I don’t think enough credit is given to those artists from the past that didn’t get all the fame and fortune, and yet we hear them almost everyday in some of the most popular players’ playing. Lonnie Mack is the perfect example of this. He was a mentor and influence on Stevie Ray Vaughan and an influence to countless big names like Dickie Betts, Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, etc..

He really did put the “Wham” in the “Whammy Bar” too. Using a Bigsby Vibrato unit on his trademark 1958 Gibson Flying V making him the Grandfather of the big dive bomb tremola sounds, from the heavy metal players to the 80’s big hair groups.

Too many people just don’t realize where the sounds from their favorite artists come from, but when you listen to Stevie Ray’s playing there is just so much Lonnie Mack in it you can’t help but think he had to be his main influence growing up (certainly alot of Albert King too).

Lonnie Mack came out at around the time that alot of the early rock-and-roll and surf music was dominating the scene, but he decided to take his music in a different direction, a bit more blues based, spontaneous and daring than most of the other pop music of that time. He immediately pre-dated groups like the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and so many others and opened so many doors for these bands.

Always humble about his accomplishments, Lonnie deserves a tribute to how many artists and groups he affected and influenced, whether it be in the gospel, rock-and-roll, rock, blues, rockabilly or bluesgrass genres, he touched ‘em all. This tribute is for you Lonnie, your influence on today’s and yesterday’s music will never be forgotten.

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