John Mayer and McG on Buying the Henson/A&M Lot and Preserving It as Chaplin Studios: ‘This Is One of Those Times in Life Where You Throw Down for What Matters’

Jan 4, 2026 6:28pm PT John Mayer and McG on Buying the Henson/A&M Lot and Preserving It as Chaplin Studios: ‘This Is One of Those Times in Life Where You Throw Down for What Matters’ By Chris Willman Plus Icon Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic ChrisWillman Latest John Mayer and McG on Buying the Henson/A&M Lot and Preserving It as Chaplin Studios: ‘This Is One of Those Times in Life Where You Throw Down for What Matters’ 32 minutes ago Billy Joel Takes Stage With Tribute Band for Two Songs, Performing Publicly for First Time Since Brain Disorder Diagnosis 1 day ago Stephen Schwartz Pulls Out of Kennedy Center’s 2026 Lineup: ‘There’s No Way I Would Set Foot in It Now’ 2 days ago See All Brecht Van’t Hof John Mayer and McG have both spent a lot of time thinking about what is inherently special about the Chaplin Studios, the lot that previously was home to A&M Records, Henson Studios and, in its earliest decades, Charlie Chaplin’s production company. Between the two of them, Mayer may have spent the greatest amount of time thinking about the scents associated with the landmark Hollywood property, which they jointly purchased for a reported $44 million just over a year ago. Related Stories Greg Berlanti's 'Foster Dade' Pilot Casts Joaquin Consuelos, Sam Trammell and Heather Burns (EXCLUSIVE) “I’ve asked a lot over the years about this: I don’t know what makes an old California studio smell like an old California studio,” Mayer says.