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Music and the American South
Rebel Yell
Rebel Yell: An Oral History of Southern Rock presents the story of a musical genre born in the backwoods, highways, and swamps of Macon, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 and peaking in popularity during the 1970s.; This history of Southern rock is told by the musicians, roadies, fans, and recording industry folk who lived it. Drawn from literally hundreds of hours of interviews with the author, the book focuses on the "big four"--The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, and The Charlie Daniels Band--while delving into the careers of other great bands like The Outlaws, Bonnie Bramlett, Cowboy, Wet Willie, and Molly Hatchet. The story is enhanced by the photography of Kirk West, Bill Thames, and others, and includes many never-before-published images. Also included are a series of "Top 20" lists--including the best Southern rock vocalists, guitarists, songs, and more.
- GenresMusicNonfictionHistory
333 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
About the author
Michael Buffalo Smith
16 books14 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 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 22, 2015
an interesting book about "southern rock" using interviews to discuss the bands and players. lots of information but the weaving of interviews together makes for an uneven path through the story. lots of people so it makes the list of band members a very useful tool to figure out who is who.
like many oral histories, people remember the good times more than the troubles but the bad times are not totally avoided.
if you are a fan on allaman brothers, lynyrd skynyd, marshall tucker band and charlie daniels this is a book for you
like many oral histories, people remember the good times more than the troubles but the bad times are not totally avoided.
if you are a fan on allaman brothers, lynyrd skynyd, marshall tucker band and charlie daniels this is a book for you
June 12, 2015
this book is really in my sweet spot and did reveal some new facts about the bands i love, as well as some off-the-beaten-track info on some of the fringe southern rock bands ... still i much prefer a narrative style than this interview/quote style
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews