Clapton is God”, read spray-painted graffiti in London’s Islington in the mid-1960s. Inspired by the English guitarist’s fervid fretwork, the declaration was found scribbled at many London hangouts days later, including club bathrooms and abandoned sites. The lofty status to the English guitarist Eric Clapton, who was then barely in his 20s, came only months after he joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. In fact, if it wasn’t for Mayall taking him into his band and home, mentoring him as well as dissuading him from forsaking music, the world would have remained impervious to the guitarist’s brilliant talent. Mayall, dubbed as “godfather of British blues” died this week at 90. Clapton, in an emotional tribute, thanked him for “rescuing me from oblivion…”.

What Mayall will be remembered for, more than his thin and high-pitched tenor, were the greats he groomed and mentored. Besides Clapton, Mayall was a “musical father” to drummer Mick Fleetwood, who along with bassist John McVie and guitarist Peter Green, two other members of Mayall’s squad, formed Fleetwood Mac, one of the most influential rock bands of the ‘70s. Then there was Mick Taylor, who the Rolling Stones swooped away. Mayall worked in advertising and fought the war in Korea before he began doing what he loved full-time. He did strenuous tours, never really finding attention and success beyond a point. His most popular work remains Blues Breakers (1966), his album with Clapton made during the golden period of rock music in the ‘60s.

In 2013, in an interview to Santa Barbara Independent, Mayall said, “I’ve never had a hit record, I never won a Grammy Award, and Rolling Stone has never done a piece about me. I’m still an underground performer.” At the time, he was 79, touring regularly, with almost 60 albums to his credit. This year, he will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.