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Carolina Dreams: The Musical Legacy of Upstate South Carolina
The Upstate of South Carolina spawned a vast array of musical talent over the years, from the flamboyant Esquerita of the 1950's, whom Little Richard credits as his main influence, to the superior jazz guitarist Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland. They are all celebrated here, including country stars like Aaron Tippin, Marshall Chapman and David Ball, Southern rock drummer Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and many others. But the bulk of the book is dedicated to the 1970's hit makers The Marshall Tucker Band, their past, present and future. Rare photos help to illustrate the journey of this iconic band.
- GenresMusic
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
18 people want to read
About the author
Michael Buffalo Smith
16 books15 followers“Michael Buffalo Smith as a musician, writer, critic, and southern music historian really gets it. His taste and deep appreciation for the real thing are qualities that inspire all of us in his wake. And it's a big wake." - Billy Bob Thornton
Michael Buffalo Smith is an author and music journalist living from Spartanburg, SC. He grew up there during the heat of the seventies Southern Rock boom at a time when his hometown heroes The Marshall Tucker Band were at the top of their game. Even then, Buffalo was sowing the seeds that would one day find him referred to the “Ambassador of Southern Rock.”
Buffalo worked many jobs as newspaper editor, features writer, columnist, (launching a Lewis Grizzard type weekly column while at The Inman Times, called "Southern Accents.") sports reporter, layout and more. 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 and recording five albums that featured many of the old Capricorn gang, including: Bonnie Bramlett, Pete Carr, George McCorkle and Tommy Crain.
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 MTB and all the other great music that came from the region.
Smith began writing for various regional and national publications including The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Spartanburg Herald Journal, The Greenville Journal, Y’all, Relix, Mojo, Hittin The Note, Discoveries, and Goldmine where he became the “go to” writer for all things Southern rock. He created several 10,000 word cover stories for Goldmine, including features on The Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, and Gov’t Mule (in their first ever magazine cover story.) He also wrote countless features on everything from surf music to Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa and record collecting, as well as hundreds of album reviews.
In 1998, Buffalo founded the online magazine GRITZ and began a ride that has lasted over 12 years, including three years as a glossy print magazine. During the GRITZ years, Buffalo conducted countless interviews and wrote hundreds of features, reviews and columns/blogs. In 2006 he joined forces with another internet site and continued doing what he does best, writing about Southern music.
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.
He’s latest book, "Prisoner of Southern Rock," with a foreword by Billy Bob Thornton, was published by the prestigious Mercer University Press of Macon, Georgia in September, 2012.
He has also self-published a 500-page collection of his Southern Rock interviews and an equally massive sequel. HE also publisshe "The Brown Box," a history of the old Greenville (SC) Memorial Auditorium.
Smith just finished up work on his second book for Mercer Press, an oral history of southern rock. He is also working on a col- lection of southern based fiction short stories, and a non-fiction book about the rock band KISS, as well as a couple of movie screenplays.
Michael Buffalo also publishes a bi-monthly magazine called KUDZOO, and hosts a companion weekly radio talk show.
Michael Buffalo Smith is an author and music journalist living from Spartanburg, SC. He grew up there during the heat of the seventies Southern Rock boom at a time when his hometown heroes The Marshall Tucker Band were at the top of their game. Even then, Buffalo was sowing the seeds that would one day find him referred to the “Ambassador of Southern Rock.”
Buffalo worked many jobs as newspaper editor, features writer, columnist, (launching a Lewis Grizzard type weekly column while at The Inman Times, called "Southern Accents.") sports reporter, layout and more. 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 and recording five albums that featured many of the old Capricorn gang, including: Bonnie Bramlett, Pete Carr, George McCorkle and Tommy Crain.
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 MTB and all the other great music that came from the region.
Smith began writing for various regional and national publications including The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Spartanburg Herald Journal, The Greenville Journal, Y’all, Relix, Mojo, Hittin The Note, Discoveries, and Goldmine where he became the “go to” writer for all things Southern rock. He created several 10,000 word cover stories for Goldmine, including features on The Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, and Gov’t Mule (in their first ever magazine cover story.) He also wrote countless features on everything from surf music to Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa and record collecting, as well as hundreds of album reviews.
In 1998, Buffalo founded the online magazine GRITZ and began a ride that has lasted over 12 years, including three years as a glossy print magazine. During the GRITZ years, Buffalo conducted countless interviews and wrote hundreds of features, reviews and columns/blogs. In 2006 he joined forces with another internet site and continued doing what he does best, writing about Southern music.
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.
He’s latest book, "Prisoner of Southern Rock," with a foreword by Billy Bob Thornton, was published by the prestigious Mercer University Press of Macon, Georgia in September, 2012.
He has also self-published a 500-page collection of his Southern Rock interviews and an equally massive sequel. HE also publisshe "The Brown Box," a history of the old Greenville (SC) Memorial Auditorium.
Smith just finished up work on his second book for Mercer Press, an oral history of southern rock. He is also working on a col- lection of southern based fiction short stories, and a non-fiction book about the rock band KISS, as well as a couple of movie screenplays.
Michael Buffalo also publishes a bi-monthly magazine called KUDZOO, and hosts a companion weekly radio talk show.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 9, 2013
Carolina Dreams is a great read about one of the definitive pioneering Southern Rock bands--The Marshall Tucker Band. The MTB story is told in their own words through engaging questions asked by "The Embassador" of Southern Rock, Michael Smith. I highly recommend reading Carolina Dreams if you are a fan of the Marshall Tucker Band.
Rob Duner-Fenter
Rob Duner-Fenter
Displaying 1 of 1 review