John Mayall, a blues icon, passed away on 7/22/2024 at the age of 91!
John Mayall is widely seen as the architect of blues rock and one of the key figures who carried American (especially Chicago) blues over to Europe through his work.
Mayall was born on 11/29/1933 in Macclesfield (Cheshire). His band Bluesbreakers was a revolving door of players: Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce (both later with Cream), Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Peter Green (all later with Fleetwood Mac), Mick Taylor (later with the Rolling Stones), as well as drummer Ainsley Dunbar (later with Frank Zappa and David Bowie, among others). That lineup of talent makes John Mayall one of the pillars of the British blues scene of the 1960s.
Over his career he released more than 50 albums, with the early peaks including “A Hard Road” (1967), “Turning Point” (1969), “USA Union” (1970) and “Back To The Roots” (1971). But the one that takes the iconic status crown among Mayall’s records is surely the classic “Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton”, released in 1966. That album put Clapton on the map as one of the most gifted blues guitarists of the day, and as his popularity grew, it brought Mayall, who sang and played keyboards and harmonica as well as guitar, more and more exposure and a wider audience.
Mayall was an Officer of the British Empire (OBE), was nominated for a Grammy twice, and was recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In the photo: John Mayall performing on 3/22/2019 at Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine in Udine (RockLine photo archive 2006-2024, all rights reserved). You can read the full RockLine review of that concert HERE!
