December 8 is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 23 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events[link]

• 1432 – The first battle between the forces of Švitrigaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis is fought near the town of Oszmiana (Ashmyany), launching the most active phase of the Lithuanian Civil War.
• 1660 – A woman (either Margaret Hughes or Anne Marshall) appears on an English public stage for the first time, in the role of Desdemona in a production of Shakespeare's play Othello.
• 1854 – In his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX proclaims the dogmatic definition of Immaculate Conception, which holds that the Virgin Mary was born free of original sin.
• 1907 – King Gustaf V of Sweden accedes to the Swedish throne.
• 1912 – Leaders of the German Empire hold an Imperial War Council to discuss the possibility that war might break out.
• 1914 – A squadron of Britain's Royal Navy defeats an inferior squadron of the Imperial German High Seas Fleet in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
• 1927 – The Brookings Institution, one of the United States' oldest think tanks, is founded through the merger of three organizations that had been created by philanthropist Robert S. Brookings.
• 1941 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be "a date which will live in infamy", after which the U.S. and the Republic of China declare war against Japan.
• 1941 – Japanese forces simultaneously invade Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies. These happen concurrently with the Attack on Pearl Harbor, which was on December 7 in the United States.
• 1949 – United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is established to provide aid to Palestinian refugees who left their homes during the 1948 Palestinian exodus.
• 1953 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech, and the U.S. launches its "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment and information to schools, hospitals, and research institutions around the world.
• 1962 – Workers at four New York City newspapers (this later increases to nine) go on strike for 114 days.
• 1963 – Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707, is struck by lightning and crashes near Elkton, Maryland, United States, killing all 81 people on board.
• 1966 – The Greek ship SS Heraklion sinks in a storm in the Aegean Sea, killing over 200.
• 1971 – Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi.
• 1972 – United Airlines Flight 553 crashes after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway International Airport, killing 45.
• 1974 – A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece.
• 1980 – John Lennon, an English musician (former member of The Beatles), and peace activist, is murdered by Mark David Chapman, a mentally unstable fan, in front of The Dakota apartment building in New York City.
• 1982 – In Suriname, several opponents of the military government are killed.
• 1987 – The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed.
• 1987 – Frank Vitkovic shoots and kills eight people at the Australia Post building in Melbourne, before jumping to his death.
• 1987 – The Alianza Lima air disaster occurs.
• 1987 – An Israeli army tank transporter kills four Palestinian refugees and injures seven others during a traffic accident at the Erez Crossing on the Israel–Gaza Strip border, sparking the First Intifada.
• 1988 – A United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashes into an apartment complex in Remscheid, Germany, killing 5 people and injuring 50 others.
• 1991 – The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States.
• 1991 – The Romanian Constitution is adopted in a referendum.
• 1993 – The North American Free Trade Agreement is signed into law by US President Bill Clinton.
• 1998 – Eighty-one people are killed by armed groups in Algeria.
• 1998 – The Australian Cricket Board's cover-up of Shane Warne and Mark Waugh's involvement with bookmakers is revealed.
• 2002 – The Caribbean Community Heads of Government meet with the Government of Cuba and declare the date to be "CARICOM-Cuba Day"—to celebrate diplomatic ties between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba.
• 2004 – The Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations.
• 2007 – Benazir Bhutto, first and only female former Prime Minister of Pakistan, had her PPP Office stormed by unidentified gunmen. Three supporters are killed.
• 2009 – Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill 127 and injure 448.
• 2010 – With the second launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 and the first launch of the SpaceX Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first privately held company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft.
• 2010 – The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus at a distance of about 80,800 km.

Births[link]

