John Mayall

John Mayall, (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, guitarist, organist, and songwriter, whose musical career spans over fifty years. Mayall's father was a guitarist and jazz music enthusiast. From an early age, John was drawn to the sounds of American blues players and taught himself to play the piano, guitars, and harmonica.  In 1963, he opted for a full-time musical career and moved to London.  Since the end of the 1960s Mayall has lived in the US. A brush fire destroyed his house in Laurel Canyon in 1979.

In 1965, Eric Clapton joined Mayall's band as their new guitar player, and the "Bluesbreakers" began attracting considerable attention. Clapton left the "Bluesbreakers" however in 1966 to form the "Cream".  Peter Green replaced Clapton and stayed with Mayall for two years.  He too left the 'Bluesbreakers" after two years and was replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.

The "Bluesbreakers" shifted members during the entire short-lived career of the band.  By the start of the 1970s, Mayall had relocated to the USA where he spent most of the next 15 years, recording with local musicians for various labels.   During this stage of his career, most of Mayall's music was rather different from the electric blues played by rock musicians, incorporating jazz, funk, or pop elements and adding even female vocals.

On the 40th year of his career, Mayall received carte blanche to invite fellow musicians for the recording of a celebratory album. "Along for the Ride"  appeared in 2001, credited to John Mayall and Friends with twenty names listed on the cover, including some Bluesbreakers, old and new.  To celebrate his 70th birthday Mayall reunited with special guests Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, and Chris Barber during a fundraiser show. This "Unite for Unicef" concert took place on 19 July 2003 in Liverpool and was captured on film for a DVD release.

In 2005, Mayall was awarded an OBE in the Honours List. "It's the only major award I've ever received. I've never had a hit record or a Grammy or been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," commented Mayall.

In November 2008, Mayall announced on his website he was disbanding the Bluesbreakers, to cut back on his heavy workload and give himself the freedom to work with other musicians. Three months later a solo world tour was announced, with Rocky Athas on guitar, Greg Rzab on bass, and Jay Davenport on drums. Tom Canning, on organ, joined the band for the tour which started in March 2009. An album was released in September 2009. Since then, Mayall has continued to tour with the same backing band, minus Canning, who left due to other priorities.

In 2015, Dinu Logos published John Mayall: The Blues Crusader, the first biography of Mayall to include exhaustive details of every band he put together and every recording he made. In 2018, Mayall made a new addition to his band; his first female lead guitarist, Carolyn Wonderland.

In 2013, Mayall signed with producer Eric Corne's label, Forty Below Records. The two have produced four studio albums together, A Special Life featuring accordionist C.J. Chenier, Find a Way to Care, Talk About That featuring Joe Walsh and Nobody Told Me. Corne also re-mastered some live recordings from 1967 featuring Peter Green, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood released as Live in 1967 Volumes I and II. In 2016, Mayall was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Mayall's autobiography, Blues From Laurel Canyon: My Life As A Bluesman, co-written with author Joel McIver, was published by Omnibus Press in August 2019.

(John Mayall at Poconos Blues Fest and Penns Landing early 1990s)