Blues legend John Mayall, pioneer of British blues and mentor to rock icons, passes away at 90
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The music world mourns the loss of an influential figure whose contributions to the blues genre have left an indelible mark on the industry.
Known for his incredible talent and pioneering spirit, this legendary artist's legacy is celebrated by fans and musicians alike.
His impact on the music scene will be remembered for generations to come as tributes pour in from around the globe.
Legendary British blues musician John Mayall, renowned for leading the influential band the Bluesbreakers, which nurtured talents like Eric Clapton and Mick Fleetwood, has passed away at the age of 90.
A statement on Mayall's social media page revealed that he passed away on Monday, July 22, at his California home, with the announcement made on Tuesday, July 23, local time.
‘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,’ the post read.
Mayall is credited with shaping the English interpretation of urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues, significantly contributing to the blues revival of the late 1960s.
Throughout different periods, the Bluesbreakers featured notable musicians such as Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, who later formed Cream; Fleetwood, John McVie, and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac; Mick Taylor, who spent five years with The Rolling Stones; Harvey Mandel and Larry Taylor of Canned Heat; and Jon Mark and John Almond, who later founded the Mark-Almond Band.
In interviews, Mayall insisted he wasn't a talent scout but played for the love of the music he first discovered on his father's 78-rpm records.
‘I'm a band leader, and I know what I want to play in my band—who can be good friends of mine,’ Mayall once shared in an interview with the Southern Vermont Review.
‘It's definitely a family. It's a small kind of thing, really.’
Although Mayall never achieved the same level of fame as some of his notable band members, he continued performing his rendition of Chicago blues well into his late 80s.
The lack of recognition did bother him, and he wasn't hesitant to express his feelings about it.
‘I've never had a hit record, I never won a Grammy Award, and Rolling Stone has never done a piece about me,’ he said in an interview in 2013.
‘I'm still an underground performer.’
Renowned for his blues harmonica and keyboard skills, Mayall received a Grammy nomination for Wake Up Call, which featured guest artists Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Mick Taylor, and Albert Collins.
He earned a second nomination in 2022 for his album The Sun Is Shining Down and was honoured with an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2005.
In 2024, he was selected for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and his 1966 album Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton is celebrated as one of the greatest British blues albums.
Mayall was once questioned if he continued playing due to popular demand or to prove he still had the ability.
‘Well, the demand is there, fortunately. But it's really for neither of those two things; it's just for the love of the music,’ he responded. ‘I just get together with these guys, and we have a workout.’
Born on November 29, 1933, in Macclesfield, England, Mayall's love for music was instilled early on by his father.
‘The only reason I was born in Macclesfield was because my father was a drinker, and that's where his favourite pub was,’ he shared.
His father played both guitar and banjo, and his collection of boogie-woogie piano records fascinated his teenage son.
Mayall mentioned that he taught himself to play the piano by focusing on one hand at a time—spending a year on the left hand and then a year on the right—‘so I wouldn't get all tangled up’.
The piano was his primary instrument, though he also played guitar and harmonica and sang with a distinctive, strained voice.
For his 1967 album Blues Alone, Mayall, with only drummer Keef Hartley for assistance, played all the other instruments himself.
Often referred to as the ‘father of British blues’, Mayall moved to London in 1962 to immerse himself in the emerging blues scene led by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies. The sound also attracted Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Eric Burdon.
The Bluesbreakers were a revolving door for musicians who moved in and out of different bands.
Mayall's most notable recruit was Clapton, who left the Yardbirds in 1965 to join the Bluesbreakers, dissatisfied with the Yardbirds' commercial direction.
Mayall and Clapton shared a deep love for Chicago blues, and Clapton later recalled that Mayall had ‘the most incredible collection of records I had ever seen’.
Mayall put up with Clapton's erratic behaviour. Clapton disappeared a few months after joining the band, returned later that year, sidelining the newly arrived Peter Green, and then left for good in 1966 with Bruce to form Cream, achieving commercial success and leaving Mayall behind.
