JOHN MAYALL – influential, pioneering British blues maestro – died on Monday, July 22nd at his California home. He was aged 90. A family statement said: “Health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally led to peace for one of this world’s greatest road warriors. “John Mayall gave us 90 years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire and entertain”.
Born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, young John was introduced to blues music by his guitar playing father. At art school in Manchester, he taught himself how to play guitar, eventually forming his first band, Powerhouse. He then joined Blues Syndicate – part of the early/mid 60s UK blues revival led by Alexis Korner. After moving to London, Mayall became a key figure in the capital’s burgeoning blues scene. His band, now named the Bluesbreakers became a major draw at clubs like the Marquee. The band had a fluid line up – amongst the personnel at various times were people like John McVie, Hughie Flint, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton. By the late 60s, though, Mayall was working solo.
The seventies saw Mayall move to live in the United States, and form a series of bands with American musicians and he moved away from the electric blues that had made his name, and began experimenting with funk, pop and jazz. In 1982, Mayall decided the time was right to re-form the Bluesbreakers and with various line ups he toured and recorded extensively.
In a lengthy career John Mayall released more than 50 albums and mentored some of the foremost musicians of the day in a confusing series of line-ups and band names. Through acclaimed by critics and fellow musicians, Mayall never achieved huge commercial success in his own right but he’ll always be remembered for flying the flag for the blues.
He is a 2024 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and he we was made an OBE in 2005. He’s survived by his six children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
