Mike Vernon, the English music executive, studio owner and record producer known for his work on British blues recordings, died on March 2, 2026, aged 81.
Born Michael William Hugh Vernon in Harrow, Middlesex, on November 20, 1944, he worked at Decca Records from 1963 and became best known as the founder of the blues label Blue Horizon. He produced albums for acts including the Bluesbreakers, David Bowie, Duster Bennett, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Climax Blues Band, Eric Clapton, Focus, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John Mayall, Christine McVie and Ten Years After.
In 1971, he and his brother Richard opened Chipping Norton Recording Studios, which later operated as a commercial enterprise until 1999.
Michael William Hugh Vernon MBE (20 November 1944 – 2 March 2026) was an English music executive, studio owner and record producer. He produced albums for British blues artists and groups in the 1960s, working with the Bluesbreakers, David Bowie, Duster Bennett, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Climax Blues Band, Eric Clapton, Focus, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John Mayall, Christine McVie and Ten Years After.