I knew he was that old, and he only retired from performing 2 years ago. He was clean living, and had the same rules for his band, although everyone became junkies after they left it.

I regret not seeing him live when I had the chance, but he was opening for George Thorogood, who I was not interested in paying for/seeing, and I didn’t know how much time Mayall would really get on stage.

Well I guess he won’t be attending his HoF induction. RIP.

Btw, when John Mayer first became popular, I was baffled by the fact that college girls thought that John Mayall was hot.

Edit:

In this article he said that he performed most of his shows drunk in the 1970s.

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/24/g-s1-13000/john-mayall-british-blues-pioneer-dies

This one says that he always avoided “drugs” so I guess just illegal drugs? I do think that it makes it sound like he was always clean living, which still doesn’t squqre with the 70s drinking.

https://www.straight.com/article-420026/vancouver/cleanliving-musicbiz-veteran-john-mayall-has-still-got-blues

He also claims that Rolling Stone never did a piece on him, so maybe that obituary article was the first.