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Music and the American South
Capricorn Rising: Conversations in Southern Rock
Capricorn Rising: Conversations in Southern Rock is a collection of interviews with many of the stars, producers, and associates of the 1970s Southern record label, Capricorn, which was founded in the heart of Macon, Georgia in 1969. Author Michael Buffalo Smith has been interviewing the movers and shakers in rock and country music for over twenty-five years, and with this volume, he collects word for word, complete interviews with Capricorn artists including Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, George McCorkle, Bonnie Bramlett, Paul Hornsby, Johnny Sandlin, Chuck Leavell, and many others, providing a glimpse into the early 70s when Southern Rock was born in Macon. CAPRICORN RISING also includes memorials to the two men who founded the Capricorn studio and record label, Phil Walden and Frank Fenter. The foreword is by Willie Perkins, The Allman Brothers Band tour manager from 1970-1976.
- GenresMusic
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2020
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 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 20, 2017
Thank You very much Michael Buffalo Smith !
June 27, 2019
Michael Buffalo Smith knows his Southern Rock.
He's written a good handful of books about the genre with most including interviews he's conducted with a vast number of the musicians.
This title deals with legendary label Capricorn Records and it is a well researched, very thorough history of the label.
If you have any interest in Southern Rock and want to increase your knowledge tenfold, I would highly recommend any of his books.
He's written a good handful of books about the genre with most including interviews he's conducted with a vast number of the musicians.
This title deals with legendary label Capricorn Records and it is a well researched, very thorough history of the label.
If you have any interest in Southern Rock and want to increase your knowledge tenfold, I would highly recommend any of his books.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews