Eric Clapton shares heartfelt tribute to John Mayall: “He was my mentor and surrogate father”
Eric Clapton has shared a poignant tribute to the late British blues pioneer John Mayall, who passed away on July 22nd aged 90.
At this stage, no cause of death has been revealed by Mayall’s family. The world of rock music has been in mourning following the devastating news of the iconic figure’s passing with tributes pouring in from his peers. However, few of those grieving had the same close relationship with Mayall as Clapton.
After leaving The Yardbirds, Clapton joined John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers in 1965, which was a vital opportunity for him to advance as a musician. Although he was already established on the London scene, Mayall took Clapton under his wing and sharpened up the tools in his arsenal that allowed him to become a household name later in his career.
Although he was only in The Bluesbreakers for a year, which includes two separate stints as he briefly quit the band, it enhanced his skillset and his reputation. If it wasn’t for their brief partnership, Clapton’s career could have never materialised, and in his heartfelt eulogy to Mayall, the guitarist recognised this fact.
Clapton began his poignant video message by saying: “About my friend John, who I learned passed last night or sometime yesterday, I want to say thank you chiefly, for rescuing me from oblivion and God knows what. When I was a young man, around the age of 18, 19, when I decided that I was going to quit music, he found me and took me into his home and asked me to join his band.”
The Cream founder then explained how Mayall allowed him to stay at his family home during this turbulent time, and expressed his gratitude for letting him explore his record collection. “I learned all that I really have to draw on today in terms of technique and desire to play the kind of music I love to play. I did all my research in his home, in his record collection, for the Chicago blues that he was such an expert on,” he emotionally said.
Clapton also referred to his time in The Bluesbreakers as a “fantastic experience”, adding, “He taught me that it was OK just to play the music you wanted to play without dressing it up or making anybody else like it — whether it mattered, whether they like it or not, to listen to myself, to my in or out motivations.”
The guitarist then referred to Mayall as “my mentor and a surrogate father” who “taught me all I really know and gave me the courage and enthusiasm to express myself without fear or without limit.” However, Clapton also shared his regret about their relationship, stating, “And all I gave him in return was how much fun it was to drink and womanise when he was already a family man. And I wish to make amends for that. I did that while he was alive, and I’ve obviously since learned that that is not the best way to carry on.”
Clapton concluded: “I shall miss him. I shall miss him, but I hope to see him on the other side. So thank you John. I love you, and I’ll see you soon — but not yet. Not yet, as they say, in the Gladiator movie. God bless you. Thank you.”
Other notable figures to pay tribute to Mayall include The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, who shared on X: “So sad to hear of John Mayall’s passing. He was a great pioneer of British blues and 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.”
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