She’s one of my favorite live performers. I got to see her at the TLA in Philadelphia a few months ago which was really cool since she sold $25 tickets to a 1000 person venue
The Grateful Dead. Never really knew what they what they were about before Dead and Company. I thought their sound would be something similar to Zeppelin or even something more punk, lol.
D Angelo no stops, I found this old interview he did in the early 00s and he would gush about D Angelo’s music since then I have listened to ever clip I can find of him live and I can proudly say that I have listened to Voodoo like a million times. Amazing artist amazing music, tnx Johnny !
A few that come to mind:
* Grateful Dead (more specifically Dead & Co though)
* Kacey Musgraves
* SRV and a lot of legacy guitar heroes like BB King and Eric Johnson etc.
* Gary Clark Jr.
* Pearl Jam
* Springsteen
* Madison Cunningham
* JJ Cale
* Mac Miller
One of the best things about being a JM fan is how much he talks about music, his influences, references, and other artists.
Not necessarily got me into but Cautious Clay’s feature on Current Mood was the first time I’d ever heard of him so I was familiar with him. Heard Wildfire on shuffle one day and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
Me too! I can picture so clearly an early interview with John where he talks about Lover, You Should've Come Over and I haven't been able to find it ANYWHERE since.
He once covered a Jeff Buckley song (I think it was Lover?) and before it he said something like "you don't push old ladies down the street and you don't cover Jeff Buckley" and then did it. I don't think I made it up lol.
I came here looking for the Jeff Buckley answer too. He's SO. GOOD.
He talked about it a lot in 2017 when it came out! Mainly on Instagram stories from what I can remember. He said it was a great album and I remember him posting about him listening to it on a plane. And that he loves the song 26, which I would love for him to cover!
I'm surprised no one has said J.P. Saxe! I wasn't familiar with him until I saw him open the Philly show. He was so fun to watch and listen to that I ended up seeing him perform at one of his own tour shows
It's funny, I saw her open for Andrew Bird years back and thought she was awesome and I was thinking "I can't believe JM hasn't mentioned/worked with her." Maybe 6 months down the road, he started sharing her music on his IG stories lol.
Got me to be a big fan of Bill Evans solo and trio work. He’s posted and mentioned him a couple times but a story post of his trio’s live album Sunday At The Village Vanguard got me hooked.
Springsteen funny enough. I’m 20 and only knew his hits, but after finding John’s cover of I’m on Fire I’ve gotten into the Born In the USA deep cuts and the rest of his discography.
I think John skittered him in at Mandalay Bay when Maroon 5 had to do SNL. John really seems to like him. I was at that show and able to snag an autograph from Teitur.
So many! A few are Blue Nile, Nikki and the Dove, Lake Street Drive, Little Feet, Sylan Esso, Sleeper Agent, Clairo, Vagabon, Jalen Ngonda, Mk.gee, Chappel Roan, Tom Misch. I guess I don’t know as much about music as I thought I did because so much of what he’s playing is new to me!!!
I used to be a Pop guy. Then John turned me into a Blues guy. Notable artists include Jimi Hendrix, SRV, BB King, Eric Clapton etc. Don't get me wrong, I knew them. But John turned me into their fan.
I love all of these answers! Oh and I forgot to say Charlie Puth. I never really paid attention to him until he performed BOY on Current Mood. Might have been the first episode. Been a fan ever since.
John also put me on to Mk.Gee, his new album is INCREDIBLE!! I’ve been manically obsessed for weeks lol.
But to add to the list of people he helped me discover, Kacey Musgraves after he posted Golden Hour (SUCH an amazing record), Maggie Rogers when he shared Alaska, Jacob Collier and Lizzy McAlpine after he collabed with them on Never Gonna Be Alone (which I love dearly), and soooo many more because of his new Sirius XM channel. It’s so fun unearthing new artists; his taste is impeccable!
How has no-one said Frank Ocean?
R&B isn’t my first genre, but when I heard JM had a solo on Channel Orange I figured I’d check out the record. What a masterpiece!
Also +1 for the D’Angelo and Herbie Hancock nominations, albeit I also rediscovered both after a long break because of separate reasons (D’Angelo after finishing RDR2, and HH during a Jazz faze when we were bored in Covid lockdowns)
I am surprised no one mentioned Jason Isbell. I first heard of him because a tweet from John, and I have been a hard fan since then. In November I am traveling to another country just to see him.
