Complete List Of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Band Members

Feature Photo: Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

John Mayall formed the Bluesbreakers in London in 1963 after leaving Manchester and committing himself to the emerging British blues movement. A singer, keyboardist, harmonica player, guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader, Mayall built the group around constant musical change rather than a fixed membership.

The Bluesbreakers became one of the most important training grounds in rock and blues history. Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Andy Fraser, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, and many other musicians developed or strengthened their reputations while working with Mayall.

The classic 1966 album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and established a powerful model for electric blues-rock. Mayall followed it with the Peter Green-era A Hard Road, the Mick Taylor albums Crusade and Bare Wires, and a long sequence of recordings that moved through acoustic blues, jazz fusion, funk, soul, and contemporary blues.

Mayall dissolved the original Bluesbreakers organization in 1968 and relocated permanently to California the following year. He continued recording under his own name with frequently changing groups, revived the Bluesbreakers identity during the 1980s, and permanently retired the name in October 2008.

His final band featured bassist Greg Rzab, drummer Jay Davenport, and guitarist and vocalist Carolyn Wonderland. Mayall released his thirty-sixth studio album, The Sun Is Shining Down, in January 2022 and played his final concert on March 26 of that year. He died on July 22, 2024, at age 90.

John Mayall was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and received the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Musical Influence Award in 2024. His importance reaches beyond any one lineup or record: he gave generations of musicians room to develop individual voices while keeping the blues at the center of his music.

John Mayall

John Mayall founded the Bluesbreakers and remained the only constant figure across more than six decades of recording and performance. He sang and played piano, organ, harmonica, guitar, and other instruments while directing the arrangements and selecting musicians for each new phase of the band.

Mayall appeared on every release associated with his career, from the 1965 live debut John Mayall Plays John Mayall through The Sun Is Shining Down in 2022. His willingness to change lineups and musical formats allowed the Bluesbreakers to function as both a working band and an enduring school for blues musicians.

John McVie

John McVie joined the Bluesbreakers in 1963 and became the bassist in several foundational lineups. His restrained, deeply swinging playing appears on John Mayall Plays John Mayall, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, A Hard Road, and Crusade.

McVie briefly lost his position to Jack Bruce but returned and remained until 1967. He then joined Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood in Fleetwood Mac. McVie returned for the 1982 Bluesbreakers reunion and made later guest appearances with Mayall.

Bernie Watson

Bernie Watson was the first official lead guitarist in the Bluesbreakers. He joined the 1963 lineup with John Mayall, John McVie, and drummer Peter Ward and played on the early recording of “Crawling Up a Hill.” Watson left in 1964 and was replaced by Roger Dean.

Peter Ward

Peter Ward was the drummer in the first documented Bluesbreakers lineup. His tenure was brief and ended before the group began its main recording career. Martin Hart replaced him during 1963.

Martin Hart

Martin Hart replaced Peter Ward on drums and remained through the sessions for the early single “Crawling Up a Hill.” Hughie Flint took over the drum chair in 1964 as the band moved toward its first album.

Hughie Flint

Hughie Flint joined in 1964 and played on John Mayall Plays John Mayall and Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton. His controlled shuffle, strong backbeat, and sensitivity to dynamic changes were essential to the sound of the celebrated Eric Clapton lineup.

Flint left in 1966 and later co-founded McGuinness Flint. He returned for warm-up performances connected to the 1982 Bluesbreakers reunion.

Roger Dean

Roger Dean replaced Bernie Watson as lead guitarist in 1964. He appeared on John Mayall Plays John Mayall and the single “Crocodile Walk.” Eric Clapton replaced Dean in April 1965.

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton joined the Bluesbreakers after leaving the Yardbirds in 1965. His heavily amplified Gibson Les Paul tone, sustained bends, and direct engagement with Chicago blues transformed the band’s sound and helped establish the vocabulary of British blues-rock.

