‘Catch of the Day’ – John Mayer – “In The Blood” [AUDIO]

Today we are featuring an artist who is much better known as a pop and rock artist, scoring 2 number ones on the pop and rock charts. An artist who became enthralled with the blues as a teenager, and has played his own style of the blues ever since.

John Mayer claims his fascination with the guitar was set in motion after he watched Michael J. Fox's performance as Marty McFly playing guitar in Back To The Future (please, no one tell Mayer that guitar parts were actually played by Tim May, it may ruin his career). He got his first guitar at age thirteen, and along with a Stevie Ray Vaughn cassette Mayer had the items he needed to begin his musical journey. After discovering Vaughn, Mayer began to search the roots of blues music, discovering, and becoming enthralled with artists like B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Lightnin' Hopkins, while Eric Clapton's early work drove him to become a bluesman.

Already an established local artist at 15, Mayer began to dabble in songwriting, which he began to take more serious when he was hospitalized at age 17 with an irregular heart beat. It was this incident that Mayer would later reflect on, calling it the moment

the songwriter in him was born. After high school Mayer was accepted to the prestigious Berkley School of Music, but left after just two semesters to pursue a musical career, leaving school with his friend Clay Cook (later of the Marshall Tucker Band and Zac Brown Band). Together, the would form LoFi Masters, and the pair performed in various small venues in the Atlanta area. After a couple of years, the friends had a difference of opinion on the direction of the duo, and Mayer left to pursue a solo career, though they remain songwriting partners.

Mayer self released his debut EP, Inside Wants Out, in September of 1999. The project gained the attention of the small start-up label Aware Records, who signed Mayer for his 2001 internet only release, Room For Squares. The label had an agreement with Columbia Records, giving the major label the opportunity to release any of the smaller label's projects. For Mayer's first 10 releases, which included a live EP and four live

albums titled As/Is Volumes 1 through 5, this unusual partnership continued, with Aware releasing the albums digitally and Columbia releasing the physical copies of the albums. This process continued until his contract with Aware expired in 2007, and Mayer signed with Columbia, producing 5 studio albums, 2 live albums, an EP and a pair of box sets covering Mayer's entire career.

Mayer took a hiatus from recording as a solo artist and touring between 2010 and 2013, while he was recovering from treatment for a throat infection. During this time, an he recorded prior to his Granuloma diagnosis, which was released on schedule in 2012. Without a tour to support it, the album, Born and Raised, still debuted at #1 on the album chart and has been certified gold by the RIAA. He has released two more albums since, including 2017's The Search For Everything, which was released on April 17th.

The album's first singles were released to rock radio, but the third is a country radio only release. And it's that song that is in our spotlight today. Brought to you by All American Super Car Wash of Lawton, John Mayer and "In The Blood" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you're gonna want to hear it again.

Remember to comment, like or share our Catch of the Day, you'll be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card, courtesy of our friends at All American Super Car Wash,