John Mayall

John Mayall (born November 29, 1933, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England—died July 22, 2024, California, U.S.) was a British singer, pianist, organist, and occasional guitarist who was among the guiding lights of the British blues movement in the early to mid-1960s.

Always a popular performer, Mayall is nevertheless more celebrated for the musicians he attracted into his band, the Bluesbreakers. Through his patronage of several important guitarists, notably Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor, he exerted an indirect but considerable influence on the course of rock music. Older by 10 years than most of his colleagues, Mayall was a canny operator whose devoted admirers cherished their hero’s rugged individuality and anti-commercial stance. However, his musical instincts were far from hidebound, as could be seen from the number of musicians who passed through his ranks on their way toward forming such groups as Cream (Clapton and Jack Bruce), Fleetwood Mac (Green, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood), Colosseum (Jon Hiseman and Dick Heckstall-Smith), and Free (Andy Fraser).

Encouraged by his growing popularity in the United States, he moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s and continued to lead a succession of bands featuring his own rough but effective singing. His album Wake Up Call (1993) netted him his first Grammy Award nomination, for best contemporary blues album. Mayall recorded prolifically into the 21st century, his best-received efforts including Stories (2002), 70th Birthday Concert (2003), A Special Life (2014), Nobody Told Me (2019), and The Sun Is Shining Down (2022). The latter album was nominated for a Grammy for best traditional blues album. In 2021 he announced his retirement from touring, citing his advanced age and health concerns. He gave his final concert performance in March 2022 in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Mayall was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2005. His autobiography, Blues from Laurel Canyon: My Life as a Bluesman (written with Joel McIver), was published in 2019. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.