Booking John Mayall

John Mayall Biography

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers was founded in 1963 and boasts dozens of rock’s biggest musicians as part of its lineup over the last four decades. Led by John Mayall, the Bluesbreakers have released more than fifty albums since their inception, and they show no signs of slowing down.

John Mayall was born in 1933 near Manchester, England, to working class parents. The young John grew up influenced by his father’s guitar skills and love of jazz. He was instantly drawn to the music of the blues, and today calls among his greatest inspirations artists such as Albert Ammons, Leadbelly, and Eddie Lang. By the time he was a teenager, John Mayall had become a self-taught guitar, piano, and harmonica player.  His adult years steered him temporarily away from his love of music, but shortly after turning thirty, John Mayall began performing publicly, with bands such as The Powerhouse Four and The Blues Syndicate.

After a number of years and a move to London, John Mayall encountered Eric Clapton, who had recently left the Yardbirds in pursuit of a more blues-oriented career. Together the two created the first Bluesbreakers hit, before Clapton left the Bluesbreakers to form Cream.  Shortly thereafter, John Mayall released The Turning Point in 1969, featuring the single “Room to Move.” The album went to gold status, and inspired John Mayall to ride its success all the way back to California; he began forming bands with American musicians. Throughout the 1970’s, John Mayall worked with performers such as Blue Mitchell , Red Holloway, Larry Taylor, and Harvey Mandel, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Sonny Boy Williamson.

In the early 1980’s, John Mayall reformed with original Bluesbreakers, alongside Mick Taylor and John McVie, for some tours. As a whole new generation acquired an appreciation for the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall decided it was time to officially reform the band. He added Walter Trout and Coco Montoya to the lineup, and moved forward. The next decade saw the release of several albums from John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, including A Sense of Place, Chicago Line, Spinning Coin, Blues for the Lost Days, and Wake Up Call, which garnered a Grammy nomination in 1994.  The albums featured such notable guest stars as
Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Albert Collins, Mick Taylor, Sonny Landreth, and Red Holloway. Padlock on the Blues came next in 1999, to great critical acclaim and featuring a contribution from the legendary performer John Lee Hooker.

John Mayall continues to perform and record both as a solo artist & as part of the Bluesbreakers on occasion. Mayall’s latest album, Talk About That, arrived in 2017, launching an extensive North American and UK tour which will last through November of 2017.