John Mayer Bio

John Mayer

Grammy-winning singer and songwriter John Mayer was born on October 16, 1977, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Mayer was inspired by pop music growing up, but discovered the blues at age thirteen when he began playing guitar. In high school, Mayer played in a band called Villanova Junction. Also during his teens, Mayer was struck with a cardiac arrhythmia, landing him in hospital and inspiring him to begin writing lyrics. Mayer attended the Berklee College of Music for a brief period, after which he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where his music career took off.

One year after arriving in Atlanta in 1999, Mayer released his debut solo album, Inside Wants Out, and became a regular fixture around Atlanta’s club circuit. In 2000, Mayer played at the South by Southwest Music Festival, which landed him a recording contract with Columbia Records’ subsidiary Aware Records. Next came the album Room for Squares, produced by John Alagia. Room for Squares was re-released in the summer of 2001, adding to Mayer's growing fan base and spawning his first cross-country tour. The album yielded a Grammy-winning hit for Mayer; the single "Your Body Is a Wonderland" was recognized with a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance award.

Mayer's 2004 album Heavier Things garnered him a Grammy win for Song of the Year. Mayer then formed the John Mayer Trio with drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino. The John Mayer Trio toured to sold-out audiences, which was documented on the release Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert. Also in 2004, Mayer teamed up with hip hop artist and producer Kanye West, appearing on West’s unreleased album Bittersweet. Mayer continued to collaborate with artists in 2005, including BB King, Eric Clapton, and John Scofield. He has also toured with Maroon 5, Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, and Sheryl Crow.

On September 12, 2006, Mayer released the album Continuum, using the Internet as a marketing vehicle. Continuum’s first single, "Waiting on the World to Change," was made available on Mayer’s MySpace site, and became the third most downloaded song of the week on the iTunes Music Store following its release. Mayer has also channeled his net-savvy abilities into his own blog, which he updates frequently and uses to interact with fans.

In 2004, Mayer premiered a half-hour comedy special in VH1, called John Mayer Has a TV Show. Showcasing his sense of humor, Mayer jokingly suggests that Richard Marx actually wrote his songs. Mayer has also done stints as a stand-up comedian, and penned articles for Esquire magazine.

Mayer has been romantically linked to actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, and model Heidi Klum. He has most recently been reportedly involved in a relationship with singer Jessica Simpson. As of June of 2007, the couple appears to have broken up, though they are still photographed together.

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