• 65 BC – Horace, Roman poet (d. 8 BC)
• 1542 – Mary, Queen of Scots (d. 1587)
• 1574 – Maria Anna of Bavaria, consort of Ferdinand II (d. 1616)
• 1626 – Queen Christina of Sweden (d. 1689)
• 1678 – Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton, English diplomat (d. 1757)
• 1699 – Queen Maria Josepha of Poland (d. 1757)
• 1708 – Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1765)
• 1724 – Claude Balbastre, French composer, organist and harpsichordist (d. 1799)
• 1730 – Jan Ingenhousz, Dutch physician, physiologist and botanist (d. 1799)
• 1731 – František Xaver Dušek, Czech composer (d. 1799)
• 1756 – Archduke Maximilian Franz of Austria (d. 1801)
• 1765 – Eli Whitney, American inventor (d. 1825)
• 1795 – Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish astronomer (d. 1874)
• 1815 – Adolph Menzel, German painter and graphic artist (d. 1905)
• 1816 – August Belmont, Sr., Prussian-born American financier (d. 1890)
• 1817 – Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, Danish nobleman and politician (d. 1896)
• 1818 – Charles III, Prince of Monaco, founder of the Monte Carlo casino (d. 1889)
• 1822 – Jakov Ignjatović, Serbian novelist and prose writer (d. 1889)
• 1832 – Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Norwegian author and Nobel laureate (d. 1910)
• 1860 – Amanda McKittrick Ros, Irish novelist and poet (d. 1939)
• 1861 – William C. Durant, American automobile executive (d. 1947)
• 1861 – Aristide Maillol, French sculptor (d. 1944)
• 1861 – Georges Méliès, French filmmaker and innovator (d. 1938)
• 1862 – Georges Feydeau, French playwright (d. 1921)
• 1864 – Camille Claudel, French graphic artist and sculptor (d. 1943)
• 1865 – Jacques Hadamard, French mathematician (d. 1963)
• 1865 – Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer (d. 1957)
• 1874 – Ernst Moro, Austrian physician (d. 1951)
• 1886 – Diego Rivera, Mexican painter (d. 1957)
• 1890 – Bohuslav Martinů, Czech composer (d. 1959)
• 1894 – E.C. Segar, American cartoonist (Popeye) (d. 1938)
• 1894 – James Thurber, American humorist and cartoonist (d. 1961)
• 1899 – John Qualen, Canadian actor (d. 1987)
• 1900 – Sun Li-jen, Chinese general (d. 1990)
• 1902 – Wifredo Lam, Cuban artist (d. 1982)
• 1908 – John A. Volpe, American politician and 2nd United States Secretary of Transportation (d. 1994)
• 1909 – Lesslie Newbigin, English theologian and bishop (d. 1998)
• 1909 – Gratien Gélinas, French-Canadian playwright and producer (d. 1999)
• 1911 – Nikos Gatsos, Greek poet and lyricist (d. 1992)
• 1913 – Delmore Schwartz, American poet (d. 1966)
• 1915 – Ernest Lehman, American screenwriter (d. 2005)
• 1916 – Richard Fleischer, American film director (d. 2006)
• 1918 – Gérard Souzay, French baritone (d. 2004)
• 1919 – Peter Tali Coleman, American politician and 43rd, 51st and 53rd Governor of American Samoa (d. 1997)
• 1922 – Lucian Freud, English painter (d. 2011)
• 1922 – Jean Ritchie, American folk singer
• 1923 – Rudolph Pariser, Chinese-born American chemist
• 1925 – Sammy Davis Jr., American actor and singer (d. 1990)
• 1925 – Carmen Martín Gaite, Spanish author (d. 2000)
• 1925 – Jimmy Smith, American jazz organist (d. 2005)
• 1925 – Nasir Kazmi, renowned Urdu poet of Pakistan (d. 1972)
• 1927 – Ferdie Pacheco, American boxing trainer
• 1927 – Vladimir Shatalov, Soviet cosmonaut
• 1928 – Bill Hewitt, Canadian sportscaster (d. 1996)
• 1928 – Ulric Neisser, American cognitive psychologist
• 1930 – Julian Critchley, British politician (d. 2000)
