'''John Clayton Mayer''' (b. October 16, 1977) is an American, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and guitarist. Originally from Connecticut, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1998 to pursue his career full-time. He soon made a name for himself, and has had success both commercially and critically. After originally perfoming mainly acoustic pop, in 2005 he made a transition towards the blues genre with the formation of the John Mayer Trio. He also is known for collaborating with many artists from a variety of musical genres.
Mayer's other interests include stand-up comedy and writing, and he has written articles for several magazines, most notably ''
Esquire''.
Early life
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayer grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, the middle of three sons.
[''ELLE'' staff writer (2006). ] There, he became friends with future tennis star James Blake.
[Patrick, Dan (2003). http://espn.go.com/talent/danpatrick/s/2003/0609/1565617.html "Outtakes with James Blake" ESPN.com (accessed May 2, 2006)] Mayer attended Fairfield Warde High School for his freshman, sophomore, and senior years, but attended Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, Connecticut for his junior year, where he was enrolled in the Center for Global Studies at Brien McMahon High School. Then known as the ''Center for Japanese Studies Abroad'', it is a magnet program for students in Fairfield County wanting to learn Japanese.
Mayer listened to pop music, but it was not until the age of thirteen that his inspiration for playing the guitar began.
[ (2005). http://www.askmen.com/men/entertainment_100/140c_john_mayer.html "Men Of The Week: Entertainment - John Mayer" ''AskMen.com'' (accessed April 12, 2006)] When his father, a high school principal, gave him a Stevie Ray Vaughan tape taken from a confiscated tape player, Mayer discovered the blues and learned how to play the guitar. After two years of practice, he started playing at blues bars and other venues in the area.
While in high school, he was in a band called '''Villanova Junction''' with Joe Beleznay, Tim Procaccini, and Rich Wolf.
Career
After playing the guitar for several years, Mayer enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts at the age of 19.
[ He chose to cut his studies short in favor of a move to Atlanta, Georgia. He began his career in earnest there, quickly making a name for himself in the local coffeehouse and club circuit, in venues like Eddie's Attic.]
Mainstream success
In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the 2002 release of the single "Your Body is a Wonderland" from the album '''''Room for Squares.'''''
In February 2005, Mayer was awarded the Song of the Year Grammy for his
