NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Guitarist and singer Lonnie Mack, whose instrumental recordings influenced guitar players including Stevie Ray Vaughan, has died in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 74.
Alligator Records said in a statement that Mack died Thursday of natural causes. He lived in Smithville, Tennessee, about 65 miles east of Nashville.
Born Lonnie McIntosh in West Harrison, Indiana, Mack played sessions for record labels in Cincinnati with blues and R&B greats such as James Brown, Hank Ballard and Freddie King. His 1963 instrumental recording of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis,” became a hit, and he followed that with “Wham!” – a tune that inspired the nickname “whammy bar” for the tremolo bar he had on his Gibson Flying V.
His style was influenced by country music performers, like George Jones and Merle Travis, but also blues singers like Bobby Bland.
Mack released several albums subsequently that weren’t as popular, but his career was re-energized when he and Vaughan co-produced his 1985 album “Strike Like Lightning.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.