Clapton recorded “I’m Your Witchdoctor,” “Lonely Years,” and the landmark album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton. He left in 1966 to form Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, later returning as a guest on Mayall projects and at the 2003 seventieth-birthday concert.

John Weider

John Weider briefly played guitar during Eric Clapton’s absence in 1965. His Bluesbreakers tenure was short and did not produce a standard album appearance. He later worked with Eric Burdon and the Animals, Family, and other groups.

John Slaughter

John Slaughter was another temporary guitarist used while Eric Clapton was away in 1965. He later became closely associated with Chris Barber’s jazz and blues bands.

Geoff Krivit

Geoff Krivit briefly filled the lead-guitar position during Eric Clapton’s 1965 absence. His time with the Bluesbreakers was limited to live work before Clapton returned.

Peter Green

Peter Green first substituted for Eric Clapton in 1965 and returned permanently after Clapton left in 1966. Green brought a more spacious, emotionally restrained guitar style and a strong singing and songwriting voice to the Bluesbreakers.

He played on A Hard Road and wrote or sang material including “The Super-Natural” and “The Same Way.” Green left in 1967 and formed Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood and, soon afterward, John McVie.

Jack Bruce

Jack Bruce briefly replaced John McVie on bass during 1965. His muscular, highly melodic playing can be heard on live material later released by Mayall. Bruce soon joined Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker in Cream.

Aynsley Dunbar

Aynsley Dunbar replaced Hughie Flint in 1966 and played on A Hard Road. His energetic drumming supported Peter Green’s more fluid guitar approach and gave the album a sharper rhythmic attack.

Dunbar later worked with Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Journey, Whitesnake, and numerous other artists.

Micky Waller

Micky Waller briefly replaced Aynsley Dunbar in 1967. His Bluesbreakers tenure ended before he appeared on a principal album. Waller later became known for his work with the Jeff Beck Group and Rod Stewart.

Mick Fleetwood

Mick Fleetwood joined the Bluesbreakers for a short period in 1967. He performed with Peter Green and John McVie in the lineup documented on the Live in 1967 archival releases.

After leaving Mayall, Fleetwood and Green formed Fleetwood Mac. John McVie joined soon afterward, creating a new band from three former Bluesbreakers.

Keef Hartley

Keef Hartley replaced Mick Fleetwood in 1967. He played on Crusade, The Blues Alone, and live recordings from the period, combining rock power with a strong jazz background.

Hartley returned to Mayall’s circle during the early 1970s and contributed to Back to the Roots, Ten Years Are Gone, and related live recordings.

Mick Taylor

Mick Taylor joined in 1967 as Peter Green’s successor. Still in his teens, Taylor brought remarkable fluency, sustain, and melodic imagination to Crusade, Bare Wires, and Blues from Laurel Canyon.

Taylor remained with Mayall after the original Bluesbreakers dissolved and relocated to California with him. He left in June 1969 to join the Rolling Stones and later returned for reunions and guest appearances.

Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer added tenor and baritone saxophone to the expanded late-1960s Bluesbreakers. He appeared on Crusade, Bare Wires, The Diary of a Band, and related live material.

Rip Kant

Rip Kant played baritone saxophone during the 1967 horn-section period. He appeared on Crusade before Dick Heckstall-Smith replaced him.

Terry Edmonds

Terry Edmonds briefly played rhythm guitar during 1967. His tenure was limited to the band’s live development and did not result in a principal album credit.

Dick Heckstall-Smith

Dick Heckstall-Smith joined the Bluesbreakers in 1967 and played tenor, soprano, and baritone saxophones. His work appears on Bare Wires, The Diary of a Band, and later live releases.

He left with drummer Jon Hiseman and bassist Tony Reeves to form the jazz-rock group Colosseum.

Paul Williams

Paul Williams briefly replaced John McVie on bass in 1967. He appeared on “Suspicions” and material later issued on The Diary of a Band, Volume Two.

