70 Fun Facts About John Mayer

In which Connecticut city was John Mayer born in 1977?

His father was the principal of the local Central High School and his mother taught middle-school English. He grew up in nearby Fairfield.

Which film performance first made a young John Mayer want to play guitar?

Marty McFly's school-dance guitar scene did it. His father rented him a guitar when he turned 13, and a neighbor's Stevie Ray Vaughan cassette then pulled him toward the blues.

Which future tennis star was Mayer's close elementary-school friend and after-school Nintendo partner?

Both grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. Mayer's parents were so worried about his single-minded guitar obsession that they twice took him to a psychiatrist, who pronounced him healthy.

Mayer says the songwriter in him was born the night he left hospital at 17. What had put him there?

He was hospitalised for a weekend with cardiac dysrhythmia and wrote his first lyrics that same night. Panic attacks followed soon after, which he still manages with medication.

Where did Mayer enrol as a student in 1997, only to leave after two semesters?

He had considered skipping college altogether, but his parents talked him into it. He lasted two semesters before heading south to chase gigs.

With which fellow guitarist did Mayer leave college and form the duo Lo-Fi Masters?

Cook later joined the Zac Brown Band, and he co-wrote several early Mayer songs, including the breakthrough single. They split over Mayer's drift toward pop.

Which city did Mayer move to in 1997 to launch his career, playing venues like Eddie's Attic?

The Georgia capital became his adopted hometown, and his first Martin signature acoustic was limited to a run matching one of the city's area codes.

What was the title of the independent EP Mayer released in 1999 before signing to a label?

The eight-song EP was later reissued by Columbia in 2002. Four of its songs were re-recorded for his major-label debut, including the opener 'Back to You'.

Which imprint first released John Mayer's debut album internet-only in 2001, before Columbia re-released it?

A lawyer acquaintance sent Mayer's EP to Aware's Gregg Latterman. Aware's deal with Columbia gave the major label first pick of its artists.

What is the title of Mayer's 2001 debut studio album?

The Columbia re-release added the track '3x5' and updated artwork. Word of mouth and relentless touring pushed it to number one on Billboard's Heatseekers chart by March 2002.

Which song was Mayer's debut single, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100?

Its high school in Fairfield refused to let him film the video there because of the lyrics' digs at the school and its faculty. It stayed his highest-charting single until 'Say' in 2008.

Which song won Mayer his first Grammy, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, in 2003?

In his acceptance speech he said 'This is very, very fast, and I promise to catch up.' Blender later put the song at number 28 on its list of the 50 Worst Songs Ever.

Which actress, whom Mayer dated in 2002, denied his hit was about her, joking her body was 'more like a pawnshop'?

She told Entertainment Weekly there were 'a lot of interesting things put together' but 'at first glance, not so much.' Mayer has never confirmed who the song was about.

Mayer's live CD/DVD Any Given Thursday was recorded in September 2002 in which city?

The set at Oak Mountain Amphitheater included covers of Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'Lenny' and The Police's 'Message in a Bottle', and reached number 17 on the Billboard 200.

Which 2003 album became Mayer's first to debut at number one on the Billboard 200?

It sold over 317,000 copies in its first week. Its lead single, 'Bigger Than My Body', opened with a riff generated by an Adrenalinn effects processor designed by Roger Linn.

Which Mayer song won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2005?

He dedicated the award to his grandmother, Annie Hoffman. Years later he told Ellen DeGeneres that Alicia Keys' 'If I Ain't Got You' should have won, and he sawed the trophy in half and gave her the top.

Who played bass in the John Mayer Trio alongside drummer Steve Jordan?

Mayer met both musicians through studio sessions and formed the blues-rock trio in spring 2005, announcing he was 'closing up shop on acoustic sensitivity'.

The John Mayer Trio's live album Try! was recorded at the House of Blues in which city?

The 2005 set leaned on blues rather than adult-contemporary pop and included covers of Jimi Hendrix's 'Wait Until Tomorrow' and Ray Charles' 'I Got a Woman'. It was nominated for Best Rock Album.

Which artist's album kept Continuum from debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 in September 2006?

Continuum entered at number two with 300,186 copies, blocked by FutureSex/LoveSounds. It has since sold over five million copies worldwide.

Which lead single from John Mayer's Continuum won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2007 Grammys?

Columbia thought the album had no hits and pushed Mayer to write it. He has since admitted it is the song he least enjoys performing live.

Which John Mayer song appears on Try!, Continuum and Where the Light Is, whose live version won a 2009 Grammy?

Mayer has called it the most important song he has ever written and says the idea came to him in the shower. He performed it at the 2007 Grammys in a medley with Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend.

Which Jimi Hendrix song did Mayer cover on Continuum, his first Hendrix cover on a studio release?

He had played it live many times before, including on the televised Tsunami Aid concert.

