Clayton Call/RedfernsBlues guitarist Lonnie Mack died of natural causes Friday at the age of 74.
Mack passed away at Centennial Medical Center near his home in Smithville, Tennessee, his label, Alligator Records, said in a statement.
Known for his hits, “Wham!” and an instrumental cover of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis, Tennessee” that was a top-five hit in 1964, the influential musician inspired many guitarists including Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page.
The Indiana native coined the term “whammy bar” for his use of the tremolo bar on his iconic Gibson Flying V.
In 2001, he was inducted into the International Guitar Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2005.
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