Keith Tillman

Keith Tillman followed Paul Williams on bass during late 1967 and early 1968. His playing appears on the two Diary of a Band volumes.

Henry Lowther

Henry Lowther joined in 1968 on trumpet, cornet, and violin. He contributed to Bare Wires, adding orchestral color to one of Mayall’s most ambitious Bluesbreakers albums. Lowther later returned as a guest at Mayall’s seventieth-birthday concert.

Andy Fraser

Andy Fraser briefly held the bass position during 1968. He left before recording a principal Bluesbreakers album and soon co-founded Free, where he co-wrote “All Right Now.”

Tony Reeves

Tony Reeves replaced Andy Fraser on bass and double bass in 1968. He played on Bare Wires and then left with Jon Hiseman and Dick Heckstall-Smith to form Colosseum.

Jon Hiseman

Jon Hiseman replaced Keef Hartley in 1968 and played drums and percussion on Bare Wires. His precise, jazz-informed drumming helped drive the album’s extended suite. He subsequently co-founded Colosseum.

Steve Thompson

Steve Thompson joined Mayall after the original Bluesbreakers organization ended in 1968. He played bass on Blues from Laurel Canyon, The Turning Point, and Empty Rooms.

Thompson returned during the late 1970s and again during the 1980s reunion period, linking several distinct eras of Mayall’s career.

Colin Allen

Colin Allen joined Mayall’s post-Bluesbreakers group in 1968 and played drums and tabla on Blues from Laurel Canyon. He returned for the main 1982 reunion tour and its associated live releases.

Jon Mark

Jon Mark joined in 1969 after Mick Taylor’s departure. His acoustic guitar became central to the drummerless lineup heard on The Turning Point and Empty Rooms.

Mark left with Johnny Almond to form Mark-Almond, continuing the acoustic, jazz, and blues ideas developed in Mayall’s band.

Johnny Almond

Johnny Almond played tenor, alto, and baritone saxophones and flute in the 1969–1970 lineup. His work on The Turning Point and Empty Rooms helped give Mayall’s music an open, drummerless sound.

Almond left with Jon Mark to form Mark-Almond and later returned as a guest on Mayall recordings.

Alex Dmochowski

Alex Dmochowski replaced Steve Thompson on bass during 1970. He worked with Mayall during the transition away from the Turning Point lineup and later returned as a guest.

Duster Bennett

British bluesman Duster Bennett briefly joined Mayall’s group on harmonica during 1970. His involvement was primarily live and did not lead to a principal album credit.

Larry Taylor

Larry “The Mole” Taylor joined Mayall after leaving Canned Heat. His bass appears on USA Union, Back to the Roots, Memories, and many jazz-oriented recordings from the 1970s.

Taylor returned repeatedly and became one of the most important American musicians in Mayall’s post-1968 groups.

Don “Sugarcane” Harris

Don “Sugarcane” Harris added violin and vocals to USA Union and Back to the Roots. He later returned for additional sessions, bringing a blues, jazz, and R&B violin voice unlike anything heard in the earlier Bluesbreakers.

Harvey Mandel

Harvey Mandel joined on lead guitar for USA Union and Back to the Roots. His sustain, feedback control, and experimental phrasing fit Mayall’s move toward an American rhythm section and a more spacious sound.

Mandel returned briefly in 1979 before James Quill Smith resumed the guitar position.

Paul Lagos

Paul Lagos played drums during the Back to the Roots period. His work supported the large group of returning former members and new American collaborators on that album.

Gerry McGee

Gerry McGee played guitar and sitar in the stripped-down group heard on Memories. His restrained accompaniment supported Mayall’s increasingly personal songwriting during the early 1970s.

Blue Mitchell

Jazz trumpeter Blue Mitchell joined Mayall during the early-1970s fusion period. His trumpet and flugelhorn appear on Jazz Blues Fusion, Moving On, and Ten Years Are Gone.

