Blues guitarist John Mayer is supposedly in
trouble with critics for his use of the 'N word' in
an interview with Playboy magazine last week.. Mayer, who
studied and learned his craft in the footsteps of
such notables as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Eric
Clapton, would never use the word in the context
being described by some critics. His longtime business
partner and half of his band are black. The question
put to him was about a 'hood pass' that allows him
to circulate in some of the black areas of New York
City. Mayer was referring to what some are calling
the pass. The three time Grammy Award winner has
been in the fast lane to fame since 2004 when he moved
from his home in Connecticut to Atlanta, Georgia so
he could learn a more 'bluesy sound' for his music. Mayer
says he was influenced by not only the musicians named
above but also by listening to cassettes of Stevie Ray
Vaughn. More on John Mayer.....
On December 7, 2006, Mayer was nominated for five 2007 Grammys, 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.[45]
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.[46]
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."[47] 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, and Colbie Caillat, among others. The event was called "The Mayercraft Carrier" and was held aboard the cruise ship known as the Carnival Victory.[48] A follow up cruise titled "Mayercraft Carrier 2" set sail from Long Beach, California on 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 Bluray bonus material includes footage of Mayer backstage and playing outside on Mulholland Drive.[49]
Australian artist Guy Sebastian invited Mayer to collaborate on three songs from his 2009 album Like it Like That.[50] Mayer also played guitar on the title track of Crosby Loggins's debut LP, Time to Move, released on July 10, 2009.[51]
On July 7, 2009, Mayer performed an instrumental guitar version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" at Jackson's memorial service.[52]
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