Having struggled with vocal problems that forced him to cancel a tour last year, the songwriter John Mayer sang in public for the first time in nearly two years on Wednesday evening, performing at a fund-raiser for firefighters in Montana, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
Mr. Mayer performed his song âIf I Ever Get Around to Livingâ at the concert in Bozeman, which raised about $100,000 for firefighters who battled a wildfire near Livingston last summer that almost engulfd the singerâs property. Zac Brown also performed with him for part of the show.
Mr. Mayer, who released the critically well-received album âBorn and Raisedâ last year, has undergone surgery twice since 2011 to remove growths on his vocal cords that developed in response to infections. Last March, he canceled a tour to promote the album and has not done a full concert since. He has appeared as a guitarist, playing with the Rolling Stones in New Jersey last month and accompanying Frank Ocean during a performance on âSaturday Night Live.â
He told the Bozeman paper that the masses on his vocal cords, known as granulomas, had healed in the first nine weeks after surgery, but! he had received Botox injections as part of the recovery regimen that take six to nine months to wear off. The injections have affected his ability to hit high notes, he said. âIt lets up very slowly,â he said. âEvery couple of weeks thereâs another note.â