John Mayer is purchasing the historic Hollywood lot that was established by Charlie Chaplin and later owned by A&M Records and the Jim Henson Company. A representative for Mayer – who already has an office on the famed lot – has confirmed that the musician is “under contract to buy Henson Studios,” along with movie director and producer McG. The deal is believed to be worth around $60 million. The lot was originally the home of Charlie Chaplin Studios from its inception in 1917 up until 1953, with classic films like The Kid, The Great Dictator, and Modern Times all shot there.
A&M Records founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss bought the lot in 1966 and turned it into a recording studio, before Jim Henson’s children purchased the property in 1999 and turned it into the home of the Muppets. The recording studios established by A&M remained in use as Henson Recording Studios, which is where Mayer made his latest solo album, 2021’s Sob Rock. (Rolling Stone)