Influential blues musician John Mayall dies aged 90

CNN
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John Mayall, the pioneering blues musician who was announced to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024, has passed away. He was 90 years old.

The news was confirmed on Mayall’s verified Facebook page on Tuesday, with the message posted alongside a photo of the Grammy-nominated musician.

“It is with sadness that we receive the news that John Mayall passed away peacefully yesterday, July 22nd, 2024, at his home in California surrounded by his loving family. The health challenges that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally brought peace to one of the world’s greatest road warriors. John Mayall worked tirelessly to educate, inspire and entertain for 90 years,” the message read.

Mayall’s “raw honesty, connection, community and playing will continue to influence 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 and Roll Hall of Fame, the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader was a pioneer of blues music in Britain in the 1960s. In 2005, he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. Mayall was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.

“John Mayall has had a profound influence on rock music, continually expanding rather than diluting the appeal of the blues,” his biography on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website states.

The two-time Grammy-nominated artist was born in Cheshire, England, and, according to the Hall of Fame, developed an interest in American jazz and blues from an early age and taught himself to play piano, guitar and harmonica.

In the early 1960s, Mayall brought together musicians to form the rock band The Bluesbreakers. Under his leadership, the band’s debut album, “The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton,” quickly became a best-selling classic.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1969, Mayall continued to front bands and release albums throughout the 1970s, becoming known for his innovations in jazz, rock and blues, the biography states. He released dozens of albums and toured throughout the United States and Europe.

Throughout his influential career, Mayall has collaborated with notable musicians such as Joe Walsh, Steve Van Zandt and Alex Lifeson.

“Famous for the many iconic musicians he recruited into 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 also had a gift for mentoring talented younger musicians and bringing out the best in them,” the Hall of Fame said.

According to the Facebook post, Mr Mayall is survived by his six children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

“John, keep playing the blues somewhere,” the post read.

This is a developing story and will be updated.