John Mayer, who has never been a huge fan of the limelight, has been caught up in the heat of celebrity gossip lately. The reason? His seduction of Jennifer Aniston. However, the latest headlines are no longer obsessing over his love life but are finally paying tribute to his roaring career.

Named one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Mayer most recently released Where the Light Is on July 1. The DVD, two-disc CD, and Blu-Ray disc features an acoustic set, a set with the John Mayer Trio, and a set from Mayer’s band from the Continuum album (all from his live concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on December 8, 2007). However, without a doubt, the most impressive part of this release (which is Mayer’s third live album) is its recent achievements. Barely two weeks have passed and already Where the Light Is is Mayer’s most successful live album ever, with a debut at number five on the Billboard album charts and 75,000 albums having flown off shelves in just one week.

In an effort to promote this new release, Mayer dropped into New York City last week where he held an intimate show during a live radio broadcast called ‘The Z100 Z Lounge with John Mayer’. The station also held an exclusive interview with him, who got cheeky and personal with the small group, revealing some deep secrets regarding his sensitive-guy persona and Casanova ways (with a dash of sarcasm on the side).

In reference to his current single, “Say”, which he wrote for the film The Bucket List, Mayer admitted that he “cried like a baby-b*tch on the couch” when he first read the script. Also, when asked by an admirer in the crowd if he’d ever “hooked up” with any of his fans, Mayer boldly revealed, “Listen, do you respect me for my honesty? The answer is yes, I have. Not for a really long time though- not since the camera phone [came out]. That camera phone will get you; even if you’re sleeping.”

Following the interview, Mayer played four of his featured songs on his new album, including “Say”, “Belief”, a cover of “Free Fallin’” and “Waiting on the World to Change.”

That next night, Mayer continued his 2008 Summer Tour (which kicked off on July 2 and runs in North America through August 31) in Wantagh, NY in the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. And even though the weather wasn’t on our side that night and the floodgates of heaven inevitably poured open, fans remained hypnotized by Mayer’s playing of “Covered in Rain.” With a visual of the moonlight on the water from the open beach theater, and the sound of Mayer’s wailing blues guitar rifts, even a bit of drenched-to-the-bone skin couldn’t cause any disappointment.

But Mayer continued to make it up to the crowd, and to himself, by having his rendition of “Bring Your Family and Friends to Work Day.”–which is to say, Mayer proceeded to treat his audience to a personal introduction to his brother Carl (who played the guitar solo on “Why Georgia”), and to his closest friends (who also came on stage and sang back-up for “Waiting on the World to Change”).

Needless to say, with such a warm affection displayed to his fans, offering a glimpse into his personal life, I too have fallen under the spell of John Mayer…

To purchase tickets for the 2008 Summer Tour, click here. The purchase Where the Light Is, click here.

Filed under: Music