Mitchell’s elegant improvising helped Mayall expand beyond the guitar-centered sound of the classic Bluesbreakers.

Freddie Robinson

Freddie Robinson, later known as Abu Talib, played lead guitar in Mayall’s jazz-blues lineup. He appears on Jazz Blues Fusion, Moving On, and Ten Years Are Gone.

Victor Gaskin

Victor Gaskin played bass and double bass during the jazz-oriented early-1970s period. His work can be heard on Moving On and Ten Years Are Gone.

Fred Clark

Fred Clark played tenor saxophone with Mayall during the early 1970s. Performances featuring Clark later appeared on live and archival releases.

Clifford Solomon

Clifford Solomon contributed tenor and alto saxophones to Jazz Blues Fusion and Moving On. He later returned as a guest on Blues for the Lost Days.

Ron Selico

Ron Selico played drums and percussion in the lineup recorded on Jazz Blues Fusion. Keef Hartley returned after Selico’s departure.

Putter Smith

Patrick “Putter” Smith briefly played bass and double bass in the expanded 1972 lineup. His stay was short and did not produce a principal album credit.

Ernie Watts

Ernie Watts joined the saxophone section during the live Moving On period. His tenor saxophone added to one of the largest and most jazz-focused ensembles Mayall ever led.

Charles Owens

Charles Owens played soprano saxophone and flute in the expanded horn section heard on Moving On and related performances.

Fred Jackson

Fred Jackson contributed baritone and tenor saxophones to the large ensemble recorded on Moving On.

Red Holloway

Red Holloway joined Mayall on tenor and alto saxophones and flute. He contributed to Ten Years Are Gone, The Latest Edition, and later 1970s projects.

Holloway returned as a guest on several later albums, including Blues for the Lost Days, Along for the Ride, and In the Palace of the King.

Soko Richardson

Soko Richardson became a recurring drummer and percussionist during the 1970s and early 1980s. He appeared on The Latest Edition, New Year, New Band, New Company, Notice to Appear, A Banquet in Blues, A Hard Core Package, and Road Show Blues.

Jesse Ed Davis

Jesse Ed Davis briefly played lead guitar with Mayall during 1974. His stay was short and ended before he became part of a principal album lineup.

Randy Resnick

Randy Resnick played lead guitar on The Latest Edition. His fluid electric style was paired with Hightide Harris during this transitional 1974 lineup.

Hightide Harris

Hightide Harris, also known as Willie Boyd or Willie Gitry, played guitar alongside Randy Resnick on The Latest Edition.

Jay Spell

Jay Spell joined on keyboards, piano, clarinet, and synthesizers. He appeared on New Year, New Band, New Company, Notice to Appear, A Banquet in Blues, and live recordings from the period.

Rick Vito

Rick Vito played lead guitar during the mid-1970s and appears on New Year, New Band, New Company, Notice to Appear, and A Banquet in Blues. He returned around 1979 and contributed to No More Interviews.

Vito later joined Fleetwood Mac, continuing the long connection between that group and Mayall’s bands.

Dee McKinnie

Dee McKinnie added lead and backing vocals to Mayall’s mid-1970s recordings. She appears on New Year, New Band, New Company, Notice to Appear, and A Banquet in Blues.

Pepper Watkins

Pepper Watkins contributed backing vocals during the expanded late-1970s touring period. Her work appears on A Hard Core Package and related live recordings.

Ann Patterson

Ann Patterson played alto saxophone, oboe, and flute in Mayall’s large 1976 touring ensemble. She appears on A Hard Core Package and Lots of People.

Gary Rowles

Gary Rowles played lead guitar in the late-1976 touring group documented on the live album Lots of People.

Frank Wilson

Frank Wilson played drums in Mayall’s expanded 1976 touring ensemble and appears on Lots of People.

Warren Bryant

Warren Bryant added percussion to the large touring band captured on Lots of People.

