The Heart & Soul of Charlie Daniels by Michael Buffalo Smith December 2003 For the cover story of our third print issue in 2003 I called on our old friend Charlie Daniels. Having interviewed him read more...
RICHARD YOUNG: THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS by Michael Buffalo Smith September 2003 For the second part of our Kentucky Headhunters spotlight, we spoke with read more...
MAN OF THE YEAR: DEL McCOURY By Derek Halsey September 2003 The story of the rise of the Del McCoury Band is an impressive one. These days they are playing before large crowds of young read more...
FREDDIE EDWARDS: THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND by Michael Buffalo Smith August 2003 As one of the two drummers for The Charlie Daniels Band for fourteen years, Fred Edwards was a part of the Southern rock scene during read more...
JO JO BILLINGSLEY of LYNYRD SKYNYRD by Michael Buffalo Smith July 2003 As one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Honkettes, Jo Jo Billingsley enjoyed world wide fame, read more...
Larry Junstrom Recalls His Days with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Talks About His Band, .38 Special by Scott Greene July 2003
Rossington-Collins, The Rossington Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd by Michael Buffalo Smith Summer 2003 She may be in the background as a backup singer for Skynyrd now, but there was a time when Dale Krantz was the read more...
PATTERSON HOOD of THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS by Michael Buffalo Smith July 2003 The Drive-By Truckers are taking the music world by the short hairs, rocking hard and read more...
by Michael Buffalo Smith July 2003 The Kentucky Headhunters are back and in fine form with their new album Soul, a fun-filled romp through Muscle Shoals influenced soul and Memphis flavored r&b. We caught up read more...
GARY ROSSINGTON - THE HEART OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 2003
ODE TO BILLY JOE - AN INTERVIEW WITH BILLY JOE SHAVER by Derek Halsey Spring 2003 Billy Joe Shaver is one of the best and most prolific songwriters that America has ever produced. He is known to a lot of people for being a huge part read more...
by Michael Buffalo Smith December 2002 These days, Edwin McCain is busier than ever, which is somewhat odd considering he just quit the major label Atlantic Records to sign with a small Tennessee indie called read more...
Bluegrass Legend J.D. Crowe by Derek Halsey December 2002 In 1956, a 15 year old J.D. Crowe came out of Lexington, Kentucky and joined the legendary Jimmy read more...
TOMMY CRAIN by Michael Buffalo Smith December 2002 During our first three years on the internet, one question that got asked more often than any other was, read more...
From The Manhattan Project to the Allman Brothers Band An Interview with Tom Dowd by Michael Buffalo Smith Fall 2002 Okay. We know that he has produced some of the greatest records in the read more...
The last name on my name list is someone that has become kind of a legend in our Southern rock genre. What can you say about Ronnie Van Zant? Ronnie was a gem. Ronnie was a brilliant writer. We spent most of our time together traveling on the road for a day read more...
Deep Inside The Cosmos Factory Jupiter Coyote Jams by Scott Greene Summer 2002 In our neverending quest to bring you the best the music world has to offer, we are always looking for new and fresh acts to read more...
THEY CALL ME SWEET PAPA DON Papa Don Winters' Last Interview by Michael Buffalo Smith July 2002 Don Winters scored a major country hit as songwriter for The Louvin Brothers back in 1955 with “You’re Running read more...
OUT OF THE DARKNESS, A BEAUTIFUL LIGHT COMETH Nashville Musician Ricky Godfrey On Garfeel Ruff, The Marshall Tucker Band and Beach Music
Asleep At The Wheel by Derek Halsey July, 2002 Lucky Oceans, along with Ray Benson and Lerroy Preston, were the founding members of the western swing, roots band called Asleep At The Wheel. In this read more...
Ricky and Micol Davis By Derek Halsey July 2002 Blue Mother Tupelo is a blues/rock/roots band out of Tennessee that has as good a thing going as any southern band out there. There are a lot of read more...
CHARLIE HAYWARD Playing in The Charlie Daniels Band by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2002 Since 1975, Charlie Hayward has held down the bottom for the Charlie read more...
GEORGE LINDSEY A Chat with Mayberry’s Goober Pyle by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2002 There’s no doubt about it. George Lindsey will read more...
Peanutt & The Possum A Visit with Songwriter/Musician Peanutt Montgomery by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 2002 When we made our way back down to Alabama for the George Lindsey Film & TV Festival, read more...