• 1930 – Maximilian Schell, Austrian-born Swiss actor and film director
• 1931 – Bob Arum, American boxing promoter
• 1933 – Flip Wilson, American comedian (d. 1998)
• 1935 – Dharmendra, Indian actor
• 1935 – Tatiana Zatulovskaya, Israeli chess player
• 1936 – David Carradine, American actor (d. 2009)
• 1936 – Michael Hobson, American publisher
• 1937 – James MacArthur, American actor (d. 2010)
• 1937 – Arne Næss Jr., Norwegian mountaineer and businessman (d. 2004)
• 1939 – Red Berenson, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1939 – Jerry "The Iceman" Butler, American soul singer
• 1939 – Sir James Galway, Northern Irish flautist
• 1939 – Soko Richardson, American rhythm and blues drummer (d. 2004)
• 1940 – Brant Alyea, American baseball player
• 1941 – Ed Brinkman, American baseball player
• 1941 – Bob Brown, American football player
• 1941 – Randall Cunningham, First Navy Vietnam Ace, American politician
• 1941 – Sir Geoff Hurst, English footballer
• 1941 – Bobby Elliott, English musician (Drummer for The Hollies)
• 1943 – Ken Johnson, American professional wrestling manager
• 1943 – Jim Morrison, American singer (The Doors) (d. 1971)
• 1943 – Bodo Tümmler, German middle-distance runner
• 1943 – Mary Woronov, American actress
• 1944 – George Baker, Dutch singer and songwriter
• 1944 – Vince MacLean, Canadian politician
• 1945 – John Banville, Irish novelist and journalist
• 1946 – John Rubinstein, American actor, composer, director
• 1946 – Sharmila Tagore, Indian Actress
• 1947 – Chava Alberstein, Israeli singer, lyricist, composer, and musical arranger
• 1947 – Gregg Allman, American musician (The Allman Brothers Band)
• 1947 – Thomas R. Cech, American chemist, Nobel laureate
• 1947 – Kati-Claudia Fofonoff, Finnish author
• 1947 – Gérard Blanc, French singer
• 1948 – Luis Caffarelli, Argentine-born American mathematician
• 1949 – Mary Gordon, American writer
• 1949 – Nancy Meyers, American film director, producer and screenwriter
• 1949 – Ray Shulman, English musician
• 1949 – Robert Sternberg, American psychologist and psychometrician
• 1950 – Rick Baker, American film makeup artist
• 1950 – Tim Foli, American baseball player
• 1950 – Dan Hartman, American musician (Edgar Winter Group) (d. 1994)
• 1951 – Bill Bryson, American author
• 1951 – Jan Eggum, Norwegian singer and songwriter
• 1952 – Khaw Boon Wan, Singapore Health Minister
• 1953 – Kim Basinger, American actress
• 1953 – Roy Firestone, American sports announcer
• 1953 – Norman Finkelstein, American professor
• 1953 – Sam Kinison, American comedian (d. 1992)
• 1954 – Harold Hongju Koh, American lawyer and Obama Administration advisor
• 1954 – Frits Pirard, Dutch road bicycle racer
• 1954 – Gadowar Singh Sahota, Indian professional wrestler
• 1955 – Milenko Zablaćanski, Serbian actor, director, and playwright (d. 2008)
• 1956 – Warren Cuccurullo, American musician
• 1956 – Andrew Edge English musician
• 1957 – Phil Collen, English guitarist (Def Leppard)
• 1958 – Rob Curling, British television presenter
• 1958 – Bird McIntyre, Thai pop singer, musician
• 1958 – Bob Greene, American exercise physiologist
• 1959 – Stephen Jefferies, South African cricketer
• 1959 – Mark Steyn, Canadian writer and cultural critic
• 1960 – Lim Guan Eng, Malaysian statesman
• 1961 – Ann Coulter, American political commentator
• 1961 – Mikey Robins, Australian comedian
• 1962 – Berry van Aerle, Dutch footballer
• 1962 – Steve Elkington, Australian golfer
• 1962 – Marty Friedman, American guitarist
