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RIP John Mayall, the father of British blues

Alan Cross 1 Comment

If you’ve done any digging into the history of British rock, you’ve inevitably come across John Mayall, the head of a band called The Bluesbreakers (sometimes spelled Blues Breakers) and the person called by many “the godfather of British blues.” The man’s influence was incredible.

He died Monday (July 22) at his home in California at the age of 90.

Over the years, Mayall’s band featured a who’s who of future stars: Eric Clapton, his onetime Cream bandmate Jack Bruce, three members of Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood), Mick Taylor (once a Rolling Stone), and Aynsley Dunbar (onetime drummer for Journey.) And that’s just a partial list. Talk about a star-making incubator, right?

He was also greatly admired by people like BB King and Buddy Guy.

However, Mayall never really had many hits. This was his biggest song, a track from his 1969 album, The Turning Point.


Mayall retired from perfoming in 2022 at the age of 88. Read more about John’s incredible career and legacy here.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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One thought on “RIP John Mayall, the father of British blues”

  • Alex Lifeson also played guitar on a Jeff Healey Band song called ‘Evil And Here To Stay’ that John Mayall recorded as a cover for his 2019 album Nobody Told Me.

    Reply

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