Jimmy Roberts

Jimmy Roberts played tenor saxophone in the 1976 touring horn section documented on Lots of People.

David Majal Li

David Majal Li played baritone saxophone in Mayall’s large 1976 concert ensemble and appears on Lots of People.

Nolan Smith

Nolan Smith contributed trumpet to the horn section heard on Lots of People.

Bill Lamb

Bill Lamb played trombone and trumpet in the expanded band recorded on Lots of People.

James Quill Smith

James Quill Smith became Mayall’s lead guitarist during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He appears on A Hard Core Package, The Last of the British Blues, No More Interviews, and Road Show Blues.

Smith also contributed vocals and returned after Harvey Mandel’s brief 1979 reappearance.

Maggie Parker

Maggie Parker, later Maggie Mayall, joined as a singer and percussionist. She appears on No More Interviews and Road Show Blues and returned as a guest on later recordings.

Chris Mostert

Chris Mostert played soprano and tenor saxophones and flute during the No More Interviews and Road Show Blues period.

Angus Thomas

Angus Thomas played bass and double bass in the 1979 lineup associated with Harvey Mandel. He contributed to No More Interviews.

Rubén Alvarez

Rubén Alvarez played drums and percussion in the 1979 lineup and appears on No More Interviews.

Chris Cameron

Chris Cameron joined on keyboards, piano, and synthesizers during 1979. His playing appears on No More Interviews.

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick played bass during the early-1980s period and contributed to Road Show Blues and material connected with the reunited Bluesbreakers.

Mike Gardner

Mike Gardner played drums during the period immediately before and after the 1982 reunion. His work appears on studio material later issued on Return of the Bluesbreakers and Cross Country Blues.

Don McMinn

Don McMinn briefly played lead guitar during the early 1980s. His performances appear on studio tracks later collected on Return of the Bluesbreakers.

Bobby Manuel

Bobby Manuel played rhythm guitar in the same early-1980s studio lineup as Don McMinn. His work was later released on Return of the Bluesbreakers.

Jeff Davis

Jeff Davis briefly played bass in the early-1980s lineup whose studio recordings were later issued on Return of the Bluesbreakers.

Tim Drummond

Tim Drummond toured and recorded with Mayall during the early 1980s, including the period when Mick Taylor returned. The veteran bassist had also worked with Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and numerous American roots musicians.

Coco Montoya

Coco Montoya joined Mayall’s band in 1984 after previously working as a drummer and guitarist with Albert Collins. He became a featured lead guitarist and vocalist in one of the most stable Bluesbreakers periods.

Montoya appears on Chicago Line, A Sense of Place, Wake Up Call, and Cross Country Blues. He left in 1993 to begin a successful solo career.

Bobby Haynes Sr.

Bobby Haynes Sr. played bass from the mid-1980s into 1990. He appears on Chicago Line, A Sense of Place, live recordings, and material later released on Cross Country Blues.

Kal David

Kal David joined as a second lead guitarist during the mid-1980s. His work appears on archival and reissue material connected with the period. He later became known as a solo blues artist and club owner.

Willie McNeil

Willie McNeil played drums during the early stage of the 1980s Bluesbreakers revival before Joe Yuele took over the position.

Joe Yuele

Joe Yuele joined in 1985 and became the longest-serving drummer in Mayall’s career. He remained until the Bluesbreakers name was retired in 2008.

Yuele played on Chicago Line, A Sense of Place, every principal studio album from Wake Up Call through In the Palace of the King, and many live releases.

Walter Trout

Walter Trout joined the Bluesbreakers in 1985 and shared guitar duties with Coco Montoya. His intense singing, rapid lead work, and emotional blues style appear on Chicago Line and major live recordings from the period.

Trout left in 1989 to launch his own band and became an internationally successful blues-rock guitarist.

Freebo

Daniel “Freebo” Friedberg briefly played bass during the transition from Bobby Haynes to Rick Cortes. He contributed to several tracks on A Sense of Place.

