – lead and rhythm guitar (2001–2009)
• Andy Hurley – drums, percussion (2003–2009)

Former members

• Brandon Hamm – rhythm guitar (2001)^[1]
• T.J. "Racine" Kunasch – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2001–2003)
• Mike Pareskuwicz – drums, percussion (2001–2003)

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girlfriend (2003)
• Take This to Your Grave (2003)
• From Under the Cork Tree (2005)
• Infinity on High (2007)
• Folie à Deux (2008)

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Chicago portal

Media related to Fall Out Boy at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Patrick Stump official website

John Mayer
Mayer at the Mile High Music Festival on July 20, 2008
Background information
Birth name	John Clayton Mayer
Born	(1977-10-16) October 16, 1977 (age 34) Bridgeport, Connecticut United States
Genres	Pop rock, blues rock, acoustic rock, blue-eyed soul
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, record producer, columnist, graphic designer, photographer, comedian, television host
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, omnichord, piano, vibraphone, harmonica, percussion, clarinet, violin
Years active	1998 (1998)–present
Labels	Arista, Aware, Columbia
Associated acts	John Mayer Trio, Fall Out Boy
Website	johnmayer.com
Notable instruments
Fender Stratocaster Martin Guitars Gibson Guitars

John Clayton Mayer ( /ˈmeɪ.ər/ MAY-ər;^[1] (born October 16, 1977) is an American pop and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer.^[2] Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his skills and gained a following, and he now lives in New York City.^[3][4] His first two studio albums, Room for Squares and Heavier Things, did well commercially, achieving multi-platinum status. In 2003, he won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Your Body Is a Wonderland."^[5]

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 throughout his 2005 live album Try! with the John Mayer Trio and his third studio 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". He released his fourth studio album, Battle Studies, in November 2009. His fifth album, Born and Raised, was released on May 22, 2012. He has sold over 10 million albums in the U.S. and 20 million albums worldwide.

Early life[link]

John Clayton Mayer was born on October 16, 1977 in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Margaret, an English teacher, and Richard, a high school principal.^[6] He grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, the second of three children.^[7] His father is Jewish, and Mayer has said that he "relat[es] to Judaism".^[8] He attended Fairfield High School in Fairfield^[9] although he was enrolled in the Center for Global Studies at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk for his junior year (then known as the Center for Japanese Studies Abroad, it is a magnet program for students wanting to learn Japanese).^[10]

After watching Michael J. Fox's guitar performance as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, Mayer became fascinated with the instrument, and when he turned 13, his father rented one for him.^[11][12] A neighbor gave Mayer a Stevie Ray Vaughan cassette, which cultivated Mayer's love of blues music.^[13]a[›] Mayer started taking lessons from a local guitar-shop owner, Al Ferrante, and soon became consumed with playing the instrument.^[3][14] His singular focus concerned his parents, and they took him twice to see a psychiatrist—but Mayer was determined to be fine.^[3][14] Mayer says that the contentious nature of his parents' marriage led him to "disappear and create my own world I could believe in".^[3] After two years of practice, he started playing at blues bars and other venues in the area, while he was still in high school.^[10][12] In addition to performing solo, he was a member of a band called Villanova Junction (named for a Jimi Hendrix song) with Tim Procaccini, Joe Beleznay, and Rich Wolf.^[3][15] Mayer considered skipping college to pursue his music, but the disapproval of his parents dissuaded him from doing so.^[3]

When Mayer was seventeen, he was stricken with cardiac dysrhythmia and was hospitalized 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 from the hospital.^[4] Shortly thereafter, he began suffering from panic attacks, and lived with the fear of having to enter a mental institution.^[3] He continues to manage such episodes with Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug.^[4][16] After graduation, he worked for fifteen months at a gas station until he saved enough money to buy a 1996 Stevie Ray Vaughan signature Stratocaster.^[17]

Career[link]

Early career[link]

Mayer enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, aged 19.^[7] However, at the urging of his college friend an Atlanta, Georgia native, Clay Cook, he left school after two semesters and moved with Cook to Atlanta.^[18] In Atlanta they formed a two-man band called LoFi Masters and began performing in local coffee houses and club venues such as Eddie's Attic.^[12] According to Cook, they began to experience musical differences due to Mayer’s desire to move more towards pop music.^[19] As a result, the two parted ways, and Mayer embarked on a solo career.^[18]

With the help of local producer and engineer Glenn Matullo, Mayer recorded the independent EP Inside Wants Out. Cook co-wrote many of the songs from the EP including Mayer's first commercial single release, "No Such Thing".^[19] The EP includes eight songs with Mayer on lead vocals and guitars. However, Cook's only contribution was backing vocals on the song "Comfortable". For the opening track, "Back To You", a full band was enlisted, including the EP’s co-producer David "DeLa" LaBruyere on bass guitars.^[20] Mayer and LaBruyere then began to perform throughout Georgia and nearby states.

