John Mayall and Clint Black Join The Lyric's 2016-17 Season

The Lyric Theatre has added John Mayall and Clint Black to its 2016-17 season. Details below!

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John Mayall "Living The Blues"
Friday, October 14th at 7pm
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The "Godfather of British Blues" will grace the stage this season at The Lyric Theatre with a night of soul-quenching sound. A pioneer of blues music for over 50 years, John Mayall and his original band, the Bluesbreakers, featured some of the greatest musicians of all time, including Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, and Mick Fleetwood to name a few. With hits such as "All Your Love", "Hideaway", and "Crocodile Walk", John Mayall has earned his place as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.

Born in 1933, John Mayall grew up in a town outside of Manchester, England. Inspired by his father's extensive record collection, Mayall fell in love with the blues. At age 14, the aspiring musicIan Went to Manchester's Junior School of Art where he continued his musical education, playing the guitar, piano, and harmonica. Taking inspiration from the sounds of Leadbelly, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson among others, John Mayall devoted himself fully to the blues. However, it wasn't until 1962 when Mayall heard that a club was opening up in Ealing, dedicated to blues music, that the musician finally found his calling. Mayall moved from Manchester to London and started the Bluesbreakers. With their fresh sound and raw talent, the Bluesbreakers quickly rose in popularity, and soon John Mayall would be backing John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, and Sonny Boy Williamson in their first tours through England.

In 1966, Mayall teamed up with the ex-Yardbird guitarist Eric Clapton for a ground-breaking album that was named one of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine. Although Clapton left to form the band Cream shortly after, John and the Bluesbreakers continued their success, releasing a unique drummer-less live album in 1969 that immediately achieved gold status. In the 1970s, John Mayall moved to California where he continued working with some of the greatest contemporary recording artists. A decade later, moved by nostalgia and fan support, Mayall decided to reform the original Bluesbreakers, joining with John McVie, Mick Taylor, and a new drummer, Colin Allen, for a few tours and a video concert called Blues Alive. After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, John decided to permanently bring the Bluesbreakers back, and after a long search process, launched the new Bluesbreakers band in 1984, featuring Coco Montoya and Walter Trout. By 1993, Texas guitarist Buddy Whittington had joined, making his recording debut on the album Spinning Coin.

In 2005, after nearly 50 years of playing the blues, John Mayall was awarded a prestigious OBE by The Queen's Honour list. Although Mayall permanently retired the Bluesbreakers band in 2008, the veteran blues musician couldn't stay away from the stage for long, and in 2009, Mayall put together a new band to record an album with Eagles Records. His latest studio album, Find a Way to Care, is a testament to his enduring legacy in the world of blues. With the recent release of Live in 1967 Volume II and a brand new studio album in the works, John Mayall continues to reign as the Godfather of British Blues. Don't miss John Mayall this season at The Lyric Theatre.

Clint Black
Wednesday, March 8th at 8pm; Thursday, March 9th at 8pm
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One of the most successful musicians of all time, legendary country singer-songwriter Clint Black returns to The Lyric. With a staggering 20 million albums sold worldwide, Black amazes audiences across the country with his skills not only as a singer and guitarist, but as a drummer and harmonica player as well.

Clint Black began his career in the early 1980s, when he became inspired by major artists such as Reba McEntire and George Strait. After years of working part-time as a construction worker and bait cutter to support his burgeoning musical career, Black finally got his big break in 1989 with the release of his first album, Killin' Time, featuring some of his most celebrated hits including "Nobody's Home," "Walking Away," and the eponymous "Killin' Time." In June of 1989, the first single off of the album, "A Better Man," reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list. With that accomplishment, Clint Black became the first male solo artist in 14 years with a debut single at the top of the chart. Killin' Time quickly went triple-platinum and is now known as one of the 100 greatest country music albums of all time. Since the release of Killin' Time, Black has continued to grow his career as an artist, earning over six awards, including CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

After over a decade of success in the music industry, Clint Black left his record label to settle down and start a family. However, it was only a short while before Black returned to his love of music. In 2003, Black founded Equity Music Group, an artist-friendly recording company, and strove to help other aspiring young musicians follow in his footsteps. A wild success, Equity Music Group launched the careers of a number of musical groups, most notably the country vocal ensemble Little Big Town. In addition to his music career, Clint Black has appeared in films and on television. Black has appeared in a number of films, including Maverick, Going Home, and Flicka 2. Clint Black has also appeared on television in the animated series King of the Hill and the primetime reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice. In his spare time, Clint Black likes to give back to the community, serving as Honorary Chair for the International Rett Syndrome Foundation's "Research to Reality: Funding Progress" campaign, which aims to discover a cure for the developmental disorder.

Go to LyricTheatre.com.