A household name since the early '70s, John McLaughlin was an innovative fusion guitarist when he led the Mahavishnu Orchestra and has continued living up to his reputation as a phenomenal and consistently inquisitive player through the years. A household name since the early '70s, John McLaughlin was an innovative fusion guitarist when he led the Mahavishnu Orchestra and has continued living up to his reputation as a phenomenal and consistently inquisitive player through the years.