John Mayall: 'Father of British blues' dies aged 90

John Mayall, the British blues artist whose band helped launch the careers of Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, and numerous other legendary musicians, passed away at the age of 90.

A post on Mayall's Instagram account mentioned that he passed away at his residence in California on Monday.

The blog post stated that John's health problems, which forced him to stop his extensive touring career, have finally brought calmness to one of the greatest travelers in the world.

Mayall is recognized for his contribution in shaping the English interpretation of urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues, which played a significant role in the resurgence of the blues in the late 1960s.

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Throughout different periods, the Bluesbreakers band had members such as Clapton and Jack Bruce, who later joined Cream; Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac; Mick Taylor, known for his time with the Rolling Stones; Harvey Mandel and Larry Taylor from Canned Heat; and Jon Mark and John Almond, who later formed the Mark-Almond Band.

Even though Mayall didn't reach the same level of fame as some of his famous former students, he continued to perform well into his late 80s.

"I have never had a chart-topping song, I have never received a Grammy Award, and Rolling Stone has never featured me in an article," he mentioned during a conversation with the Santa Barbara Independent back in 2013.

"I'm still a relatively unknown performer."

John Mayall was born in Macclesfield on November 29, 1933. He jokingly mentioned that the only reason he was born there was because his father enjoyed drinking at a pub in the town.

His father also strummed the guitar and banjo, and his collection of boogie-woogie piano albums fascinated his teenage son.

Mayall was frequently referred to as the "pioneer of British blues," but upon relocating to London in 1962, his intention was to absorb the blues culture spearheaded by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies.

The Bluesbreakers relied on a flexible group of musicians who moved in and out of different bands.

His album, Blues from Laurel Canyon, released in 1968, marked a permanent relocation to the United States and a shift in his musical style.

In 1982, he brought back the Bluesbreakers with Taylor and McVie, but after two years, the lineup changed once more.

In 2008, Mayall declared that he would no longer be using the Bluesbreaker name, and by 2013 he was fronting the John Mayall Band.