The letters 'C' and 'o' on the Continuum album cover were customised to resemble what symbol?

Mayer had settled on the title a year before release, writing in a magazine column that he was 'obsessed with time lately'.

Which standard did John Mayer cover for Pixar's Cars (2006), earning a Grammy nomination?

The nomination was one of five he received that December, alongside Album of the Year for Continuum and Best Rock Album for the Trio's Try!

Mayer's 2007 ballad 'Say' was written for which Rob Reiner film?

It was his first commercial single not originally on one of his albums, and it earned him a record-tying fourth Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The 2008 concert film Where the Light Is documents a December 2007 show at which venue?

Directed by Danny Clinch, it moves through an acoustic set, a Trio blues set and a full-band set. It also captured his acoustic cover of Tom Petty's 'Free Fallin''.

Which song was the first single from Battle Studies (2009), noted for its open reference to drug use?

It was his first studio single since 'Say' in 2007. Battle Studies debuted at number one and its arena tour grossed 45 million dollars, though Mayer later said it was not his best album.

The Battle Studies opener 'Heartbreak Warfare' was featured in which 2010 comedy?

Steve Jordan co-produced the album, which was recorded partly at a Calabasas studio also named Battle Studies.

Which Battle Studies single features Taylor Swift on vocals?

Mayer was nominated for a Grammy for his solo version. Swift's 2010 song 'Dear John' was widely read as being about him, and Mayer told Rolling Stone it 'humiliated' him.

What medical problem delayed Born and Raised and forced Mayer to cancel its 2012 tour?

Two surgeries failed, so a UCLA surgeon paralysed his vocal cords with high-dose Botox to let the growth heal. He went months unable to speak, typing on a Bluetooth keyboard for others to read aloud.

During his vocal rest, Mayer fell in love with and moved to which Montana city in 2012?

His first performance after almost two years of silence was a January 2013 benefit there for firefighters. His 2013 album Paradise Valley is named for the valley along the Yellowstone River where he lives.

Which song was the lead single from Born and Raised, released on Mayer's blog in February 2012?

The album drew on Laurel Canyon-era Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It became his first record to spend more than one week atop the Billboard 200.

Which veteran producer handled both Born and Raised and Paradise Valley?

Critics praised his production of the folk and Americana turn. Paradise Valley debuted at number two, Mayer's first album since 2006 not to open at number one.

Which duet with Katy Perry appeared on Paradise Valley while the two were dating?

The single cover came from a Mario Sorrenti shoot for Vanity Fair, and the pair performed it at Barclays Center on the last night of his 2013 tour.

Which artist collaborated with Mayer on the Paradise Valley track 'Wildfire Pt. 2'?

Mayer had backed him on guitar on Saturday Night Live in September 2012, when his own voice was still out of action.

Which Beyonce song did Mayer cover in Adelaide and then release as a studio single in 2014?

His version debuted at number 90 on the Hot 100 and number 13 on Hot Rock Songs after Columbia issued it on iTunes.

With which singer did Mayer record 'Come Rain or Come Shine' for her 2014 duets album Partners?

Their take on the Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer standard was one of the album's all-male-duet pairings, recorded the same year Mayer covered Beyonce.

Which Grateful Dead song, heard by chance on Pandora in 2011, sparked Mayer's obsession with the band?

The 1980 Go to Heaven track sent him down a rabbit hole; soon the Dead were all he listened to, and he credits Jerry Garcia's playing with reshaping his own.

Which Grateful Dead guitarist joined Mayer for a studio performance when he guest-hosted The Late Late Show in 2015?

That jam led directly to Dead & Company, formed that August with three former Dead members plus Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes called Mayer 'the antithesis' of Garcia.

Which founding Grateful Dead bassist declined to join Dead & Company?

He kept playing with his own band and even hosted Mayer at Terrapin Crossroads. Mike Gordon of Phish was approached for the bass chair but was too busy.

Dead & Company's 2024 residency, Dead Forever, was staged at which venue?

The 30-show run came months after a 'final tour' seen by more than 840,000 fans, and the band returned for another 18 shows in 2025.

The Search for Everything (2017) was previewed by two four-song EPs with what names?

The loose concept album traces a break-up from the split to the ex getting married, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.

Which November 2016 song was the lead single from the 2017 album that followed Paradise Valley?

Touring with Dead & Company had pushed the album back to 2017; two more singles followed before the full record arrived that April.

Which Jay-Z and Kanye producer co-wrote and co-produced Mayer's 2018 single 'New Light'?

The song reached number one in Mexico and later opened Sob Rock. He joked that nobody could agree on a video budget, so he made its deliberately cheap green-screen clip with a company that usually shoots birthday and Bar Mitzvah videos.

Which country singer sang uncredited guest vocals on Sob Rock's lead single 'Last Train Home'?

The song later turned up in the first season of The Bear. Sob Rock leaned into 1980s soft rock, down to fake price-tag stickers on its cover.

