Michael Buffalo Smith
TUSCUMBIA–Noted music historian and journalist Michael Buffalo Smith will perform and sign copies of his new book Rebel Yell: An Oral History of Southern Rock at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Saturday August 22 at 2 p.m. Joining Smith to perform will be Scott Boyer of the Decoys, and Jay Johnson of Skinny Molly.
Smith is an author, music journalist, and performing songwriter from Spartanburg, SC. He grew up there during the seventies as Southern Rock boomed and his hometown heroes, The Marshall Tucker Band, were at the top of their game. Even then, Smith was sowing the seeds that would one day find him referred to as the “Ambassador of Southern Rock.”
Smith has worked many jobs as newspaper editor, feature writer, columnist, sports reporter, layout designer and more along with many years in radio as an announcer, copy writer, DJ and production coordinator. He also logged several years as a radio air personality catering to the sounds of the beautiful south while singing and playing his own music on weekends, and recording five albums that featured many of the stars of Southern Rock, including Bonnie Bramlett, Pete Carr, George McCorkle, Tommy Crain, JoJo Billingsley, and John D. Wyker.
In 1997 Buffalo’s first book was published by Marshall Tucker Entertainment of Beverly Hills, CA. Carolina Dreams: The Musical Legacy of Upstate SC is a history of the Marshall Tucker Band and all the other great music that came from the region. Smith began writing for various regional and national publications including Rolling Stone, Mojo, Relix, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Spartanburg Herald Journal, The Greenville Journal, Y’all, Hittin The Note, Discoveries, and Goldmine he became the “go to” writer for all things Southern rock
When CMT needed a Southern Rock authority to appear on their Outlaw Country and Southern Rock special, they enlisted Buffalo. He was later featured on the documentary section of the Shout! Factory release Live from the Garden State by The Marshall Tucker Band.
Released in September, 2012, Prisoner of Southern Rock, with a foreword by Billy Bob Thornton, was published by the prestigious Mercer University Press of Macon, Georgia. His latest book is also on the Mercer imprint.
As an artist he has opened for Paul Thorn, David Alan Coe, The Charlie Daniels Band, Molly Hatchet, Bad Company, The Marshall Tucker Band, Blackfoot, Brian Howe, The Southern Rock Allstars, New Legacy Duo and others.
MEDIA RELEASE/ALABAMA MUSIC HALL OF FAME
