Drummer Mick Fleetwood was only briefly a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, but that was enough to launch his platinum career. With the passing of the 90-year-old Mayall on July 22, Fleetwood reflected on the British bluesman’s contribution to music.
“Still absorbing what John Mayall… did! He brought such hidden talents to the music world. Some of the greatest guitar players in the world would come out of his and my home country, England. He was a hidden pioneer that led to [saving] an art form known as the blues!”
Mayall possessed a high, quirky singing voice, besides playing guitar, harp, piano, and organ, but as Fleetwood noted, he’s better known for the musicians he brought into the Bluesbreakers; the list includes guitar masters Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Harvey Mandel, Rick Vito, Coco Montoya, Walter Trout, Buddy Whittington, Rocky Athas, and most famously, Eric Clapton. Great bassists, too – John McVie, Larry Taylor, Andy Fraser, and Jack Bruce among them.
Hearing the news of his loss, the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger commented, “So sad to hear of John Mayall’s passing. He was a great pioneer of British blues and had a wonderful eye for talented young musicians, including Mick Taylor – who he recommended to me after Brian Jones died – ushering in a new era for the Stones.” Ronnie Wood further chimed in, “John was historically, such an important figure in the English Blues scene. He was a walking encyclopedia of American and English blues, and a musical trailblazer for all of us.”
Known as “The Godfather of British blues,” Mayall’s career lasted longer than six decades, yet his most indelible work remains a handful of LPs released in the late 1960s. In that era, the Bluesbreakers delivered the beloved “Beano” album with Clapton, as well as A Hard Road with Green, and pre-Stones efforts with Taylor, including Crusade and Bare Wire. Standing in the shadow of his gifted guitarists, Mayall was a competent player and his solid riffing was apparent on 1967’s The Blues Alone. For gear, he was known for using six- and nine-string guitars including a Burns Bison and Stratocasters carved into teardrop shapes, wildly modded and decorated.
After a stint in Korea with the British armed forces, Mayall worked as a window dresser before moving to London and turning to music. Substantially older than many musicians of the burgeoning British Invasion, Mayall became dedicated to the sound of American blues, which was gaining traction in the U.K. In 2014, he told The Guardian newspaper, “The blues [fit] with the early ’60s, the social way of life at the time. Things were changing anyway – in fashion, art, political views. We in Britain had spent the 1950s listening to trad jazz… and this interest in the blues emerged from that jazz scene. In Europe – not just England – the black blues began to be heard by an audience that was not listening to them in America. We discovered Elmore James, Freddie King, J.B. Lenoir, and they spoke to our feelings, our life stories and that was it. Hooked.”
With news of his death, tributes came rolling from around the globe. Noted guitarist and instructor Greg Koch recalled, “I was always a fan, poring over the Bluesbreakers album with Eric Clapton. Basically, I had all of John Mayall’s records and studied. People might say, ‘Well, the real blues …’ I always get tired of that bulls**t. Music is music and John Mayall was the introduction to [blues] music for a lot of folks, including myself.”
“On John Mayall’s 90th birthday last November, I had no idea it would be one of the last times I’d see him,” added former Bluesbreaker Walter Trout. “As usual, he was funny, generous, and kind. He is, and will always be, my musical mentor.”
Mayall’s greatest disciple, Eric Clapton, offered a heartfelt video, saying, “I want to say thanks … for rescuing me from oblivion around the age of 18 or 19 when I decided that I was going quit music. [John] found me, took me into his home, and asked me to join his band. I learned all I really have today, in terms of technique and desire to play the music I love to play. I did all my research in his record collection, the Chicago blues that he was such an expert at, and played in his band with Hughie [Flint] and John [McVie]. It was a fantastic experience. [John] was my mentor, a surrogate father, and gave me the courage to express myself without fear or limit. I shall miss him, and I hope to see him on the other side. Thank you, John, I love you.”
This article originally appeared in VG’s October 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