Mayer's signature electric guitar released by PRS in March 2018 is called what?

Guitar Player called it 'a damn-near-perfect version of this type of guitar' despite its obvious Stratocaster resemblance. Mayer had split from Fender in 2014.

What is John Mayer's Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, the main guitar on Continuum, nicknamed?

He wanted an all-black version of Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'First Wife' Strat, relic'd to match. A limited run of 83 replicas sold out within 24 hours.

Mayer's 2003 Martin OM-28 signature acoustic was limited to how many guitars?

The number matches an area code of the city where he launched his career. His 2018 Martin D-45 signature was rarer still, at 45 instruments listed at 14,999 dollars.

Mayer is credited with reviving interest in which Marshall overdrive pedal after using it live?

The pedal flopped during its brief early-1990s run, but the attention led Marshall to reissue the whole line. He also owns the Dumbleland Special amp Stevie Ray Vaughan used on Texas Flood.

Rolling Stone's February 2007 'New Guitar Gods' cover gave Mayer what nickname?

He shared the cover with John Frusciante and Derek Trucks. The nickname nods to Eric Clapton, one of several elders, along with Stevie Wonder and Buddy Guy, who embraced him.

Where did Rolling Stone rank Mayer on its 2023 list of the 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time?

Critics have long split on him: 'an amazing guitar player', one wrote of a 2017 show, while lamenting his 'pillow-soft songcraft'.

How many Grammy Awards has John Mayer won?

They came from nineteen nominations, including a 2003 Best New Artist nod he did not win. Four of the seven were for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, tying the record.

What is the name of the weekly Instagram Live show Mayer launched in September 2018?

Guests have included Dave Chappelle, Halsey and Shawn Mendes, and he coined jingles like 'CVS Bag' and 'Drone Shot of My Yacht' for it. He revealed on episode three that he had been sober since 2016.

Mayer stopped drinking in 2016 after a six-day hangover following whose 30th birthday party?

He has since described sobriety as a domestic, low-key life off the road, staying close to his father and siblings.

In 2024 Mayer was named 'Creative Conduit' of which Swiss watch brand?

The role came with a 200-piece Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar he designed. He values his own collection in the 'tens of millions' and has judged the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve.

For which watch website has Mayer written a horology column?

In a 2015 Hodinkee column he wrote an open letter urging IWC to 'embrace its heritage' and simplify its line-up, and the brand publicly replied.

For which magazine did Mayer begin writing a regular column in June 2004?

In one 2005 issue he invited readers to write music for orphaned lyrics of his; a Los Angeles reader named Tim Fagan won.

What was the name of the Caribbean cruise concert event Mayer hosted in 2008 and 2009?

The first sailed on the Carnival Victory with David Ryan Harris, Brett Dennen and Colbie Caillat aboard; the sequel left Los Angeles on the Carnival Splendor.

Which Michael Jackson song did Mayer play as a guitar instrumental at Jackson's 2009 memorial?

That same month he co-wrote 'World of Chances' with Demi Lovato for her second album.

Steve Jobs invited Mayer to perform at Macworld in January 2004 as Apple introduced which product?

He became a fixture at Apple keynotes, including the 2007 iPhone unveiling. Volkswagen also had him, Slash and Christopher Guest advertise a guitar that plugged into car stereos.

Mayer played a truck driver in which 2014 comedy horror film?

He later played a version of himself in Get Hard (2015) and a friend of the lead in Vengeance (2022).

Which late comedian's body did Mayer fly from Orlando to Los Angeles on a private jet in January 2022?

Mayer and Jeff Ross also retrieved their friend's car from Los Angeles International Airport.

The Heart and Armor Foundation, which Mayer established in 2019, supports which group?

He had already been involved in veterans' causes for about 12 years. In 2017 he also endowed teaching scholarships for high school seniors in his father's honour.

What was the job of Mayer's father, Richard, in Bridgeport?

His mother Margaret was a middle-school English teacher; the family lived in nearby Fairfield.

Which blues guitarist's cassette, given by a neighbour, shaped the young Mayer's playing?

His father had rented him a guitar when he turned 13.

Mayer's 2004 live recordings were released on iTunes under what title, signalling that errors were kept in?

The album covers featured drawings of anthropomorphic bunnies.

Mayer's voice was sampled on 'Go', a song by which rapper?

He also appeared on a hidden track on Kanye West's Graduation, drawing praise from Jay-Z and Nelly.

In which Swiss watch competition has Mayer served as a juror?

He values his own collection in the 'tens of millions' of dollars.

What is the name of the SiriusXM channel he launched in October 2023?

The year-round channel mixes his classics, collaborations and unreleased material.

Which Mayer song was reported to be his response to Taylor Swift's 'Dear John'?

In 2012 he called her song 'abusing your talent'; Swift never contacted him about it, he said.