Rick Cortes

Rick Cortes became the Bluesbreakers bassist around 1990 and remained through 1996. He appears on Wake Up Call and Spinning Coin.

Buddy Whittington

Buddy Whittington joined in 1993 after Coco Montoya’s departure. His broad Texas guitar style, vocals, and songwriting made him one of Mayall’s longest-serving lead guitarists.

Whittington appears on every principal studio album from Spinning Coin through In the Palace of the King. He left when Mayall retired the Bluesbreakers name in 2008.

John Paulus

John Paulus replaced Rick Cortes on bass in 1996. He appears on Blues for the Lost Days and Padlock on the Blues before leaving the band in 1999.

Greg Rzab

Greg Rzab first joined Mayall as bassist in 1999 and returned permanently when Mayall formed a new band after retiring the Bluesbreakers name. His Chicago background and experience with Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, and other blues artists made him an ideal partner for Mayall.

Rzab played on the late-career albums from Tough through The Sun Is Shining Down. He remained in Mayall’s final lineup and performed at the bandleader’s last concert in 2022.

Greg Boaz

Greg Boaz briefly substituted on bass during a 2000 tour after Greg Rzab left for another commitment. His role was limited to live work.

Hank Van Sickle

Hank Van Sickle became the Bluesbreakers bassist in 2000 and remained until 2008. He appears on Stories, Road Dogs, In the Palace of the King, and several live releases.

Tom Canning

Tom Canning joined as keyboardist, pianist, and backing vocalist during the final Bluesbreakers period. He appears on Stories, Road Dogs, In the Palace of the King, and major concert releases.

Canning remained for the first sessions after the Bluesbreakers name was retired and contributed to Tough before leaving the touring group.

Jay Davenport

Jay Davenport joined Mayall’s new band in 2009 after Greg Rzab recommended him for the drum position. His experience in Chicago blues, R&B, jazz, and fusion gave the late-career rhythm section both strength and flexibility.

Davenport appears on every studio album from Tough through The Sun Is Shining Down. He remained with Mayall through the final concert in March 2022.

Rocky Athas

Rocky Athas became lead guitarist when Mayall created a new group in 2009. He appears on Tough, A Special Life, Find a Way to Care, and Talk About That.

Athas left in 2016 when Mayall shifted to a trio without a permanent guitarist.

Carolyn Wonderland

Carolyn Wonderland joined Mayall in 2018 on lead guitar and vocals. Her expressive singing, slide guitar, blues phrasing, and Texas roots brought a new identity to the final stage of his career.

Wonderland appears on Nobody Told Me and The Sun Is Shining Down. She performed with Greg Rzab and Jay Davenport in Mayall’s final lineup and at his last concert in March 2022.

John Mayall Studio Albums

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

A Hard Road (1967)

Crusade (1967)

The Blues Alone (1967)

Bare Wires (1968)

Blues from Laurel Canyon (1968)

Empty Rooms (1970)

USA Union (1970)

Back to the Roots (1971)

Memories (1971)

Ten Years Are Gone (1973)

The Latest Edition (1974)

New Year, New Band, New Company (1975)

Notice to Appear (1975)

A Banquet in Blues (1976)

A Hard Core Package (1977)

Bottom Line (1979)

No More Interviews (1980)

Road Show Blues (1981)

Return of the Bluesbreakers (1985)

Chicago Line (1988)

A Sense of Place (1990)

Wake Up Call (1993)

Spinning Coin (1995)

Blues for the Lost Days (1997)

Padlock on the Blues (1999)

Along for the Ride (2001)

Stories (2002)

Road Dogs (2005)

In the Palace of the King (2007)

Tough (2009)

A Special Life (2014)

Find a Way to Care (2015)

Talk About That (2017)

Nobody Told Me (2019)

The Sun Is Shining Down (2022)

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Updated August 1, 2026.

Complete List Of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Band Members article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026

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