Features
John Mayer Reclaims His Voice
Coming off of a throat ailment that kept him from singing for almost two full years, John Mayer and his voice staged a comeback last night while performing for firefighters.
Photo: PRNewsFoto/Columbia Records
Emerson Center, Bozeman, Mont.
Mayer’s first full concert set since April 1, 2011 took place at “The Livingston Town Proper: A Concert To Benefit The Fighters Of The Pine Creek Fire” event in Bozeman, Mont., that also featured Zac Brown and Clay Cook from the Zac Brown Band as well as David Ryan Harris, Sean Hurley, Aaron Sterling, Ben Bullington and Lil Jane & The Pistol Whips.
The return of an ailment called “throat granuloma” forced Mayer to cancel his 2012 tour and go on an indefinite hiatus. During his Jan. 17 performance at Bozeman’s Emerson Center, Mayer said his medical problem became evident when his voice began sounding like “A radio dial … that was half off the station.”
Mayer sang three songs – “Speak For Me,” “Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey” and “If I Ever Get Around To Living” from his latest album, Born And Raised, and “Who Says” from his Battle Studies album.
Helping to raise more than $100,000 at last night’s benefit, Mayer also had a personal interest in firefighters’ efforts to extinguish the blaze that destroyed more than 8,500 acres of forest and farmland in the Bozeman area.
“Without the tireless effort and dedication of the firefighters of the Pine Creek Fire, many more homes and memories would have been destroyed, mine among them,” Mayer said. “I wasn’t in town when the fire broke out and I’ve always wished I could do my part to help, the way so many in the community did. Putting on a concert to raise some money for the departments is the least I can do for a town and a community that has welcomed me with open arms.”