Influential Blues musician John Mayall has died at 90
By Dan Heching and Dalia Faheid, CNN
(CNN) — John Mayall, a pioneering Blues musician who was recently announced as a 2024 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has died. He was 90 years old.
The news was confirmed Tuesday by Mayall’s verified Facebook page, where a message was posted alongside of a picture of the Grammy-nominated musician.
“It is with heavy hearts that we bear the news that John Mayall passed away peacefully in his California home yesterday, July 22, 2024, surrounded by loving family. 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. John Mayall gave us ninety years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire and entertain,” the message said.
Mayall’s “raw honesty, connection, community and playing of his will continue to affect the music and culture we experience today, and for generations to come,” the post continued.
CNN has reached out to Mayall’s representatives for further information.
Called “the godfather of British blues” by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader was a pioneer of Blues music in England during the 1960s. He was appointed Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. Mayall was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.
“Continually expanding the reach of the blues without ever watering them down, John Mayall has had a major influence on rock music,” his biography on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website states.
The two-time Grammy-nominated artist was born in Cheshire, England. Carrying an early affinity for American jazz and Blues, Mayall taught himself to play the piano, guitar and harmonica, according to the Hall of Fame.
In the early 1960s, Mayall brought musicians together to form the Bluesbreakers rock band. Under his leadership, the band’s debut album, “Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton,” soon became a best-selling classic.
After moving to Los Angeles in 1969, Mayall continued leading bands and releasing albums throughout the 1970s, becoming renowned for his jazz, rock and blues innovations, his biography states. He released dozens of albums and toured throughout the United States and Europe.
Throughout his influential career, Mayall collaborated with notable musicians including Joe Walsh, Steve Van Zandt and Alex Lifeson.
“Celebrated for the many iconic musicians he recruited for his band the Bluesbreakers – including guitarists Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor; bassists Jack Bruce and John McVie; and drummers Mick Fleetwood and Aynsley Dunbar – Mayall displayed a talent for mentoring gifted young musicians and bringing out the best in them,” the Hall of Fame says.
Mayall is survived by his six children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, according to the Facebook post.
“Keep on playing the blues somewhere, John,” the post said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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