John Mayer (born October 16, 1977,Bridgeport,Connecticut, U.S.) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose melodic, often softrock earned him a wide audience and a number ofGrammy Awards in the early 21st century.

Having taken upguitar playing as a teenager, Mayer brieflyattended Boston’s Berklee College of Music but never completed his studies. Moving to Atlanta, Georgia, he played frequently in local clubs with a band and as a solo act. In 1999 he independently released his debut EP,Inside Wants Out. After a 2000 performance at theSouth by Southwestmusic festival in Austin, Texas, he signed with the Aware record label, which released the full-length albumRoom for Squares (2001).Columbia Records repackaged the album with additional material for a much higher-profile national release later in 2001. The songs “No Such Thing” and “Your Body Is a Wonderland” both became hits, and the latter earned Mayer a Grammy Award for best male pop vocal performance. Mayer’s next studio release,Heavier Things (2003), topped theBillboard album chart and featured the hit “Daughters,” which was honoured with two Grammy Awards, includingsong of the year.

Having established himself as a major presence in the world of adult-orientedalternative rock, Mayer sought to broaden the scope of his sound. Incorporating his long-standing interest in theblues, he formed the John Mayer Trio, and hecollaborated with rappersCommon andKanye West.Continuum (2006), reflecting this new approach, was another commercial success. It also earned Mayer a Grammy for best pop vocal album, and its single “Waiting on the World to Change” won for best male pop vocal performance. He continued to be a Grammy favourite in 2009, picking up another award for best male pop vocal performance (for the single “Say,” fromContinuum) and one for best solo rock performance (for “Gravity,” from the 2008 live albumWhere the Light Is). That same year Mayer released the albumBattle Studies. Although it sold well, it was somewhat overshadowed by Mayer’s increasingly tabloid-friendly public persona; in contrast to hisheartfelt, skillfully craftedmusic, he had become known as a wry, loose-talking playboy.

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Mayer returned in 2012 with the rootsyBorn and Raised, on which he drew inspiration from 1970sfolk-rock performers such asNeil Young.Paradise Valley (2013), while featuring guest appearances by pop singerKaty Perry and rhythm-and-blues performer Frank Ocean, followed in a similar vein. He returned to his earlier sound forThe Search for Everything (2017), which earned decidedly mixed reviews.Sob Rock (2021) is his eighth studio album. In 2015 Mayer became a member of the touring bandDead & Company, which included some of the surviving members of theGrateful Dead.