John Mayall, Blues Legend, Dies at 90

The British musician was a key figure in the development of blues rock and a mentor to many future stars.

John Mayall, the pioneering British bandleader whose mid-1960s blues ensembles served as incubators for some of the biggest stars of rock's golden era, died on July 22, 2024, at the age of 90.

Mayall was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, on November 29, 1933. He began playing guitar as a teenager and was soon drawn to the blues. In the early 1960s, he formed John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, which became a proving ground for some of the most talented young blues musicians in Britain, including Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, and Peter Green. Clapton was a member of the Bluesbreakers from 1963 to 1965, and Fleetwood played drums with the band from 1965 to 1967. Green joined the Bluesbreakers in 1966 and formed Fleetwood Mac the following year.

Mayall's own music was also highly influential. His 1966 album, "Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton," is considered a classic of British blues rock. He continued to release albums and tour throughout his career, and his last album, "The Sun Is Shining Down," was released in 2023.

Mayall was a recipient of the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2005 for his services to music. He was also inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.

Mayall's death is a great loss to the music world. He was a true pioneer who helped to shape the sound of blues rock and mentor some of the most successful musicians of all time.