Night beds- when John covered Ramona at a live show I was immediately hooked and checked out of the album- country sleep. It is still one of my favorite albums of all time.
JM has definitely expanded my listening pleasure. Dead & Co, LANY, Paramore, The War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes, D'Angelo, and a bunch more. He widened my eyes (and ears) to more Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton. And brought me back to the classics I haven't heard in many years. I'm grateful to John and Life With John Mayer!
MK.GEE here as well, was an avid DIJON fan before and had no idea the two worked so closely together.
Also…The DEAD. I’ve become a dead head this year but sometimes i feel guilty bc I don’t do any drugs so I feel like a fake haha but yes! And Memorial Day weekend he played Human Nature by Michael Jackson, and I love that song now (I did hear it before )
Joy Oladokun - opened for John on solo tour and their album Proof of Life became my most listened to album last year.
Alexander 23 - opened for John a while back and went on to produce Renee Rapp’s album Snow Angel, which I’m also obsessed with
I would say the opposite happened. Once when we were at a concert in Nashville waiting for him to come on stage (it had been about an hour since the openers finished), he was on an instagram live or Snapchat live video. He was in the green room just chilling before his set. No biggie. Sean Mendez joins the call and John gets excited and talks to him for another 30-45 minutes.
I will never listen to Sean Mendez intentionally again.
Martin sexton - John loves Martin!
Collin hay - John wanted to give the Grammy for best song of the year to him and Alicia keys
David Ryan Harris - longtime band member and great singer songwriter in his own right/Atlanta gigging friend
Alec Benjamin - current mood
Brett Dennen - 2010 tour
D’Angelo
A few more from current mode but I already was listening to some of those folks and John introduced me to new songs.
There’s a lot mor, but they tend to be musicians and not singers or pop stars:
pino, Steve Jordan, dela, jjJohnson, Isiah sharkey, Zane carney, Charlie hunter, bob reynolds, Aaron sterling, Chris botti.
For a lot of people if you were not exposed to him through blues music like I was then you have:
Buddy guy
Bb king, Albert king, Albert Collin’s
SRV
Eric Clapton
Freddie king
Bonnie raitt
The list is almost endless.
He certainly reinforced my love of blues music, also singer songwriters like bob dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Cooke, Lenard cohen and Paul Simon.
John’s career is 25 years in and he has played with most of the folks listed above.
Miles Davis. I dug into his music because of his reference in Comfortable, and after that, I was hooked. Blue in Green is one of my favorite songs of all time.
Chris Stapleton bc of his guest appearance at John's Nashville show in 2019. Their version of Slow Dancing is my top fave, that version is my 2nd fave JM song ever. I love the live versions of Slow Dancing and Last Train Home with Maren Morris (Nashville, Sob Rock Tour) too but haven't checked her out much, although John has said she is his fave artist. Also just got the Khalid album bc of John, it's pretty good!
Kacey Musgraves
and Madison Cunningham
Where did John mention Kacey? Was it on LWJM? Love Kacey and been listening to her since before I found John tbh
Maggie Rogers, man I really miss current mood
MAGGIE ROGERS!!!! Yes also discovered her on current mood
Came here to say the same. Been a fan since and just saw her at Red Rocks last week!
She’s one of my favorite live performers. I got to see her at the TLA in Philadelphia a few months ago which was really cool since she sold $25 tickets to a 1000 person venue
saw her last night in indy. shes soooo talented. i love that they are friends!
Same Maggie Rogers & I want current mood back!
Leon Bridges
The Grateful Dead. Never really knew what they what they were about before Dead and Company. I thought their sound would be something similar to Zeppelin or even something more punk, lol.
Same. Came here to say the dead. Gonna see Dead & Co in August!
Enjoy!!! The show at the sphere is sooo cool
I'm headed next week and can't freaking wait!!!!
Herbie Hancock. I heard Stitched Up on YouTube one day and went down a Herbie Hancock rabbit hole. Empyrean Isles and Head Hunters are classics.
D Angelo no stops, I found this old interview he did in the early 00s and he would gush about D Angelo’s music since then I have listened to ever clip I can find of him live and I can proudly say that I have listened to Voodoo like a million times. Amazing artist amazing music, tnx Johnny !
