Mayer Hawthorne
Andrew Mayer Cohen, known as Mayer Hawthorne, is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, and multi‑instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He was born on February 2, 1979, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also performs with the groups Tuxedo and Jaded Incorporated and has been nominated for a Grammy.
His stage name comes from his middle name, Mayer, and Hawthorne Road, the street where he grew up. He is Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah in 1992.
Cohen started in the hip‑hop group Athletic Mic League as DJ Haircut in Ann Arbor and moved to Los Angeles in 2005. Stones Throw Records signed him after label head Peanut Butter Wolf heard his tracks, which were originally made for fun and to sample. He has no formal vocal training.
His debut single, Just Ain't Gonna Work Out / When I Said Goodbye, was released on November 4, 2008. The second single, Maybe So, Maybe No / I Wish It Would Rain, followed on April 19, 2009. His first album, A Strange Arrangement, came out on September 8, 2009.
In 2011 he sang on Sebastian’s Love in Motion and appeared on Daryl Hall’s Live From Daryl’s House, performing several songs with Hall and Booker T. Jones. Hawthorne has said he began making Motown‑style tracks to avoid sampling fees and that he played all the instruments and sang on many of his early recordings.
In 2013 he released Where Does This Door Go, signaling a broader, less retro sound. He received a Grammy nomination for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for How Do You Do. Hawthorne’s music blends vintage soul with modern influences, drawing inspiration from artists like Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Barry White, Steely Dan, and J Dilla.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 01:26 (CET).