John Mayall

“To the European Blues Union – Hall of Fame

Thank you very much for this wonderful honour! I’m happy to hear about the creation of the European Blues Hall of Fame and thrilled to be one of the first to receive a place in it.

Thank you also to all the fans who have made it possible for me to do what I love for all these years. It has been fabulous journey, and I wouldn’t have missed a moment of it. As always, keep loving the blues!” [John Mayall]

Often referred to as “The Godfather of British Blues,” John Mayall has had an impressive musical career that spans almost 60 years and crosses seven decades. Born in Macclesfield, England in 1933, John’s influence on the music and culture of his home country vaulted him to one of highest honors bestowed on English citizens as he was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire). The blues singer, pianist, harmonica player, guitarist and songwriter is the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band famous for introducing many celebrated blues and blues rock guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor. After Mayall moved from the Manchester area in 1963, he formed his Bluesbreakers and began performing in clubs on the London music scene.  They also served as the backing band for American Blues legends like John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson and others when they toured abroad.

He embarked on a stellar recording career with his first Decca release, John Mayall Plays John Mayall – a live album recorded at the Klooks Kleek club – in 1965.  It was followed by three iconic and influential studio recordings: Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, A Hard Road (with Peter Green) and Crusade (with Mick Taylor). Attracted by the United States’ West Coast climate and culture, Mayall made his permanent move from England to Los Angeles, California in 1969 and began forming bands with American musicians. Throughout the next several decades, Mayall became further revered for his many jazz/rock/blues innovations, with touring bands and recordings featuring such notable performers as Blue Mitchell, Red Holloway, Larry Taylor, Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya and Buddy Whittington Mayall’s popularity continued to expand with a succession of dynamic albums including the Grammy-nominated Wake Up Call that featured guest artists Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Albert Collins and Mick Taylor. John’s career has been one of evolution, innovation and change, with the one constant being his love and respect for the Blues.

He toured and recorded for periods with bands in the Bluesbreakers format, with the standard four-piece lineup of guitar, bass, drums and the multiple instruments played by John. He also had solo John Mayall projects, which featured a vast myriad of instrumentation that produced legendary recordings like The Turning Point and Jazz Blues Fusion. In late 2008, Mayall made the decision to permanently retire the Bluesbreakers name. In 2009, he began a new era of touring with his longtime rhythm section of Greg Rzab on bass and Jay Davenport on drums, with the guitar chair manned by various musicians, including Rocky Athas and his first ever female band member, Carolyn Wonderland.

He even took on all guitar duties himself for a while, performing as a trio for European, UK and US tours as he continued to experiment with styles and instrumentation. In 2013, after recording for several major labels – from Decca to Polydor to Eagle Records – John embarked on a prolific renaissance in his recording career after he signed with Forty Below Records, partnering with co-producer Eric Corne and releasing their first collaboration (A Special Life) to rave reviews.

Their partnership afforded John much more control over content and scheduling as they released another four studio albums, a live album featuring the trio format (Three For The Road), as well as a three-volume remastering of never before released live recordings featuring original Fleetwood Mac members Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood (Live In 1967), all of which have been enthusiastically received by critics and fans alike. John continued evolving his performances and recordings well into his eighties, while collecting well deserved accolades.

In 2016, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, and his final release “The Sun Is Shining Down” was nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. ​

In 2022, John announced the end of his “epic road dog days,” but even in retirement he continues to inspire fans with his lifetime of wonderful music.

EBU thanks John Mayall for all the displayed material. EBU also acknowledges Jane Ebdon (John Mayall’s assistant), Eric Corne (Forty Below Records) and Mike Vernon for their generous support.