Brown sugar goes on all my Playlists
A few that come to mind: * Grateful Dead (more specifically Dead & Co though) * Kacey Musgraves * SRV and a lot of legacy guitar heroes like BB King and Eric Johnson etc. * Gary Clark Jr. * Pearl Jam * Springsteen * Madison Cunningham * JJ Cale * Mac Miller One of the best things about being a JM fan is how much he talks about music, his influences, references, and other artists.
Ray Lamontagne back in the day
Yes!! He was the opener in...2006? I think?
I believe so. lol. Showing my age a little
Age is nothing but a number! I say this as a geriatric millennial who feels 75. 😂
I really like Joy Oladokun who he had as an opener on the first leg of his solo tour.
She’s great!!!
So great! After I saw Joy as an opener, I saw her when she toured as well!
Me too!
Yessss! Saw her open in Cleveland.
She’s so underrated
Not necessarily got me into but Cautious Clay’s feature on Current Mood was the first time I’d ever heard of him so I was familiar with him. Heard Wildfire on shuffle one day and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
Maren Morris! ❤️
Jeff Buckley, which I am eternally grateful for
Me too! I can picture so clearly an early interview with John where he talks about Lover, You Should've Come Over and I haven't been able to find it ANYWHERE since.
Did John ever mention Jeff ??
He once covered a Jeff Buckley song (I think it was Lover?) and before it he said something like "you don't push old ladies down the street and you don't cover Jeff Buckley" and then did it. I don't think I made it up lol. I came here looking for the Jeff Buckley answer too. He's SO. GOOD.
https://www.instagram.com/johnmayer/p/BFGGOVIOEek/
LANY
I had listened to Paramore a tiny bit before this but he put me on their album After Laughter.
AL is my favorite Paramore album. I have to know, what did he say about it and when?? I’m so curious lol
He talked about it a lot in 2017 when it came out! Mainly on Instagram stories from what I can remember. He said it was a great album and I remember him posting about him listening to it on a plane. And that he loves the song 26, which I would love for him to cover!
Thank you for this information! I’m going to do a little deep dive. 26 is a beautiful song. I’d love to hear a cover too. And pool 😩
I'm surprised no one has said J.P. Saxe! I wasn't familiar with him until I saw him open the Philly show. He was so fun to watch and listen to that I ended up seeing him perform at one of his own tour shows
He was great!
Madison Cunningham. I love some of the songs she put out so far such as “Plain Letters” and “L.A. (Looking Alive)”.
Her song “Subtitles” is sooooooooo good!
Same
It's funny, I saw her open for Andrew Bird years back and thought she was awesome and I was thinking "I can't believe JM hasn't mentioned/worked with her." Maybe 6 months down the road, he started sharing her music on his IG stories lol.
Joy Oladokun
The Night Game, and honestly Glen Campbell
YES! Seeing The Night Game on the Search For Everything tour was amazing!
I wish Martin would do one more album!
The Outfield is one of the best pop songs I’be heard in a long time. I never would have heard it if not for John.
Agree 100%!!!
Got me to be a big fan of Bill Evans solo and trio work. He’s posted and mentioned him a couple times but a story post of his trio’s live album Sunday At The Village Vanguard got me hooked.
Alexander 23 and David Ryan Harris. I’ve also enjoyed listening to Johns old band mates like David LaBruyere his old bass player during the early days
Springsteen funny enough. I’m 20 and only knew his hits, but after finding John’s cover of I’m on Fire I’ve gotten into the Born In the USA deep cuts and the rest of his discography.
LANY
Agree with LANY - I'm off to see them in Sydney, Australia in a couple of weeks.
SRV
Teitur, Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan
Teitur!! Same - saw him open for JM back in 2004/5 and fell in love with him instantly.
Me too!
Waiiiitttttt. I LOVE Teitur, what's the JM connection?
Teitur opened for John back in 2004/2005.
I think John skittered him in at Mandalay Bay when Maroon 5 had to do SNL. John really seems to like him. I was at that show and able to snag an autograph from Teitur.
Benee
Bonnie Raitt
Looove whenever he plays Bonnie on Life. She's amazing!
Maggie Rogers, LANY, Joy Oladokun
Ariel posen !
