John Mayer Praises Alums Guitar Solo on SiriusXM

John Mayer Praises Alums Guitar Solo on SiriusXM The guitar greats cosign is a full-circle moment for Nashville-based session guitarist George Collins, whose playing is greatly influenced by Mayer.

By

Bryan Parys

September 26, 2024

Image courtesy of Christina, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If hindsight is 20/20, looking back at the journey George Collins PDM '23 took to being an up-and-coming session guitarist in Nashville has a lot of John Mayer 98 in it.

When Collins, who grew up in Northern England, was a teenager, he was on the fence about whether or not a future in music was something he wanted to pursue. At 16, he skipped school to attend a John Mayer concert in London, and it blew him away, cementing Mayer as a major influence.

In 2018, Collins began uploading guitar videos to his Instagram feed. Finding followers was proving a challenge until one day he posted a video of him covering a Mayer guitar solo, and it quickly racked up 5,000 views. By the time he arrived at Berklee a couple years later, his channel had 50,000 followers.

So there is a real full-circle feeling to the fact that this week, John Mayer took a moment on his SiriusXM radio show Life with John Mayer to praise Collins for his guitar skills on the single Don't Hurt Me So Bad! by BabyJake. When I hear a great guitar solo on a tune in 2024, I get very excited, Mayer said of the song. It's no surprise that the shout-out left Collins in shock, responding on his Instagram account that this was the most surreal moment I've experienced.

Listen to Collinss epic solos in Dont Hurt Me So Bad!:

Adding to the stylistic parallels between Mayer and Collins is the fact that both guitarists studied at Berklee and trained under Tomo Fujita, professor of guitar. Fujita specializes in blues and funk styles, both of which are hallmarks of Mayer's and Collins's playing.

Watch Fujitas first jam session with Collins:

Collins has been building a career in Nashville as a go-to session guitarist, and was highlighted earlier this year in a Guitar World profile. Mayers cosign is likely to boost his already growing reputation. Mayer, who once told the Boston Globe that he sees himself as a product of Berklee, has a history of taking the time to hype new artists and has returned to Berklee to work directly with Berklee students.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

Jim Lucchese

Image by Kelly Davidson

Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the tone for a new era at the institution.

Latest

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Presents Fall Dance Concert: From the Ground Up Conservatory students will perform works by guest choreographers Hope Boykin, Christina Chan, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Andrew Skeels, in addition to works created by dance faculty.

Image by Clem Onojeghuo

Independent Music Platform Ampwall Launches Signups Built by and for DIY musicians, the Bandcamp alternative is now open to the public.

On Tour with Shaboozey's Drummer Darren Poindexter The LA-based drummer reflects on how his Berklee training shaped his career and prepared him for touring with the country-rap star.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/john-mayer-praises-alums-guit...
	See more stories from berklee

More from Berklee