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John Mayer Biography:
Passion is contagious and that's why songwriters with an authentic, apparent passion for their craft can't help but attract an audience. John Mayer has earned a legion of devoted fans in and around his adopted hometown of Atlanta, where John Mayer moved in 1998 after a stint at Boston's Berklee College of Music. John Mayer’s original songwriting and warm stage presence establish him as a formidable musical force, and the smoky swagger of his voice at once evokes Sting, Dave Matthews and Jakob Dylan.
John Mayer grew up in Connecticut listening to pop radio until, at age 13, he discovered blues music when a neighbor gave him a Stevie Ray Vaughan tape. Mayer picked up a guitar, and within two years he was performing at local blues bars stunning audiences with his mature playing. But he soon realized that the world of guitar virtuosity was not for him.
"There's this really distracting glory in wanting to be the best guitar player because all that really is, is copying somebody, seeing who can play 'Sky Is Crying' better than the next guy," John Mayer says. "I wanted to be listenable and play tunes that other people could play but not the way I play them."
John Mayer devoted himself to developing his songwriting skills, toning down the guitar pyrotechnics in favor of memorable melodies and distinctive rhythmic textures. At 19 John Mayer enrolled at Berkley but realized in a matter of months that he was more interested in playing music than studying it. "It was a great learning experience, but not because of class," he laughs. A friend from Atlanta convinced him to head south, and Mayer soon became a regular at such Atlanta songwriters' nightspots as Eddie's Attic. In 1999 he released Inside Wants Out, an album consisting mostly of solo acoustic renditions of his energetic, earnest songs, as well as several tracks recorded with a full band.
The local press soon discovered John Mayer and sang his praises. "This young man knows how to captivate a crowd with his six-string guitar and honest lyrics," wrote Atlanta CitySearch. The Atlanta Journal Constitution saw all the makings of a star as they described Mayer's qualities, "Sophisticated, accessible folk rock sound dominated by striking acoustic guitar playing, video-ready looks and a sizable grass-roots following born in clubs across the South."
John Mayer's enthusiasm for songwriting is at once obvious. "The very nature of standing in front of a mic with a guitar that's in tune, the millions of songs that could happen at that moment - I love that!" he says. "The best feeling that I will ever have in my life is just walking, just being, the night that I finish a song."
In March 2000 John Mayer headed to Austin, Texas, to perform at the prestigious South By Southwest music conference and afterwards was courted by numerous record labels, ultimately signing with Aware/Columbia Records. He began recording his major label debut in the fall with producer John Alagia. The new album, entitled Room For Squares, is a full-band electric effort. Mayer was joined in the studio by bassist David LaBruyere, as well as drummer Nir Zidkiyahu. John Mayer just met with legendary producer Jack Joseph Puig at the Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles. They remixed seven songs, including the single, "No Such Thing." Also included on the re-released CD is a brand new track which was recorded with producer John Alagia entitled "3 x 5."
It's the dedication to his songs that inspires Mayer to keep writing. "When you hear a great song, you trace it back to who the singer is," he says. "When you can offer people that piece of you, that's what keeps them listening to you."
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