In a 2003 BBC documentary about Mayall, Clapton admitted that ‘to a certain extent, I have used his hospitality, used his band and his reputation to launch my own career’.
‘I think he is a great musician. I just admire and respect his steadfastness,’ Clapton continued.
Mayall encouraged Clapton to explore singing and urged Green to hone his songwriting skills.
Mick Taylor, who took over from Green as a Bluesbreaker in the late 1960s, appreciated the freedom Mayall gave to his soloists.
‘You'd have complete freedom to do whatever you wanted,’ he shared in a 1979 interview. ‘You could make as many mistakes as you wanted, too.’
Mayall's 1968 album, Blues from Laurel Canyon, marked his permanent relocation to the United States and a shift in musical direction.
He dissolved the Bluesbreakers and started performing with a setup featuring two guitars and drums.
The following year, he released The Turning Point, arguably his most successful album, which featured an unusual four-man acoustic lineup, including Mark and Almond.
The song ‘Room to Move’ from this album remained a popular favourite in Mayall's later performances.
‘Throughout the '70s, I performed most of my shows drunk,’ he confessed in an interview with Dan Ouellette for Down Beat magazine in 1990.
One result was an attempt to leap from a balcony into a swimming pool, which failed and ended up shattering one of Mayall's heels, leaving him with a permanent limp.
‘That was one incident that got me to stop drinking,’ Mayall said.
In 1982, Mayall reformed the Bluesbreakers, bringing back Taylor and McVie, but the lineup changed once more after two years.
By 2008, Mayall declared that he was retiring the Bluesbreakers name for good and by 2013, he was leading the John Mayall Band.
Mayall and his second wife, Maggie, divorced in 2011 after 30 years together. They had two sons.
The Seniors Discount Club extends its deepest condolences to John Mayall's family, friends, and fans around the world. His music and the memories he created will continue to resonate for generations to come.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts and memories of John Mayall in the comments below. How has his music touched your life? What are your favourite songs or albums? Let's come together to honour the memory of a true blues legend.
Known for his incredible talent and pioneering spirit, this legendary artist's legacy is celebrated by fans and musicians alike.
His impact on the music scene will be remembered for generations to come as tributes pour in from around the globe.
Legendary British blues musician John Mayall, renowned for leading the influential band the Bluesbreakers, which nurtured talents like Eric Clapton and Mick Fleetwood, has passed away at the age of 90.
A statement on Mayall's social media page revealed that he passed away on Monday, July 22, at his California home, with the announcement made on Tuesday, July 23, local time.
‘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,’ the post read.
Mayall is credited with shaping the English interpretation of urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues, significantly contributing to the blues revival of the late 1960s.
Legendary British blues musician John Mayall has died at 90. Credit: Instagram / John Mayall
Throughout different periods, the Bluesbreakers featured notable musicians such as Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, who later formed Cream; Fleetwood, John McVie, and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac; Mick Taylor, who spent five years with The Rolling Stones; Harvey Mandel and Larry Taylor of Canned Heat; and Jon Mark and John Almond, who later founded the Mark-Almond Band.
In interviews, Mayall insisted he wasn't a talent scout but played for the love of the music he first discovered on his father's 78-rpm records.
‘I'm a band leader, and I know what I want to play in my band—who can be good friends of mine,’ Mayall once shared in an interview with the Southern Vermont Review.
‘It's definitely a family. It's a small kind of thing, really.’
Although Mayall never achieved the same level of fame as some of his notable band members, he continued performing his rendition of Chicago blues well into his late 80s.
The lack of recognition did bother him, and he wasn't hesitant to express his feelings about it.
‘I've never had a hit record, I never won a Grammy Award, and Rolling Stone has never done a piece about me,’ he said in an interview in 2013.
‘I'm still an underground performer.’
