John Mayall photo courtesy Guitar World
The Godfather of British blues has passed on--
John Mayall, the pioneering UK band leader whose 1960s ensembles proved to be springboards to international fame for many of his young members, passed away on Monday at his home in California, at the age of 90, confirmed by his official Facebook page.
No further details were disclosed, but he had lived a long and prolific life, playing multiple instruments and singing in his own bands for decades, but his glory will lay in the recruiting and refining of talented guitarists that would go on to international fame.
Mayall was given an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by the Queen in 2005 and will be awarded a special musical excellence induction at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in October (we’ll be there to recap).
He was born in Cheshire, UK on November 29, 1933, the son of a local guitarist and record collector father, and a mother who encouraged the love of music. Mayall fell early for the sounds of early American blues artists like Lead Belly, Albert Ammons, and Pinetop Smith and taught himself to play multiple instruments.
As part of required national service, Mayall found himself in Korea, and when on leave in Japan, bought his first guitar there. He would return to England to enroll in art school and began playing in bands, eventually becoming a full-time musician, though his art training helped later when designing his own album covers.
He met fellow blues loving musician Alexis Korner who helped convince him to do music full-time and move to London from Manchester. In 1963 with his band now called the Bluesbreakers (with Fleetwood Mac’s John McVie on bass), they had a regular gig at the famous Marquee Club and managed to go into the studio to record the following spring (as well as backed John Lee Hooker on his 1964 UK Tour).
1966’s band lineup that also recorded the band’s debut studio album featured Eric Clapton on guitar, and other members over the next couple years included Peter Green (who would co-found Fleetwood Mac) and Mick Taylor (the guitarist poached by the Rolling Stones).
Bluesbreakers band members also included drummer Mick Fleetwood , bassist Jack Bruce (of Cream), bassist Andy Fraser (an original member of Free) and drummer Aynsley Dunbar (Frank Zappa, Journey, Jefferson Starship).
That 1966 “Blues Breakers” album signaled trhe beginning of the mid 60’s UK electric blues boom which influenced so many of the greatest bands and artists to come out of that era. Mayall recorded the album “Blues from Laurel Canyon” at the end of the 1960s, befriending many members of Canned Heat, and would end up moving to the Los Angeles area for good.
Mayall’s sound would change with the more American influence and members (which included guitarists Sonny Landreth, Walter Trout and Coco Montoya) and there was a move beyond the trademark UK blues sound he helped create and foster, into more jazz.
Bluesbreakers would return in the 1980s and Mayall was regularly touring for the better part of seven decades, releasing over 70 albums, culminating with 2022 album, “The Sun is Shining Down”. We ordered a couple very inexpensive signed photos of Mayall last year from his website and were charmed by the careful scribe of his signature in silver ink and arriving in a hand-addressed envelope from his California address.
Mayall is survived by his children- Gaz, Jason, Red, Ben, Zak and Samson (from two marriages that both ended in divorce); seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com |
Thank you for giving him the recognition he deserves.
I was a little disappointed when his name was not highlighted.
Very nicely done.
I’m Gonna Fight for You J.M 😉
Cheers.
J.S.
Posted by: James Shaba | 08/13/2024 at 05:39 PM