Major label success[link]

	"City Love" excerpt noicon From the album Room for Squares.
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Mayer’s reputation began to build, and a March 2000 appearance at South by Southwest brought him to the attention of "launch" label, Aware Records.^[14][21][22] 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 titled, Room for Squares. During this 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.^[23] 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.^[24]

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."^[25] 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.^[26]

In 2003, Mayer released a live CD and DVD of a concert in Birmingham, Alabama titled 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?'"^[27][28]

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".^[29] 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 a February 9, 2009 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Mayer said that he thought he should not 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. At the 37th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2006, Mayer was honored with the Hal David Starlight Award.^[30]

Mayer again recorded live concerts across seven nights of his U.S. tour in 2004. These recordings were released to the iTunes 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.^[31]

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.^[32] 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.^[33] Mayer has also done endorsements, such as a Volkswagen commercial for the Beetle's guitar outlet and for the BlackBerry Curve.^[34]

Change in musical direction[link]

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.^[35] 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."^[36]

	"Go!" excerpt noicon 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.[37]
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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."^[36] 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 Eric Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Freddie King.^[38]

John Mayer Trio[link]

	"Who Did You Think I Was?" noicon 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."[39] This sample features an extended electric guitar solo.
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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,^[40] 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.^[41]

[edit] Continuum

Mayer's third studio album, titled Continuum, was released on September 12, 2006, and was produced by Mayer 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!—"Vultures" and "Gravity"—also were included on Continuum.^[7]

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 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.^[42] 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: Crime Scene Investigation, 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 Grammy Awards, 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.^[43]

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.^[38] 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.^[44]

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".^[45] 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, Colbie Caillat and Dave Barnes, among others. The event was called "The Mayercraft Carrier" and was held aboard the cruise ship known as the Carnival Victory.^[46] A follow up cruise titled "Mayercraft Carrier 2" set sail from Long Beach, California from 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 Blu-ray bonus material includes footage of Mayer backstage and playing outside on Mulholland Drive.^[47]

Australian artist Guy Sebastian invited Mayer to collaborate on three songs from his 2009 album Like It Like That.^[48] Mayer also played guitar on the title track of Crosby Loggins' debut LP, Time to Move, released on July 10, 2009.^[49]

On July 7, 2009, Mayer performed an instrumental guitar version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" at Jackson's televised memorial service.^[50]

[edit] Battle Studies

On November 17, 2009, Mayer's fourth studio album, Battle Studies, was released and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.^[51] The album consists of 11 tracks with a total time of 45 minutes. The first single from the album, "Who Says", was released on September 24, 2009 in advance of album, and was followed on October 19 by the single "Heartbreak Warfare" and the single "Half of My Heart" released on June 21, 2010. Despite the album's commercial success, critics were mixed with their praise; while some reviews were glowing, calling it his "most adventurous",^[52][53] others called the album "safe" and noted that "Mayer the singer-songwriter and Mayer the man about town sometimes seem disconnected, like they don’t even belong in the same body."^{[3][54][55][56]}

Mayer admitted to Rolling Stone that he thought Battle Studies was not his best album.^[57][58]

[edit] Born and Raised

Early reports indicated that the follow-up to Battle Studies would be called Born and Raised, and would be released in October 2011.^[59]

On September 16, 2011 Mayer posted on his blog that his new record, Born and Raised, was being delayed due to granulomas discovered in his throat. The granulomas were found next to the vocal cords and are treatable. Mayer described this as a "temporary setback" and that recording and mixing of "Born and Raised" was entirely finished except for a few remaining vocal tracks. He expects the album to be out in early 2012.^[60]

On October 20, 2011 Mayer updated his fans about the treatment of his throat granuloma, announcing that he "had surgery this afternoon to remove it and am now on complete vocal rest for a month or more", during which he plans to "travel the country, look, and listen."^[60]

The first single from Born and Raised, called "Shadow Days" was released on February 27, 2012

On February 28, 2012 John Mayer released the track listing for the album and announced that Born and Raised would be released on May 22, 2012.^[61]

