John Mayer has been pretty quiet the past couple of years--but it's not simply due to needing a break from the spotlight after a period of media saturation. The Grammy-winning singer was forced to literally freeze his voice as part of a procedure to remove a troublesome nodule in his throat earlier this year.
How's that work? Mayer explained during an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show Tuesday that his doctors actually injected Botox into his vocal cords.
"They cut this thing out of your throat and then they inject your vocal cords with Botox," he noted. "Which freezes your vocal cords so that this thing can heal without smacking up against the other side."
Botox is probably best-known for its cosmetic purposes, such as wrinkle correction; but it's also used in a variety of medical treatments--including migraine therapy, muscle disorders, and excessive sweating problems. In Mayer's case, it did just as he explained--allowed his throat to heal without further irritation from cord movement.
Mayer first underwent throat surgery for granuloma in the fall of 2011. He required a second surgery in March, causing him to cancel a planned U.S. tour and all performances for an indefinite time. However, he was able to finish his much-anticipated fifth album, Born And Raised, which will hit stores May 22.
As Mayer explained to Ellen, the new record is the "most honest, most cohesive" work he's done to date. He credited his time out of the limelight--during which he moved to rural Montana--as a reason for his newfound maturity. "I just sort of lost my head for a little while," he admitted. "For a couple of years, it was just figuring it all out."
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