**'John Mayall has actually run an incredibly great school for musicians.

'** A strict disciplinarian, Mayall ruthlessly fired band members who he felt were not up to his exacting standards.

In 1968, the band began a US tour which featured a gig at the legendary Fillmore West in San Francisco alongside Jimi Hendrix.

Following the release of **'Blues from Laurel Canyon'** in April 1969, Mayall dropped the Bluesbreakers name and his new line-up experimented with playing without drums.

The acoustic album, **'The Turning Point,'** recorded at the Fillmore East in New York by the new line-up, earned Mayall's only gold disc.

The seventies saw Mayall move to live in the United States, and form a series of bands with American musicians.

He moved away from the electric blues that had made his name, and began experimenting with funk, pop, and jazz.

He continued to tour in the UK, however, often backing US blues legends such as John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson.

In 1979, a fire destroyed his home in Laurel Canyon and he lost his master recordings, his diaries, and much of his career memorabilia.

The influence of the blues had declined in the UK but, by 1982, Mayall decided the time was right to re-form the Bluesbreakers.

John McVie and Mick Taylor rejoined their old boss for a short time and the enthusiastic reception received by the band encouraged Mayall to put together a more permanent line-up.

Mayall continued to tour and record throughout the 1990s and the arrival of Texas guitarist Buddy Whittington in 1993 added a new dimension to the band's sound.

In 2003, Mayall celebrated his 70th birthday with a concert in Liverpool that featured some of his former musicians including Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor.

In a career spanning seven decades, John Mayall released more than 50 albums and included some of the foremost musicians of the day in a bewildering series of line-ups.

He never achieved huge commercial success in his own right but his dedication to keeping the blues alive was a major influence on the rock explosion of the 60s and 70s.

Mayall was credited with helping to develop a blues revival among white musicians in England and as the **'godfather of British blues.

'** Mayall noted that **'at the time, the scene in America was racially segregated'** but in Europe and England **'the black blues began to be heard by an audience that was not listening to them in America.

'** After their 1966 album featuring guitarist Clapton, the Bluesbreakers were acclaimed by music critics as one of the world's most influential blues bands.

He told the Guardian he **'managed to pick out some pretty special people,'** choosing band members based on the specific sound he was after.

Mayall is survived by his six children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, the family statement said.

**'He is also surrounded with love by his previous wives, Pamela and Maggie, his devoted secretary, Jane, and his close friends,'** it added.

**'We, the Mayall family, cannot thank his fans and long list of band members enough for the support and love we were blessed to experience second hand over the last six decades.

'**