John Mayall

A sage-like singer and multi-instrumentalist who mentored the likes of Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor, John Mayall is the single most important figure in the emergence of British blues. Born in 1933, Mayall grew up playing and studying American blues and jazz before forming The Bluesbreakers in 1963. The band’s Texas-meets-Chicago attack—documented on landmark albums like 1966’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton—not only set the template for modern blues but also impacted the birth of hard rock and heavy metal. While Mayall continued to lead evolving versions of The Bluesbreakers, some of his most exploratory records are filed under his own name. Recorded during his relocation to California, 1969’s Turning Point gently folds acoustic blues into hippie jazz and remains his most popular album in the United States. Yet Mayall never stayed away from the brawny electric blues of his youth for too long. Well into the 21st century, he put out records like 2022’s The Sun is Shining Down, a slab of horns-blaring boogie featuring the elder statesman wailing, pounding keys and blowing harp alongside a cast of younger players clearly in awe of their hero. Mayall passed away in July 2024 at age 90.