For this edition of the Throwback Threesome, we’re not throwing it too far back. It’s more of a light toss to the start of the 21st Century. In March of 2000, a young singer-songwriter-guitarist named John Mayer gained national attention with a career-making performance at the famous South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.

John Mayer was born on October 16, 1977 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and grew up in nearby Fairfield. According to Songfacts, he became enthralled by the guitar after watching Michael J. Fox’s performance as ‘Marty McFly’ in the movie Back to the Future. When Mayer turned 13, his father rented one for him. Later, a neighbor gave the budding musician a Stevie Ray Vaughan cassette, which ignited a love of the blues. The kid was off and running.

John Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston but left after only two semesters. He moved to Atlanta in 1997 with his friend and musical partner Clay Cook. Together, they formed a short-lived two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters. After splitting up over musical differences, Mayer cultivated his own following in the local clubs. Cook co-wrote Mayer’s first hit, “No Such Thing,” and is currently a member of the Zac Brown Band.

Following that 2000 performance in Austin, John Mayer signed in 2001 with Aware Records, which was acquired by Columbia Records later that year. As a result, Mayer’s debut album, Room for Squares, was released twice by two different labels within a span of three months. Room for Squares peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 Album Chart. Mayer followed that up in 2003 with Heavier Things, which went all the way to number one.

As of this writing, John Mayer has released eight studio albums, seven live albums, and various other collections. A guitar hero in his own right, Mayer has performed with a few of his own musical idols over the years, including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Eric Clapton. And in addition to his own tours, John went on the road as a member of Dead & Company from 2015 through 2023.

Throwback Threesome: John Mayer

• No Such Thing (2001)

  This is the song that launched John Mayer into the public consciousness. “No Such Thing” was released as the lead single from his first studio album, Room for Squares (2001). Mayer initially requested permission to film the music video at Fairfield Warde High School, his alma mater in Fairfield, Connecticut. However, due to the disparaging nature of the song’s lyrics towards the school and its faculty, the administration said no. Plan B was a performance at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia.

• Your Body Is A Wonderland (2001)

  John Mayer has made plenty of headlines over the years for his notorious love life. There has been speculation that Mayer wrote “Your Body is a Wonderland” about actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, whom he dated in 2002, but she denied it. During his VH1 Storytellers performance in 2009, Mayer said he wrote the song about his first girlfriend when he was 14 and it was originally called “Strawberry Wonderland.” The version we know was released as the second single from Room for Squares.

• Daughters (2003)

  Released as the third single from John Mayer’s second studio album, Heavier Things (2003), “Daughters” won numerous awards, including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 47th Grammy Awards. The video features Australian supermodel and actress Gemma Ward. As far as we know, John Mayer never dated her.

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