John Mayer: Dreamy, famous and, oh yeah, he can play

John Mayer is a talented songwriter. He can also carry a tune and play a mean guitar. None of those things, arguably, is what really makes him an A-list celebrity.

It's his extracurricular activities — all the stuff that he does when he's not making music — that really keep him in the headlines and on the covers of supermarket tabloids.

Blame the media, if you want, for redirecting the focus away from Mayer's sizable musical achievements and toward his high-profile relationship with "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston. Yet, please note, there has been no outcry from readers demanding a front-page review of Mayer's new live disc, "Where the Light Is."

In 2008, for better or

worse, most people aren't all that concerned with how the song "Daughters" translates in concert. What they really seem to care about is where Mayer and Brad Pitt's ex, Aniston, had dinner in Hollywood or what Caribbean island they might choose for a vacation. That's the kind of gossip that fuels not just mainstream media but blogs and Internet chat rooms.

Mayer is set to perform at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on Saturday night, and promoters are expecting huge numbers. Indeed, the prediction is that it will be the 22,000-capacity venue's biggest crowd thus far in 2008, surpassing even what the Police and Stevie Wonder drew for their respective Shoreline shows.

Given that he hasn't released a new studio set since

2006, and his last top 20 hit single is a year old, it seems reasonable to ponder why so many fans are planning to see Mayer in concert. Is it the music? Or is it because he's dreamy — and Aniston might be in the crowd?

Mayer has made himself an easy target for this kind of a discussion. His relationship with Aniston follows well-publicized flings with Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Minka Kelly. He was also rumored to have dated Heidi Klum. And he once hit on Rikki.

All of that activity has made this good-looking pop star the current poster boy for musicians who are more famous than their music. He is, however, not alone in that realm. Popular music is littered with examples of stars who become famous, or notorious, for something besides music.

Yet, you really can't lump all of those stars into the same bag. Thus, we've come up with simple categories to help with classification:

The Playboy: This is the rocker who seemingly doesn't date anyone unless she is famous. He prefers Hollywood hotties and, despite what he says publicly, wants people to know whom he's dating. The Playboy can be seen making all the rounds, stopping at chic restaurants and big parties, with his beauty on his arm. With a rap sheet that includes Aniston, Simpson, Love Hewitt and Kelly, Mayer definitely belongs in this category. Perhaps the most unlikely Playboy of recent years was the Counting Crows' Adam Duritz, who dated both Aniston and Courteney Cox. Presumably, the two "Friends" still call each other and exclaim, "What were we thinking?!?!" Oh, and Duritz also dated Mary Louise Parker, and has recently been seen in her company again.

The Troubled Artist: Scott Weiland, who will front the Stone Temple Pilots on Friday at UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre, is a good example for this category. He experienced much success during STP's heyday in the '90s, but most believed the vocalist had the talent to accomplish even more if not for his battles with the law and drug addiction. Over the past decade or so, Courtney Love has defined this category better than anyone, although newcomer Amy Winehouse is currently giving Love a run for her money.

The Party Animal: As opposed to those in the previous category, the Party Animal won't blame some kind of a muse for his/her wild ways. These folks just want to have fun, which usually involves drinking and dancing, and it's seen as a plus if the paparazzi are there to capture the festivities. Underwear, as Britney Spears famously proved, is optional. Intriguingly, this field has seen some people (such as Paris Hilton) first establish themselves as Party Animals and then try out careers in music.

The Politician: These pop stars will tell you what to eat, which businesses to patronize and how to cast your vote. You know the ones we mean — they are the musicians that make us say, "I wish that (insert name here) would just shut up and sing!"

The Deceased: The quickest way to rock immortality, unfortunately, is to live fast and die young. Some of the members of this club — Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison — would have surely achieved rock immortality even if they hadn't become famous for dying too soon. Others, such as Blind Melon's Shannon Hoon or Sublime's Bradley Nowell, might have been long forgotten by now if not for their deaths.

Reach Jim Harrington at jharr ington@bayareanewsgroup.com. Read his Concert Blog at www.ibabuzz.com/concerts.