• 1962 – Nikos Karageorgiou, Greek footballer
• 1962 – Wendell Pierce, American actor
• 1963 – Greg Howe, Americal guitarist
• 1963 – Toshiaki Kawada, Japanese wrestler
• 1964 – James Blundell, Australian country singer
• 1964 – Teri Hatcher, American actress
• 1964 – Chigusa Nagayo, Japanese wrestler
• 1965 – David Harewood, British actor
• 1965 – Carina Lau, Hong Kong actress
• 1965 – Theo Maassen, Dutch comedian and actor
• 1966 – Sinéad O'Connor, Irish musician
• 1967 – Jeff George, American football player
• 1967 – Junkie XL, Dutch musician
• 1967 – Kotono Mitsuishi, Japanese seiyu (voice actress)
• 1967 – Darren Sheridan, English footballer and manager
• 1967 – Andy Kapp, German curler
• 1968 – Michael Cole, American professional wrestling commentator
• 1968 – Mike Mussina, American baseball player
• 1969 – Steve Van Wormer, American actor
• 1970 – Me Phi Me, American rapper and author
• 1972 – Marco Abreu, Angolan footballer
• 1972 – Frank Shamrock, American mixed martial artist
• 1973 – Doron Bell Jr., Canadian actor
• 1973 – Corey Taylor, American singer (Slipknot, Stone Sour)
• 1974 – Cristian Castro, Mexican singer
• 1974 – Tony Simmons, American football player
• 1974 – Nick Zinner, American guitarist (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
• 1975 – Jerrelle Clark, American wrestler
• 1975 – Kevin Harvick, American racing driver
• 1976 – Naimee Coleman, Irish singer and songwriter
• 1976 – Reed Johnson, American baseball player
• 1976 – Dominic Monaghan, English actor
• 1976 – Joshua Butler, Celebrity Chef
• 1976 – Brettina Robinson, singer and songwriter
• 1977 – Elsa Benítez, Mexican supermodel
• 1977 – Sébastien Chabal, French rugby union footballer
• 1977 – Ryan Newman, American racing driver
• 1978 – John Oster, Welsh footballer
• 1978 – Anwar Siraj, Ethiopian footballer
• 1978 – Ian Somerhalder, American actor
• 1978 – Vernon Wells, American baseball player
• 1978 – Park Kyung-lim, South Korean entertainer
• 1978 – Frédéric Piquionne, France footballer
• 1979 – Daniel Fitzhenry, Australian rugby league footballer
• 1979 – Johan Forssell, Swedish politician
• 1979 – Raymond Lam, Hong Kong actor and singer
• 1979 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie-pop singer-songwriter
• 1979 – José Peña, Venezuelan track and field athlete
• 1979 – Christian Wilhelmsson, Swedish footballer
• 1980 – Lisa Kelly, American reality television personality
• 1981 – Jeremy Accardo, American baseball player
• 1981 – Philip Rivers, American football player
• 1982 – Alfredo Aceves, American baseball player
• 1982 – Hamit Altıntop, Turkish footballer
• 1982 – Halil Altıntop, Turkish footballer
• 1982 – Nicki Minaj, rapper and singer-songwriter
• 1982 – Noelle Pikus-Pace, American skeleton racer
• 1982 – Jimmy Rave, American wrestler
• 1982 – DeeDee Trotter, American athlete
• 1983 – Neel Jani, Swiss racing driver
• 1983 – Liu Song, Chinese snooker player
• 1984 – Greg Halford, English footballer
• 1984 – Badr Hari, Dutch kickboxer
• 1985 – Meagan Duhamel, Canadian figure skater
• 1985 – Dwight Howard, American basketball player
• 1985 – Oleksiy Pecherov, Ukrainian basketball player
• 1986 – Amir Khan, English boxer
• 1986 – Kate Voegele, American musician
• 1989 – Drew Doughty, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1989 – Jen Ledger, English drummer "Skillet"
• 1993 – AnnaSophia Robb, American actress and singer
• 1994 – Raheem Sterling, English footballer
• 1996 – Teala Dunn, American actress