Renowned for his blues harmonica and keyboard skills, Mayall received a Grammy nomination for Wake Up Call, which featured guest artists Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Mick Taylor, and Albert Collins.
He earned a second nomination in 2022 for his album The Sun Is Shining Down and was honoured with an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2005.
In 2024, he was selected for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and his 1966 album Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton is celebrated as one of the greatest British blues albums.
Mayall was once questioned if he continued playing due to popular demand or to prove he still had the ability.
‘Well, the demand is there, fortunately. But it's really for neither of those two things; it's just for the love of the music,’ he responded. ‘I just get together with these guys, and we have a workout.’
Born on November 29, 1933, in Macclesfield, England, Mayall's love for music was instilled early on by his father.
‘The only reason I was born in Macclesfield was because my father was a drinker, and that's where his favourite pub was,’ he shared.
His father played both guitar and banjo, and his collection of boogie-woogie piano records fascinated his teenage son.
Mayall mentioned that he taught himself to play the piano by focusing on one hand at a time—spending a year on the left hand and then a year on the right—‘so I wouldn't get all tangled up’.
The piano was his primary instrument, though he also played guitar and harmonica and sang with a distinctive, strained voice.
For his 1967 album Blues Alone, Mayall, with only drummer Keef Hartley for assistance, played all the other instruments himself.
Often referred to as the ‘father of British blues’, Mayall moved to London in 1962 to immerse himself in the emerging blues scene led by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies. The sound also attracted Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Eric Burdon.
The Bluesbreakers were a revolving door for musicians who moved in and out of different bands.
Mayall's most notable recruit was Clapton, who left the Yardbirds in 1965 to join the Bluesbreakers, dissatisfied with the Yardbirds' commercial direction.
Mayall and Clapton shared a deep love for Chicago blues, and Clapton later recalled that Mayall had ‘the most incredible collection of records I had ever seen’.
Mayall put up with Clapton's erratic behaviour. Clapton disappeared a few months after joining the band, returned later that year, sidelining the newly arrived Peter Green, and then left for good in 1966 with Bruce to form Cream, achieving commercial success and leaving Mayall behind.
In a 2003 BBC documentary about Mayall, Clapton admitted that ‘to a certain extent, I have used his hospitality, used his band and his reputation to launch my own career’.
‘I think he is a great musician. I just admire and respect his steadfastness,’ Clapton continued.
Mayall encouraged Clapton to explore singing and urged Green to hone his songwriting skills.
Mick Taylor, who took over from Green as a Bluesbreaker in the late 1960s, appreciated the freedom Mayall gave to his soloists.
‘You'd have complete freedom to do whatever you wanted,’ he shared in a 1979 interview. ‘You could make as many mistakes as you wanted, too.’
Mayall's 1968 album, Blues from Laurel Canyon, marked his permanent relocation to the United States and a shift in musical direction.
He dissolved the Bluesbreakers and started performing with a setup featuring two guitars and drums.
The following year, he released The Turning Point, arguably his most successful album, which featured an unusual four-man acoustic lineup, including Mark and Almond.
The song ‘Room to Move’ from this album remained a popular favourite in Mayall's later performances.
‘Throughout the '70s, I performed most of my shows drunk,’ he confessed in an interview with Dan Ouellette for Down Beat magazine in 1990.
One result was an attempt to leap from a balcony into a swimming pool, which failed and ended up shattering one of Mayall's heels, leaving him with a permanent limp.
‘That was one incident that got me to stop drinking,’ Mayall said.
In 1982, Mayall reformed the Bluesbreakers, bringing back Taylor and McVie, but the lineup changed once more after two years.
By 2008, Mayall declared that he was retiring the Bluesbreakers name for good and by 2013, he was leading the John Mayall Band.
Mayall and his second wife, Maggie, divorced in 2011 after 30 years together. They had two sons.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts and memories of John Mayall in the comments below. How has his music touched your life? What are your favourite songs or albums? Let's come together to honour the memory of a true blues legend.
