John Mayall OBE, a British blues musician whose big band, the Bluesbreakers, helped stars like Eric Clapton get started, passed away at 90.
According to a statement on his Instagram page, the songwriter passed away on Monday at his California home in the company of his loved ones.
“Health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally led to peace for one of this world’s greatest road warriors,” it said.
“John Mayall gave us 90 years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire and entertain,” the statement added.
Mayall, born in Macclesfield and grew up in Manchester, founded the Bluesbreakers in the 1960s.
He was credited with helping to develop a blues revival among white musicians in England and has been described as the “godfather of British blues.”.
Mayall told the Guardian in 2014 that “at the time, the scene in America was racially segregated,” but in Europe and England, “the black blues began to be heard by an audience that was not listening to them in America.
The Bluesbreakers gained recognition as one of the most significant blues bands in the world after their 1966 album featuring guitarist Clapton.
The group also became a training ground for other famous rock musicians, including Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood, and Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, cementing Mayall’s reputation as a “serious talent magnet.
By selecting band members according to the sound he was going for, he “managed to pick out some pretty special people,” he told the Guardian.
According to his biography on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mayall moved to Los Angeles in 1969 and continued to tour the US and Europe, lead bands, and release dozens of albums.
In 2005, he was made an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).
According to the family statement, Mayall left behind his six children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
“He is also surrounded with love by his previous wives, Pamela and Maggie, his devoted secretary, Jane, and his close friends,” it added.
“We, the Mayall family, cannot thank his fans and long list of bandmembers enough for the support and love we were blessed to experience secondhand over the last six decades.”
