PHOTOS OF JOHN MAYALL BY KURT SWANSON
E-MAIL: kurtswanson@juno.com

John Mayall was born 29th of November 1933 in Macclesfield, a small English village near the industrial hub of Manchester--a far cry at that time from the black American blues culture we are familiar with today. The eldest of three from humble working class origins, and in the shadow of WWII, this skinny English lad grew up listening to his guitarist fatherâs extensive jazz record collection and felt drawn to the blues. Strongly influenced by such greats as Leadbelly, Albert Ammons, Pinetop Smith, and Eddie Lang, from the age of 13 he taught himself to play and develop his own style with the aid of a neighbor's piano, borrowed guitars, and secondhand harmonicas.

John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers continue yet another full year of touring, and are making plans for exciting projects in 2003. As for the man himself, the father of six and grandfather of six, at 69 years young, John Mayall shows no signs of slowing down and plans to keep the blues alive for many years to come. ~johnmayall.com

JOHN MAYALL at Durty Nellie's Chicago (Palatine, IL) 05/10/2004
22ND ANNUAL CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.johnmayall.com
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