4. Lonnie MackThe Wham Of That Memphis Man

I probably first heard this around the time it came out, around ’64 or ’65. When I heard this, that’s when I wanted to play guitar. My brother was playing him all of the time. I used to hear my brother talking about Lonnie Mack a lot and then I started finding out for myself who he was.

I never got the chance to meet him until I was grown. We got awards for something and I told him onstage how much he meant to me. He looked like was going to cry! Nobody had any idea that Lonnie Mack could be affiliated with the funk like this, you know?

I love the energy of his playing. It was pure down home and gutsy and funky. That stuff he was doing was funky to me, you know? I couldn’t explain that then but after the fact it was like, wow! And then when I went to hear him live, it was even more funky! I was like, “Dear God!”

He was pretty amazing to me.