On March 9, 2012 Mayer announced on his blog that due to the return of a serious throat condition, he has been forced to cancel his tour and refrain from all singing indefinitely.^[62]

Other projects[link]

Philanthropy and activism[link]

In 2002, Mayer began the "Back to You" Fund, a nonprofit 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.^[63][64]

Mayer participated at the East Rutherford, New Jersey location of the Live Earth project, a musical rally to support awareness for global warming held July 7, 2007.^[65] He converted his tour bus to bio-diesel fuel.^[66]

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.^[67] On December 8, 2007, Mayer hosted the first annual Charity Revue, a tradition he has continued each year. Charities who have benefited from the concerts include Toys for Tots, Inner City Arts, and the Los Angeles Mission.^[68] Both CDs and DVDs of the first 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.^[69] Mayer appeared on Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace, a celebrity initiative to support Tibet and the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.^[70]

Design[link]

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.^[4] In 2003, Martin Guitars gave Mayer his own signature model acoustic guitar called the OM-28 John Mayer.^[72] The guitar was limited to a run of only 404, an Atlanta area code.^[73] 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.^[74] 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.^[75]

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.^[76][77] June 2007 saw the release of the "album art" guitar, with the Continuum motif repeated on the face of the instrument,^[78] as well as a 500-run John Mayer signature Fender Stratocaster in Cypress-Mica, including the limited Cypress-Mica model was the INCSvsJM gig bag on which Mayer collaborated with Incase designs. In 2006, Mayer was estimated to have more than 200 guitars in his personal collection.^[4] In 2010, Fender announced a production model of Mayer's "The Black One" guitar.^[79]

Writing[link]

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.^[80] The winner was Tim Fagan of L.A., as announced in the following January's issue.^[81]

Mayer has been active online, and has maintained four blogs: a Myspace page, a blog at his official site, another at Honeyee.com, one at tumblr.com, and a photoblog at StunningNikon.com. He also is one of the most-followed persons on the micro-blogging site Twitter,^[82] reaching 3 million followers in January 2010. Although his posts often deal with career-related matters, they also contain jokes, videos, photos, his convictions, and his personal activities; they sometimes overlap in content. He is noted for writing the blogs himself, and not through a publicist.^[16][44] On January 23, 2008, he posted a graphic that read, "Done & Dusted & Self Conscious & Back to Work." on his official blog, 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.^[83]

In the mid-2000s he did stand-up comedy sporadically^[82] making random appearances at the famed Comedy Cellar in New York and at other venues. He stated that it helped him write better but that increased media attention made him too careful in his technique.^[4]

He co-wrote "Worlds of Chance" with Demi Lovato for her second album Here We Go Again.

Television[link]

In 2004, Mayer hosted a one-shot, half-hour comedy special on VH1 titled John Mayer Has a TV Show, with antics including wearing a bear suit while anonymously teasing concertgoers in the parking lot outside one of his concerts. The American network CBS announced on January 14, 2009 that they were in negotiations with Mayer for a variety show; it may air as a special or as a regular series.^[84][85] In an interview with Rolling Stone, posted online on January 22, 2010, Mayer confirmed that the program, also called John Mayer Has a TV Show, was still in development, and that personnel were being hired. He described the concept as "a high quality music performance show, where I could also steer it a little bit. It's about there being a bastion of artists being made to look good and sound good.".^[86]

Mayer has made many appearances on talk shows and other television programs, most notably, on a Chappelle's Show comedy skit, Late Night with David Letterman and on the final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Mayer made an appearance with Rob Dyrdek in the MTV show Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory.

Mayer has written the theme song to the upcoming show Rollin' with Zach on the OWN network.

Touring[link]

Mayer has toured with many musical groups, including Maroon 5,^[87] Guster, Howie Day, Mat Kearney, Counting Crows,^[88] Ben Folds, The Wallflowers, Teitur,^[89] Brett Dennen, Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, Train, Ellie Goulding, OneRepublic and Paramore. Crow and Mayer, who had just previously appeared on the Cars Soundtrack together, co-headlined a tour that ran from August to October 2006.^[90] In 2007, Mayer toured Europe, hoping to reach the popularity abroad that he enjoys in North America.^[91] The initial North American Continuum tour ended on February 28, 2007, with a show at Madison Square Garden, a performance which the New York Post described as "career-defining."^[92] In 2010, Mayer and Keith Urban performed at a CMT Crossroads concert which saw Mayer and Urban performing a medley of their own songs together and a rendition of George Michael's single, "Faith". This performance was led to Urban and Mayer teaming up again for future performances, including at the 2010 CMT Music Awards.

