DeKalb County resident Lonnie Mack, a guitarist and singer whose instrumental hits in the early sixties influenced guitarists such as Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughan passed away on April 21 at the age of 74.

Born Lonnie McIntosh in West Harrison, Indiana on July 18, 1941. His father was a farmhand and banjo player, and Mack began performing in the family bluegrass band at age seven.

He quit school in the sixth grade after a fight with a teacher, and soon began playing in local clubs, eventually changing his last name to Mack. In his teens, he recorded with rockabilly and country bands for small Ohio labels.

The instrumentals "Memphis," and "Wham," apparently inspired young men all over the planet to pick up the guitar. His frantic marriage of blues and rock and roll set several people on the road to rock stardom, though Mack enjoyed limited success.

His 1958 Gibson Fling V guitar became his trademark, and the company issued Lonnie Mack signature models of the axe for many years.

Mack, one of the first "blue-eyed soul" singers to have their cuts promoted as R&B, once told the author that a soul radio station in Alabama was playing his song "Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way" heavily, but when Mack appeared at the station for an interview, the DJ who had been supportive of the song discovered that Mack was white, and stopped playing the song.

Mack also did session work for artists such as James Brown, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters and the Doors.

Mack signed to Elektra records in 1968 when he signed with Elektra Records. He was also to act as a talent scout for the company, but began to be considered "difficult" by company executives after his famous temper led to him to take a gun out and shoot his computer, among other things.

He had returned to playing local clubs in Indiana and Ohio in the late seventies, But Vaughn sought him out in 1985 and talked him into moving to Austin, Texas. He signed to Alligator Records and began recording again.

He was reportedly married and divorced three times. Survivors include five children; two sisters; a brother; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.