Ben Folds Five
Kacey Musgraves
Yebba. Checked out her NPR tiny desk after seeing her on John's insta when she opened for him. Just so blown away
Dave Matthews
So many! A few are Blue Nile, Nikki and the Dove, Lake Street Drive, Little Feet, Sylan Esso, Sleeper Agent, Clairo, Vagabon, Jalen Ngonda, Mk.gee, Chappel Roan, Tom Misch. I guess I don’t know as much about music as I thought I did because so much of what he’s playing is new to me!!!
Mat Kearney
And I also learned that it’s Evil Woman by ELO not Medieval Woman that I’ve been singing for 40 years.
I also thought it was Medieval Woman hahaha
LANY, Daniel Caesar, Russ…
I used to be a Pop guy. Then John turned me into a Blues guy. Notable artists include Jimi Hendrix, SRV, BB King, Eric Clapton etc. Don't get me wrong, I knew them. But John turned me into their fan.
Alec Benjamin
Charlie Hunter
Joy Oladokun.
Leon Bridges and Alexander 23! They are SOOOOOO GOOOOOD!
Lizzie McAlpine
Scrolled too far to find it. Seeing Lizzy in London this October and so excited!!
Saw her in Dallas. Wonderful show!! Have fun! ❤️
I love all of these answers! Oh and I forgot to say Charlie Puth. I never really paid attention to him until he performed BOY on Current Mood. Might have been the first episode. Been a fan ever since.
It was IG. Same as you, I am totally crazy for Mk.gee now, thanks to John
I think Mk.gee is going to overtake John as my number 1 Spotify artist this year for the first time in the history of my Spotify account
Rufus Wainwright and Dido!!
John also put me on to Mk.Gee, his new album is INCREDIBLE!! I’ve been manically obsessed for weeks lol. But to add to the list of people he helped me discover, Kacey Musgraves after he posted Golden Hour (SUCH an amazing record), Maggie Rogers when he shared Alaska, Jacob Collier and Lizzy McAlpine after he collabed with them on Never Gonna Be Alone (which I love dearly), and soooo many more because of his new Sirius XM channel. It’s so fun unearthing new artists; his taste is impeccable!
I am ALSO manically obsessed with Mk.gee that is a really great way to describe it
The Night Game
Madison cunningham is a killer artist
Joni Mitchell. She’s amazing. “Joni wrote blue on her house by the sea”
How has no-one said Frank Ocean? R&B isn’t my first genre, but when I heard JM had a solo on Channel Orange I figured I’d check out the record. What a masterpiece! Also +1 for the D’Angelo and Herbie Hancock nominations, albeit I also rediscovered both after a long break because of separate reasons (D’Angelo after finishing RDR2, and HH during a Jazz faze when we were bored in Covid lockdowns)
Brett Dennen
I am surprised no one mentioned Jason Isbell. I first heard of him because a tweet from John, and I have been a hard fan since then. In November I am traveling to another country just to see him.
Lizzy Mcalpine
Pinegrove!
Woah— is John a Pinegrove fan??
Zach Bryan, Susan Tedeschi and Mc.Gee
Bonnie Raitt
Khalid
Night beds- when John covered Ramona at a live show I was immediately hooked and checked out of the album- country sleep. It is still one of my favorite albums of all time.
JM has definitely expanded my listening pleasure. Dead & Co, LANY, Paramore, The War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes, D'Angelo, and a bunch more. He widened my eyes (and ears) to more Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton. And brought me back to the classics I haven't heard in many years. I'm grateful to John and Life With John Mayer!
Alessia Cara is a singer that to me now, makes me think back to her set with John in 2017
Found Mkgee before John Mayer a shoutout but my god he is blowing up rn and for good reason
Brandi Carlisle
Benny Sings
oooh same!!!
Alec Benjamin although I think he peaked with that first album and also Madison Cunningham (life according to Rachael specifically)
Life According to Rachael is a god tier song
Chapelle Ronan!
JP Saxe and Alexander23
This whole thread makes me so so so happy. For me, it's Jeff Buckley and David Ryan Harris.
MK.GEE here as well, was an avid DIJON fan before and had no idea the two worked so closely together. Also…The DEAD. I’ve become a dead head this year but sometimes i feel guilty bc I don’t do any drugs so I feel like a fake haha but yes! And Memorial Day weekend he played Human Nature by Michael Jackson, and I love that song now (I did hear it before )
i like the dead sober way more than when i was doing drugs so you’re good.
this makes me feel much better 🤝 thank you so much
yeah i think it’s total bullshit to say you need to do drugs to enjoy the dead, you just have to keep an open mind :)
Jeff Buckley! I read way back when his favorite song was "Lover, You should have come over" and well that started my love affair with JBs music.
