Early Life and Education of John Mayer: A Complete Timeline
An overview of the childhood and early education of John Mayer, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
John Mayer is an acclaimed American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He briefly studied at Berklee College of Music before relocating to Atlanta, where he formed Lo-Fi Masters. He honed his skills playing local clubs and gained recognition after performing at South by Southwest in 2000. Subsequently, he signed with Aware Records/Columbia Records and released his debut EP, Inside Wants Out (1999). Mayer achieved critical and commercial success with his first two studio albums, Room for Squares (2001) and Heavier Things (2003). "Your Body Is a Wonderland" earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and Heavier Things reached the top of the Billboard 200.
1927: Birth of Richard Mayer
In 1927, Richard Mayer, John Mayer's father, was born.
1947: Birth of Margaret Hoffman
In 1947, Margaret Hoffman, John Mayer's mother, was born.
October 16, 1977: John Mayer's Birth
On October 16, 1977, John Clayton Mayer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
1995: Death of Jerry Garcia
In 1995, Jerry Garcia passed away, leading to several reunions of the Grateful Dead's surviving members, later including John Mayer in Dead & Company.
1997: Enrolled at Berklee College of Music
In 1997, John Mayer enrolled at the Berklee College of Music at age 19, but later left with Clay Cook to form LoFi Masters.
2002: Described as ambitious
As early as 2002, John Mayer was described as ambitious by Chris Willman with Entertainment Weekly.
2002: "Back to You" Fund Creation
In 2002, John Mayer created the "Back to You" Fund, a nonprofit organization focusing on health care, education, the arts, and talent development.
May 2004: Death of Annie Hoffman
In May 2004, John Mayer's grandmother, Annie Hoffman, passed away. He dedicated the award to her.
2004: Surprise performance at Pennsbury High School senior prom
In 2004, John Mayer performed a surprise three-song set at the Pennsbury High School senior prom, after a public campaign by their senior class president.
2006: Guitar Collection Size
In 2006, it was estimated that John Mayer had more than 200 guitars in his personal collection.
2006: John Mayer Trio takes a break
In mid-2006, the John Mayer Trio took a break.
2007: Increased Tabloid Exposure
By 2007, John Mayer's personal life, especially his relationship with Jessica Simpson, had become regular fodder for the gossip media. As a result, Mayer made efforts to control his public image.
January 23, 2008: Blog Deletion
On January 23, 2008, John Mayer posted a quote and deleted all previous blog entries from his various blogs.
February 9, 2009: Shared Grammy with Alicia Keys
On February 9, 2009, John Mayer stated on the Ellen DeGeneres show that Alicia Keys deserved to win the Grammy for song of the year.
September 14, 2010: Twitter Account Deletion
On September 14, 2010, John Mayer deleted his personal Twitter account.
2010: Withdrew from Public Life
In 2010, after media controversies, John Mayer withdrew from public life.
October 20, 2011: Undergoes surgery for granuloma
On October 20, 2011, John Mayer posted that he had surgery to remove a granuloma from his vocal cords and would be on vocal rest for a month or more.
2011: Discovery of the Grateful Dead
In 2011, John Mayer began to develop a strong interest in the music of the Grateful Dead after hearing their song "Althea" by chance on Pandora radio.
May 2012: Reflection on Controversial Period on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
In May 2012, John Mayer reflected on his controversial period and media retreat on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
September 2012: Receives Botox injections for vocal cords
In September 2012, John Mayer's vocal cords were paralyzed with Botox injections by Dr. Gerald Berke, hoping to allow a granuloma to heal.
January 2013: Recovery from granuloma
In January 2013, John Mayer recovered from his vocal cord granuloma.
June 2013: Announces Paradise Valley album and collaborations
In June 2013, John Mayer announced that he was finishing work on his sixth album, Paradise Valley, featuring collaborations with Frank Ocean and Katy Perry.
March 2014: Lawsuit against Robert Maron
In March 2014, John Mayer sued watch dealer Robert Maron for $656,000 after discovering counterfeit parts in watches he purchased.
January 16, 2015: Open Letter to IWC
On January 16, 2015, John Mayer wrote an open letter to the watch brand IWC in his column for Hodinkee, offering suggestions for their product line.
May 2015: Dropping Lawsuit against Robert Maron
In May 2015, John Mayer dropped his lawsuit against Robert Maron, asserting his belief in Maron's expertise on Rolex watches.
2015: Performs with Phil Lesh and Friends and joins Dead & Company
In 2015, John Mayer performed with Phil Lesh and Friends at Terrapin Crossroads and formed the group Dead & Company with members of the Grateful Dead, beginning a fall tour in the United States.
January 2016: Postpones album work
In January 2016, John Mayer postponed working on his next studio album until January 2016, with plans to finish it by the end of the year as a result of his touring with Dead & Company.
2016: Weir Discusses Working with Mayer
In 2016, Bob Weir discussed the genesis of Dead & Company and his thoughts about working with John Mayer in an interview with Rolling Stone.
2016: Sobriety
In 2016, John Mayer revealed he had been sober since 2016, after a six-day hangover.
2017: Appendix Bursts and Postpones Tour
In 2017, John Mayer experienced an appendicitis and emergency appendectomy and the postponement of the remaining tour dates to February 2018.
2017: Lesh Praises Dead & Company
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Phil Lesh praised Dead & Company's performances and explained his decision not to take part in the band.
January 2018: Dead & Company Announce Summer Tour
In January 2018, Dead & Company announced their Dead & Company Summer Tour 2018.
February 2018: Rescheduled Dead & Company tour
In February 2018, Dead & Company rescheduled the tour dates that were previously postponed due to John Mayer's appendectomy.
December 12, 2018: Announces 2019 World Tour
On December 12, 2018, John Mayer announced a world tour for 2019.
March 1, 2019: Establishment of the Heart and Armor Foundation
On March 1, 2019, John Mayer established the Heart and Armor Foundation to support veterans of war.
March 15, 2020: Reveals Working on New Album on "Current Mood"
During an episode of John Mayer's show "Current Mood" on March 15, 2020, he revealed that he was in the process of writing and recording songs for a new album.
January 2022: Bob Saget's Death
In January 2022, following the unexpected death of Bob Saget, John Mayer helped bring Saget's body back to Los Angeles and retrieve his car.
March 2024: Appointment at Audemars Piguet and New Watch Release
In March 2024, John Mayer was appointed as "Creative Conduit" at Audemars Piguet and a new limited-edition Perpetual Calendar Royal Oak model designed by him was announced.
2024: Appointed Creative Conduit of Audemars Piguet
In 2024, John Mayer was appointed as the Creative Conduit of Audemars Piguet.
