John Mayall Announces ’85th Anniversary’ November 2019 UK Tour

The Godfather of British Blues returns to the boards in a four-piece lineup now embracing guitarist Carolyn Wonderland. Here’s what we know…

Having extensively toured mainland Europe throughout the February, March and April, the Godfather of British Blues will play a total of 15 headline shows in November 2019.

The tour begins on Sunday 3rd November 2019 at Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom and concludes on Wednesday 20th November 2019 at Palace Theatre, Southend, United Kingdom in the run-up to Mayall’s 86th birthday on 29th November 2019. 

The tour is brought to the UK by The MJR Group By Arrangement With ITB Presents. 

A full list of dates, venues and ticket links can be found below. 

Support at all dates will come from fast-rising 20 year-old blues virtuoso Connor Selby who has previously supported Albert Lee, performed at several festivals including the Blues Stage at Ramblin Man Fair in Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom and will also support The Who at Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London, United Kingdom in July 2019. Selby’s new album ‘Made Up Mind’ is out now. 

For over 50 years, John Mayall has served as a pioneer of blues music, rightly earning him the title, ‘The Godfather of British Blues’ an OBE & a Hall of Fame induction.

John’s early band John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers counted amongst its members Eric Clapton, Peter Green, John McVie & Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Andy Fraser (Free) Mick Taylor (The Stones) Still a prolific writer and performer, he has recently released the album ‘Nobody Told Me’ that also features Todd Rundgren, Steven Van Zandt, Alex Lifeson and Joe Bonamassa.

You can listen to John Mayall featuring Alex Lifeson on ‘Evil And Here To Stay’ in this article. 

Born in 1933 near Manchester, England from an early age John was a fan of Jazz and Blues, passionate about the Boogie Woogie piano giants, learning to play the piano, guitar and harmonica in his teens whilst at Manchester Junior School of Art. Sometime after National Service in the South Of England & Korea, John Moved to London in the swinging 60’s where he formed The Bluesbreakers and provided backing for some of the Blues Greats such as John Lee Hooker, T Bone Walker, Eddie Boyd and Sonny Boy Williamson on their first English club tours.

Eric Clapton joined John & The Bluesbreakers after quitting The Yardbirds and they created the classic album ‘John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton’. Due to his increasing popularity Stateside, John moved to Laurel Canyon, LA in the early 70’s and enjoyed a revered music career throughout the decades that followed. John has also collaborated over the years with the likes of Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) Steve Miller, Gary Moore, Jeff Healey, Mavis Staples, Greg Rzab (Black Crowes) and many respected Blues musicians.

John’s current live band are: John Mayall, Greg Rzab, Jay Davenport & Texas blues guitarist Carolyn Wonderland.

Pete Sargeant