British blues pioneer John Mayall has died, aged 90
It is with heavy hearts that we bear the news that John Mayall passed away peacefully in his California home yesterday,…Posted by John Mayall on Tuesday, July 23, 2024Often heralded as ‘The Godfather of British Blues’, Mayall was a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a love of American blues and jazz and a keen sense for spotting young talent, often giving them a platform through his band the Blues Breakers.Born in America, Mayall relocated to London in the early ’60s and launched the Blues Breakers – then stylised as Bluesbreakers – in 1963, through which he pioneered the British blues and rock scene.During the 1960s, the group would include a revolving door of rock royalty – many of whom would go on to become icons in their own rights – such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Aynsley Dunbar and future Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor.In the early 1970s, Mayall returned to America, where he would continue working with rising talents. Experimenting with elements of jazz, funk and rock into his blues sound, he had collaborated with the likes of Paul Butterfield, Patti Smith, Canned Heat’s Larry Taylor and Harvey Mandel, Jesse Ed Davis, Rick Vito, Freebo, and more.In 2005, Mayall was appointed as an OBE (Officer of the British Empire).