Mayer apologizes for crude remarks

NASHVILLE, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. singer John Mayer tearfully apologized to his band and fans at a Nashville concert after drawing criticism for outrageous remarks he made to Playboy.

Mayer, 32, came under fire for using the N-word in an interview with the magazine, as well as for dishing about his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Simpson, and likening the country star to crack cocaine or sexual napalm.

UsMagazine.com said Mayer broke down on stage at the Sommet Center Wednesday night while singing his song, "Gravity."

"In the quest to be clever, I completely forgot about the people that I love and that love me," he told the crowd.

Admitting he entered a world of "selfishness and greediness and arrogance," Mayer said he thought if he could just be "speedy and witty and pull together as many fast words and phrases as I could, that I would be clever enough to buy myself another day without anybody pinning me down and saying, 'You're a creep.'

"I should have just given that up and played the guitar," he added. "I didn't. So I decided I would try to be as clever as possible all the time, and I did that at the expense of people that I love and that feels absolutely terrible. ... I think it's important that you know that everybody on this stage is here playing with me not because they condone what I say in any interview ... they're on this stage because they support myself as a possible future grown-up."

Mayer went on to say he has "quit the media game."

"I'm out. I'm done. I just want to play my guitar," he vowed.