Deaths[link]

• 899 – Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia (b. 850)
• 1626 – John Davies, English poet (b. 1569)
• 1632 – Philippe van Lansberge, Flemish astronomer (b. 1561)
• 1638 – Ivan Gundulić, Croatian poet (b. 1589)
• 1643 – John Pym, English statesman (b. 1583)
• 1649 – Noël Chabanel, French Jesuit missionary (b. 1613)
• 1680 – Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester, English politician (b. 1606)
• 1691 – Richard Baxter, English clergyman (b. 1615)
• 1695 – Barthélemy d'Herbelot de Molainville, French orientalist (b. 1625)
• 1709 – Thomas Corneille, French dramatist (b. 1625)
• 1722 – Liselotte von der Pfalz, Duchess of Orléans (b. 1652)
• 1744 – Marie-Anne de Mailly-Nesle duchess de Châteauroux, mistress of King Louis XV of France (b. 1717)
• 1745 – Etienne Fourmont, French orientalist (b. 1683)
• 1746 – Charles Radclyffe, British politician (b. 1693)
• 1756 – William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, British statesman and diplomat (b. 1690)
• 1768 – Jean Denis Attiret, French Jesuit missionary (b. 1702)
• 1779 – Nathan Alcock, English physician (b. 1707)
• 1793 – Madame du Barry, last royal mistress of France, guillotined (b. 1743)
• 1811 – Eliza Poe, English-born American actress and the mother of the American author Edgar Allan Poe (b. 1787)
• 1830 – Benjamin Constant, Swiss writer (b. 1767)
• 1859 – Thomas De Quincey, English author (b. 1785)
• 1864 – George Boole, British inventor of Boolean algebra (b. 1815)
• 1869 – Narcisa de Jesús Martillo, Ecuadorian saint (b. 1832)
• 1885 – William Henry Vanderbilt, member of the Vanderbilt family (b. 1821)
• 1894 – Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician (b. 1821)
• 1907 – Oscar II of Sweden (b. 1829)
• 1914 – Maximilian von Spee, German naval officer, in the Battle of the Falkland Islands (b. 1861)
• 1917 – Mendele Moykher Sforim, Russian writer (b. 1836)
• 1938 – Friedrich Glauser, Swiss writer (b. 1896)
• 1940 – George Lloyd (bishop of Saskatchewan), Anglican Bishop and theologian (b. 1861)
• 1952 – Charles Lightoller, English second officer on the Titanic (b. 1874)
• 1954 – Joseph B. Keenan, American political figure (b. 1888)
• 1954 – Gladys George, American stage and screen actress
• 1958 – Tris Speaker, American baseball player (b. 1888)
• 1963 – Sarit Dhanarajata, Thai politician (b. 1908)
• 1966 – Ward Morehouse, American theater critic and newspaper columnist (b. 1899)
• 1967 – John Mills, Sr., American singer (Mills Brothers) (b. 1889)
• 1971 – Eleni Ourani, Greek writer (b. 1896)
• 1975 – Gary Thain, New Zealand bassist (Uriah Heep) (b. 1948)
• 1978 – Golda Meir, Russian-born Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1898)
• 1980 – John Lennon, English musician (The Beatles) (b. 1940)
• 1982 – Bram Behr, Surinamese journalist (b. 1951)
• 1982 – Marty Robbins, American singer (b. 1925)
• 1983 – Slim Pickens, American actor (b. 1919)
• 1984 – Luther Adler, American actor (b. 1903)
• 1984 – Razzle, English musician and drummer (Hanoi Rocks) (b. 1960)
• 1984 – Robert Jay Mathews, White Nationalist (b. 1953)
• 1991 – Kimberly Bergalis, claimed to have contracted HIV from her dentist (b. 1968)
• 1991 – Buck Clayton, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1911)
• 1992 – William Shawn, American magazine editor (b. 1917)
• 1993 – Yevgeni Minaev, Soviet (Russian) weightlifter (b. 1933)
• 1994 – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian composer and arranger (b. 1927)
• 1996 – Howard Rollins, American actor (b. 1950)
• 1996 – Kashiwado Tsuyoshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 47th Yokozuna (b. 1938)
• 1997 – Bob Bell, played Bozo the Clown (b. 1922)
• 1998 – Michael Craze, British Actor (b.1942)
• 1999 – Péter Kuczka, Hungarian writer (b. 1923)
• 2000 – Milić od Mačve, Serbian painter and artist (b. 1934)
• 2001 – Don Tennant, American advertising executive (b. 1922)
• 2001 – Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian basketball player (b. 1954)
• 2003 – Rubén González, Cuban pianist (Buena Vista Social Club) (b. 1919)
• 2004 – Dimebag Darrell (Darrell Abbott), American guitarist (Pantera, Damageplan) (b. 1966)
• 2005 – Georgiy Zhzhonov, Russian actor and author (b. 1915)
• 2006 – Martha Tilton, American singer (b. 1915)
• 2006 – José Uribe, Dominican baseball player (b. 1959)
• 2007 – Gerardo García Pimentel, Mexican journalist (b. 1983)
• 2008 – Kerryn McCann, Australian athlete (b. 1967)
• 2008 – Oliver Postgate, English animator, puppeteer and writer. (b. 1925)
• 2008 – Robert Prosky, American actor (b. 1930).
• 2009 – Kenneth Biros, American murderer (b. 1958)
• 2009 – Luis Días, Dominican Composer (b. 1952).

Holidays and observances[link]

• Bodhi Day (Japan)
• CARICOM-Cuba Day (the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Cuba)
• Christian Feast Day:
  • Clement of Ohrid (Julian Calendar)
  • Eucharius
  • Richard Baxter (US Episcopal Church)
  • Romaric

• Constitution Day (Romania)
• Constitution Day (Uzbekistan)
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception (public holidays in several countries, a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States and the Philippines), and its related observances:
  • Christmas on Campus (University of Dayton)
  • Festa da Conceição da Praia, celebrating Yemanjá, Queen of the Ocean (Salvador, Bahia)
  • Festival of Lights (Lyon)
  • Mother's Day (Panama)
• National Youth Day (Albania)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: December 8

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

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.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

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.