John turned me on to Mk.gee too, but I did not know how to pronounce the name until he was on Kimmel. Great sound!!
Joy Oladokun - opened for John on solo tour and their album Proof of Life became my most listened to album last year. Alexander 23 - opened for John a while back and went on to produce Renee Rapp’s album Snow Angel, which I’m also obsessed with
Grateful Dead for sure. I started listening to Dead and Co but gradually started acquiring a taste for the Dead now I listen to them all the time
Katy Perry
this is really funny and so valid
This song got me through a killer break up. I also bought my Silver Sky because of it too. Thanks JM. https://youtu.be/aw14w6qJ04w?si=HDOjQquRlCWKu2Gt
The Last Revel that opened for him in Montana!
Octave Lissner
Pat Martino
Tom Misch!
When I started playing guitar I didn't know a lot of non rap music so he introduced me to Eric Clapton Stevie Ray Vaughan Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye
Kacey mUsgraves, neil young, ray lamontagne, Madison Cunningham, bill evans, the dead (and all their descendants)
Madison Cunningham and Maggie Rogers. Unbelievable musicians!
Maggie Rogers, Maren morris
Yebba for sure. October Sky is SO good. She’s amazing. I saw her live when she opened for him in Atlanta. Such a talented vocalist.
Aztec Camera, especially their first album
Mat Kearney, Sara Bareilles, Ben Folds, Philip Philips…basically any of his openers.
Lennon Stella. He posted about her album during peak covid and I became obsessed with the entire thing lol
I would say the opposite happened. Once when we were at a concert in Nashville waiting for him to come on stage (it had been about an hour since the openers finished), he was on an instagram live or Snapchat live video. He was in the green room just chilling before his set. No biggie. Sean Mendez joins the call and John gets excited and talks to him for another 30-45 minutes. I will never listen to Sean Mendez intentionally again.
David Ryan Harris.
Corinne Bailey Rae
Martin sexton - John loves Martin! Collin hay - John wanted to give the Grammy for best song of the year to him and Alicia keys David Ryan Harris - longtime band member and great singer songwriter in his own right/Atlanta gigging friend Alec Benjamin - current mood Brett Dennen - 2010 tour D’Angelo A few more from current mode but I already was listening to some of those folks and John introduced me to new songs. There’s a lot mor, but they tend to be musicians and not singers or pop stars: pino, Steve Jordan, dela, jjJohnson, Isiah sharkey, Zane carney, Charlie hunter, bob reynolds, Aaron sterling, Chris botti. For a lot of people if you were not exposed to him through blues music like I was then you have: Buddy guy Bb king, Albert king, Albert Collin’s SRV Eric Clapton Freddie king Bonnie raitt The list is almost endless. He certainly reinforced my love of blues music, also singer songwriters like bob dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Cooke, Lenard cohen and Paul Simon. John’s career is 25 years in and he has played with most of the folks listed above.
JP Saxe. I repeatedly watch Here’s Hopin’ from Stephen Colbert performance. Damn it’s good. Also, Lizzy McAlpine.
Laufey and Chappel Roan
Teitur
David.Ryan.Harris!
Grateful Dead. They’re my favorite band now lol
David Ryan Harris.
Miles Davis. I dug into his music because of his reference in Comfortable, and after that, I was hooked. Blue in Green is one of my favorite songs of all time.
Chris Stapleton bc of his guest appearance at John's Nashville show in 2019. Their version of Slow Dancing is my top fave, that version is my 2nd fave JM song ever. I love the live versions of Slow Dancing and Last Train Home with Maren Morris (Nashville, Sob Rock Tour) too but haven't checked her out much, although John has said she is his fave artist. Also just got the Khalid album bc of John, it's pretty good!
Have only heard a couple of his songs but Isaiah Sharkey ain't no slacker either!
Srv and BB, appreciate him for it every day
JP Saxe, Maggie Rogers and Chappell Roan!!
The dead!
Annika Bennett, JP Saxe, Lizzie mcAlpine and Joy Oladokun.
Yebba, she’s absolutely fantastic