Lonnie Mack never seemed to really get his due overshadowed by more mainstream blues guitar legends (the King’s, Eric Clapton) and later people like Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan in the great blues rebound of the 1980’s and 90’s…Stevie Ray Vaughan indeed brought attention back to Mack citing the influence of Wham! on Stevie’s own playing.

We lost Mack earlier this year in April, he had stoppped playing in the early 2000’s – but as with all great music legends, his influence remains.

Equally as influential was Mack on the Southern Rock of bands like Lynrd Skynrd and the Allman’s in the 70’s and 80’s – in his playing you can hear a passionate mix of major penatonic as well as straight ahead blues scales so it is no wonder that Mack influenced the likes of Dicky Betts and Gary Rossington

Take a look at one of the finder performances Lonnie has of Stop…notice how he ramps up the energy in this song through both his playing and under-appreciated singing

Indeed Stevie Ray Vuaghan and Lonnie had a special relationship as Stevie idolized Lonnie as he did so many other great blues legends that came before him…here is Stevie Ray and Lonnie performing WHAM – great stuff!!