BY LARRY NAGER
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Lonnie Mack | ZOOM |

Tristate blues-rock legend Lonnie Mack has been selected as the recipient of the second annual Michael W. Bany Lifetime Achievement Award.

The guitarist, who has inspired several generations of musicians from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughan to Kenny Wayne Shepherd, will receive the award at the Cincinnati Enquirer Pop Music Awards next Sunday at Sycamore Gardens.

In addition to Mr. Mack's award, named after the local musician slain in a 1995 robbery attempt, 29 other awards will be given to local musicians ranging from rock to jazz to hip hop.

The Clark Montessori Steel Band, a group of 30 eighth-graders from the East End school, will kick off the ceremonies shortly before 5 p.m.

If you go What: Cincinnati Enquirer Pop Music Awards (the Cammys). When: 5-9 p.m. next Sunday. Where: Sycamore Gardens. Tickets: $10 at Ticketmaster outlets or call 562-4949. Ticket sales benefit the Michael W. Bany Scholarship Fund.

Just added to the list of Cammy performers, the band, which performs calypso, Latin music and "soca" on steel drums, is the second out-of-state school band to be invited to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, according to band director Bruce Weil.

Other performers include a reunion of the psychodots, Mike Reid, Blessid Union of Souls (unplugged), Over The Rhine, Roundhead, Stagger Lee, Latin X-Posure, and an all-star BluesMaster finale jam featuring the Blue Birds, Noah Hunt, Kelly Richey, Jeff Seeman, Tim and Larry Goshorn, Sonny Moorman, Greg Schaber and others. Comedian Michael Flannery hosts the event, which is a benefit for the Michael W. Bany Memorial Scholarship Fund to aid area music education.