John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE ( born November 29, 1933, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England ) is a co-founder of British blues in the early 1960s. He is next to Alexis Korner as one of the fathers of the British Blues ( both carry the nickname " Father of the white blues " ) and one of the first who brought this style of music from the roots away to more experimental forms.
Life
John Mayall was born on 29 November 1933, the small English town of Macclesfield near Manchester - far away from the black, American Blue culture. Nevertheless, he soon came into contact with the music, as his father was an enthusiastic amateur jazz musician and taught him the game in their teens on guitar, banjo and ukulele. In 1950, John Mayall entered into Manchester on a blues trio. His incipient musical career was interrupted by military service in Korea for three years. Then visited Mayall from 1955, the School of Art, where he received training as a graphic designer.
Early in his career, met Mayall on famous musicians. In 1962 he founded Blue Formation Powerhouse Four, which was soon renamed Blues Syndicate, already played the bassist John McVie. At this time, Alexis Korner became aware of Mayall and encouraged him to work in London as a musician. Mayall turned to his band again and presented it in 1963 at London's Marquee Club under the name Bluesbreakers, which should long endure.
The occupation of the Bluesbreakers changed constantly, there were big names like Eric Clapton, Peter Green and John McVie ( both members of Fleetwood Mac) and Mick Taylor ( Rolling Stones at the successor to the late Brian Jones ) among the players. Around 1968, the style of the pure, "classical" blues changed to more experimental forms, for the first time on the album Blues from Laurel Canyon, which was not developed under the name of the Bluesbreakers. Legendary is rehearsed with Jon Mark and Johnny Almond album The Turning Point 1969, on the Mayall ( drummer Keef Hartley without his ) plays distorted lead guitar and keyboards. There are people who claim Mayall had appeared at the Woodstock Festival, but he denied in several interviews.
In the 1970s, published albums of very different character. 1979 burned from Mayall's beloved tree house in Laurel Canyon, where many master tapes and diaries were lost. When in 1982 the mood for blues at a low point, was Mayall formed for some concerts the old Bluesbreakers with Mick Taylor and newly entered from that point back to a traditional Bluesbreakers sound, which he still showed up as imaginative songwriter. He played less keyboard instruments, but preferred the ( self-made ) guitar.
To celebrate its 40 - year anniversary in 2001 played a series of major rock and blues musicians along with Mayall for the album Along for the Ride; so among other things, Gary Moore, Chris Rea and Otis Rush. 2003 celebrated his 70th birthday with a concert of John Mayall 's Bluesbreakers in Liverpool, in which also the old friends Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber Jazz musician occurred. To date, Mayall is touring with the Bluesbreakers regularly in the U.S., Europe and Australia, where it no longer occurs in large concert halls but rather in clubs, but also in the major blues festivals.
John Mayall's work is only slightly represented in the charts, but important for the development of the blues. Mayall influenced many musicians. As an award he received the appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.