Premium

John Mayer to have his first India concert in January

The Grammy-winning American blues guitarist-turned-rockstar will do a single show in Mumbai.

From the time he made his breakthrough in 2001 with his debut album Room for Squares that went on to become triple platinum, Mayer has never been confined to the space of an acoustic balladeer.

Seven-time-Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and guitar giant John Mayer – the musician behind songs like Gravity, Slow dancing in a burning room, The Heart of life, Daughters and Stop this train, among others – will make his India debut early next year in a concert in Mumbai. Set to take place on January 22, the single concert will be held at Mahalaxmi Racecourse and is being presented by BookMyShowLive.

“India has long been on my list of places to play, not just for the vibrancy of its culture but for the way music lives in the everyday lives of people here. To finally perform in Mumbai feels both humbling and exhilarating,” said Mayer, 47, in a statement.

From the time he made his breakthrough in 2001 with his debut album Room for Squares that went on to become triple platinum, Mayer has never been confined to the space of an acoustic balladeer. Born in Connecticut, he fell in love with blues at 13, when he heard American guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, still considered one of the most influential musicians in the history of blues music. Obsessed with Jimi Hendrix’s guitar riffs, he was accepted at Berklee College of Music but dropped out and moved to Atlanta and performed at clubs and coffee houses. He released an independent album in 1999, which got some attention and led Columbia Records to sign him. It was around 2005 that Mayer went deeper into blues music and formed John Mayer trio, delivering Continuum (2006) where he attempted to blend pop and blues.

Story continues below this ad

When he was 16, he wrote a fan mail to American blues royalty Buddy Guy, where he told him he will play with him one day, and he did in 2003. While he has toured with jazz icon Herbie Hancock, and blues greats like BB King and Eric Clapton, he’s also collaborated with pop behemoth Ed Sheeran. The latter also featured Mayer’s guitar work on his song Drive this year. He was always an admirer of the music of The Grateful Dead and formed Dead and Company with the line-up of the former Grateful Dead members, including Bob Weir (guitar and vocals), Mickey Hart (drums) and Bill Kreutzmann (drums) – the band has been instrumental in popularising the Grateful Dead music for a newer audience.

The ticket sales for the concert will open with a limited exclusive pre-sale for RuPay credit card holders at 12 pm (noon) IST on October 12, while the general ticket sale will go live at 1 PM IST on October 14