Michael Buffalo Smith
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Michael Buffalo Smith (b. June 24, 1957, Spartanburg, South Carolina) is a writer and musician who has been called "The Ambassdor of Southern Rock".
He began his career in music at the age of 21. Prior to that, he had always maintained an interest in music, and plunked around on an old guitar here and there, often going out to local venues to see The Marshall Tucker Band, a group that would heavily influence his work in the future. In 1981, he worked with a Spartanburg-based group called The Silver Travis Band as sound and lighting engineer, and as a songwriter. During the band's summer 1982 run at The Bowery in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Smith sat in on vocals with the band many times, and became hooked on performing.
While attending Spartanburg Methodist College in 1983, Smith joined forces with some friends to form The Buffalo Hut Coalition, performing all around the state on weekends until disbanding in 1989. The band would reform in 1991 with some personnel changes and perform for one more year.
[edit] Solo
Over the next few years, Buffalo would perform as a member of Frontline and other bands, before going solo in 1991. While acting as Editor in Chief of EDGE Magazine that year, Smith played countless acoustic solo gigs, often performing as a duet with a bass player or guitar player. In 1992, he recorded his first EP, called "Fairytales". It was at this time that Smith began freelance writing for national music magazines such as Goldmine, Mojo, Relix and others.
In 1996 Smith released his first full length CD, "Happy To Be Here" on the Dreaming Buffalo indie label. It was followed in 2000 by "Midwest Carolina Blues," on the Rockabilly Hall of Fame label, and recorded as a tribute to Nebraska rocker Bobby Lowell, who passed in October of that year. Smith continued to perform solo and with bands like Michael B and The Stingers.
[edit] Illness
In 1998, following a near death experience involving a bacterial infection and 40 days in the hospital, Smith founded the online magazine of Southern Rock, GRITZ (www.gritz.net) which he edited and published from 1999-2006.GRITZ brought Michael up close and personal with many of the rock and country stars he had always loved. In years to come, he would call many of them "friend", and would record and play live with everyone from The Charlie Daniels Band and The Marshall Tucker Band to Bobby Whitlock, Molly Hatchet, Bonnie Bramlett and more.
In 2002, Buffalo recorded "Southern Lights" at Mill Kids Studio in Huntsville, Alabama, backed by The Crawlers and featuring guests Bonnie Bramlett, Tommy Crain, Pete Carr, John Wyker and more. The album received rave reviews around the globe, and in 2005 he recorded "Something Heavy" at the same studio with The Crawlers and guests George McCorkle, JoJo Billingsley, Pete Carr, Danny Hall, Jan Elkins, Larry Perkins and John Wyker. "Something Heavy", written by Eddie Hinton, received airplay on satellite radio, internet radio and regular radio, both in the USA and abroad. Just as the record was to be released, Ray Brand of The Crawlers died from complications caused by cancer. Ray had acted as co-producer, arranger, songwriter and slide guitar wizard. His death moved the official release date to April 2006.
Today Smith still appears solo as well as doing gigs with various bands. In late 2007, GRITZ merged with Swampland Media, creating a massive "field guide" to all things Southern. Smith continues to write the GRITZ blog for Swampland, as well as appear at Swampland functions.