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.^[93]

Mayer often shows up at small venues unannounced (or with little advance notice) for surprise concerts—occasionally for free or without accepting the performance fee.^{[94][95][96][97]} He has made appearances throughout the Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York areas, including shows at The Laugh Factory,^[98] Eddie's Attic,^[99] and the Village Underground.^[97] His latest surprise appearance was on January 8, 2011 at Hotel Cafe where he played seven new unreleased songs. In 2004, after being asked for numerous past years, he performed for over 1000 students at the Pennsbury High School Senior Prom. Wonderland, a book written by Micheal Bamberger, describes the world- famous prom and John Mayer's performance.

Touring band members[link]

Current members

• David Ryan Harris – guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
• Sean Hurley – bass, backing vocals (2008–present)
• Chuck Leavell - keyboards (2011–present)
• Aaron Sterling - drums (2011–present)

Former members

• Bob Reynolds – saxophones, flute (2006–2008, 2010)
• Robbie McIntosh – guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals (2006–2010)
• Pino Palladino - Bass (2010)
• Keith Carlock - drums, percussion (2010)
• David LaBruyere – bass (1999–2008)
• Nir Z - drums (2001)
• Matt Mangano - guitar (2001)
• Matt Johnson - drums (2002)
• Stephen Chopek – drums, percussion (2001–2002)
• Michael Chaves – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2001–2005)
• Kevin Lovejoy – keyboards (2003–2004)
• Erik Jekabsen – trumpet, flugelhorn (2003–2004)
• Chris Karlic – saxophone, flute (2003–2005)
• J.J. Johnson – drums (2003–2005, 2006–2008)
• Onree Gill – keyboards (2004–2005)
• Chuck McKinnon – trumpet, flugelhorn (2004–2005)
• Keith Carlock - drums, percussion (2010–2011)
• Ricky Peterson – keyboards, organ, backing vocals (2006–2007)
• Charlie Wilson – keyboards (2009–2011)
• Tim Bradshaw – keyboards, organ, lap steel guitar, backing vocals (2007–2008)
• Kenna Ramsey - backing vocals (2009–2010)
• Melanie Taylor - backing vocals (2009–2010)
• Steve Jordan – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2003, 2005–2006, 2009–2010)
• Brad Mason - trumpet, flugelhorn (2006–2008)

Personal life[link]

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.^[100]

Mayer has followed the discipline of Krav Maga.^{[101][102][103]} He is an avid collector of watches and owns timepieces worth tens of thousands of dollars.^[104][105] Mayer also has an extensive collection of sneakers, estimated (in 2006^[update]) at more than 200 pairs.^[4][106]

Mayer's parents concluded an uncontested divorce on May 27, 2009.^[107] After the divorce, Mayer moved his (82-year-old) father to an assisted-living facility in Los Angeles.^[3]

In September 2011, according to a Rolling Stone magazine article, Mayer has granuloma in his throat which must be treated surgically – this has caused him to cancel various planned shows.^[108]

Mayer sold his home in the Los Angeles suburbs in 2011.^[3][4][109] He also recently sold his apartment in New York City's SoHo neighborhood and moved to Montana following his throat surgery where he has purchased a home.^[110]

[edit] Playboy interview controversy

In April 2010 Mayer gave a controversial interview to Playboy magazine, in which he made sexually explicit comments about former girlfriends Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston. It was alleged that one remark he made in the interview was racist.^[111] He later apologized onstage for these statements.^[112]

Despite assertions that he would not be doing any more press,^[86] an interview with Playboy magazine (posted to their website on February 10, 2010) set off accusations in the media and on Twitter of his being a misogynist, kiss-and-tell ex-boyfriend, and racist.^[101][113] He apologized via Twitter for his use of the word "nigger," saying, "It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize...a word that is so emotionally charged."^[114] He also tearfully apologized to his band and fans at his concert in Nashville later that night.^[115] Mayer was dubbed an "accidental racist" by comedian, Kumail Nanjiani.^[116]

Solo discography[link]

• Room for Squares (2001)
• Heavier Things (2003)
• Continuum (2006)
• Battle Studies (2009)
• Born and Raised (2012)

Awards[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

Mayer has won seven awards from eighteen nominations.

Others awards and nominations[link]

See also[link]

• Annual John Mayer Holiday Charity Revue
• Battle Studies World Tour

Notes[link]

Footnotes[link]