British blues legend John Mayall, whose band the Bluesbreakers included Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Mick Fleetwood at various stages, died, aged 90 on Monday July 22 at his home in California.
A statement on Mayall’s Instagram page said, ‘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.’
Mayall ended his 6-decade touring marathon with a performance on March 26, 2022, at The CoachHouse in San Juan Capistrano, CA. With his band of Greg Rzab (bass), Jay Davenport (drums) and Carolyn Wonderland (guitar/vocals), John brought the house down for a final time with a fearless rendition of ‘Room To Move’.
At the time Mayall announced that, “I have decided, due to the risks of the pandemic and my advancing age, that it is time for me to hang up my road shoes. As a result I will be radically reducing my touring schedule and will be limiting my performances to local shows near my home in California, and the occasional concert further afield. My epic road dog days however have come to an end.”
Mayall is considered one of the fathers of the British blues scene and – apart from Clapton, Taylor and Fleetwood – his Bluesbreakers also included John McVie and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, Harvey Mandel and Larry Taylor of Canned Heat and Jon Mark and John Almond, who later formed the Mark-Almond Band.
Mayall, awarded an OBE in 2005, received Grammy nominations for his albums Wake Up Call and The Sun Is Shining Down. He was inducted into the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.