UK Blues Legend John Mayall Dead At 90

John Mayall, the British blues pioneer whose 1960s music collective the Bluesbreakers helped usher in a fertile period of rock and brought guitarists like Eric Clapton to prominence, has died at 90, his family said, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Mayall, a singer and multi-instrumentalist, was dubbed "the godfather of British blues.." I Photo: perole Flickr

Mayall, a singer and multi-instrumentalist dubbed "the godfather of British blues," whose open-door arrangement saw some of the greats in the genre hone their craft with him and his band, "passed away peacefully in his California home" on Monday, according to a statement posted on his Facebook page.

It did not state a cause of death.

"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," it said. "John Mayall gave us 90 years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire, and entertain."

Mayall's influence on 1960s rock and beyond is enormous. Members of the Bluesbreakers eventually went on to join or form groups including Cream, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones, and many more.

At age 30, Mayall moved to London from northern England in 1963. Sensing revolution in the air, he gave up his profession as a graphic designer to embrace a career in blues, the musical style born in Black America.

He teamed up with a series of young guitarists including Clapton, Peter Green, later of Fleetwood Mac, and Mick Taylor, who helped form the Rolling Stones. Stones frontman Mick Jagger said Mayall was "a great pioneer of British blues."

He "had a wonderful eye for talented young musicians, including Mick Taylor -- who he recommended to me after Brian Jones died -- ushering in a new era for the Stones," Jagger wrote on social media platform X.