Guitar icon Lonnie Mack died in Nashville, Tenn., on April 21 at age 74, his record label, Alligator, announced.
Mack’s instrumental recordings influenced guitar players including Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Alligator said in a statement that Mack died of natural causes. He lived in Smithville, Tenn., about 65 miles east of Nashville.
Mack, born in West Harrison, Ind., whose birth name was Lonnie McIntosh, played sessions for record label in Cincinnati with blues and R&B legends like James Brown, Hank Ballard, and Freddie King.
The late musician’s 1963 recording of Chuck Berry’s “Memphis,” became a radio hit, which was followed by “Wham!” which inspired the nickname “whammy bar” for the tremolo bar he had on his Gibson Flying V.
Mack died on the same day singer Prince was found dead in Minnesota.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