BLUE SKIES AND TOMBSTONE EYES Dickey Betts and The Great Southern Reunion by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 2002
DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME Barry Lee Harwood On Life After The Rossington Collins Band by Scott Greene May 2002 When the Skynyrd plane went down in the swamps of Mississippi, like so many of you, I thought read more...
GALVINIZED METAL An Exclusive Interview With Molly Hatchet's Keyboard Wizard John Galvin by Michael Buffalo Smith May 2002 John, were you an original member of Molly Hatchet? read more...
David Holt's Folkways and Riverwalk And Working with Doc Watson by Derek Halsey April 2002 David Holt has been a musician, storyteller, and television show host for about thirty years or so. He has put out read more...
Clarence Fountain Interview Higher Ground by James Calemine Spring 2002 On September 3, 2002, Real World Records released the new Blind Boys of Alabama album titled Higher Ground, featuring read more...
Still Having "Too Much Fun." by Michael Buffalo Smith March 2002 The former lead vocalist of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen is still rocking and singing the blues with read more...
ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE DOWN IN TENNESSEE ARE DIGGING BAREFOOT JERRY… An Interview with Wayne Moss By Derek Halsey February 2002 Wayne Moss is a musician who has played in the studio with everyone from Nancy Sinatra to Bob read more...
The Drummer from Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps is Alive and Well in Virginia by Michael Buffalo Smith February 2002 The most exciting rock and roller of the 1950's may have been Elvis, but read more...
Goin' Off the Deep End with Warren Haynes by Michael Buffalo Smith February 2002 From his massive body of work with Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers Band, to his unforgettable jams as a member of Phil read more...
Skynyrd, The Allmans and Otis Alan Walden's Career in Rock and Soul by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2002 Anyone who has read anything at all about the history of Southern Music is familiar with read more...
Be Boppin' with Nashville Cat Bob Timmers The Founder of The Rockabilly Hall of Fame Divides Time Between The Hall and His Guitar Playing by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2002 He has been my friend since read more...
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Instrumentalist Recalls The Early Days, Duane Allman, Steve Martin and a Lifetime of Music by Derek Halsey January 2002 John McEuen has been in the music read more...
Street Survivor: Artimus Pyle on his friend Allen Woody, the new APB album and life in general by Michael Buffalo Smith December 2001 Hi Artimus. I’d like to begin this second read more...
Love The Spider Taz DiGregorio On Thirty-Plus and Counting Years in The Charlie Daniels Band and His New Solo Album by Michael Buffalo Smith December 2001 After thirty-one years as a member of The read more...
The Good Lord, Family and Friends Lee Bogan Knows What it Takes To Make a Country Hit by Michael Buffalo Smith December 2001 From his years as guitarist for country stars Joe read more...
STILL PLAYING A SONG FOR YOU Leon Russell On Bangladesh, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, and His Hot New Independent Label by Michael Buffalo Smith November 2001 As I dialed up the number, my mind was still busy filtering the read more...
Our Favorite Brand Alabama Guitar Slinger Ray Brand is Still Rockin' November 2001 In Memory of Ray Brand, who Passed Over in August, 2005, We have established a Memorial Page
Checking in with Our Amigo, David Ball by Michael Buffalo Smith November 2001 I can remember seeing David Ball, along with Champ Hood and the late Walter Hyatt as Uncle Walt's Band here in Upstate read more...
What’s Up, Doc? Doc Holliday and Bruce Brookshire’s Southern Spirit by Michael Buffalo Smith October 2001 One of the hardest working bands in the lexicon of Southern Rock was and is Doc read more...
KEEP ON TRUCKIN' The Drive-By Truckers Contribute to the New Mythology by Dick Cooper October 2001 BELOW: The building where "Southern Rock Opera" was recorded.
The Guitarist Talks About 38 Special, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Big People by Scott Greene October 2001 Jeff Carlisi, Architect? Were it not for a recession, he could be designing buildings instead of crafting guitar read more...
Ed King: A Second Helping Waking up to The Strawberry Alarm Clock by Michael Buffalo Smith September 2001 Ed King is a walking rock and roll lesson. From his teenage success with The Strawberry Alarm Clock read more...
The Original Road Dog Red Dog Campbell’s Thirty-Three Years with The Allman Brothers Band by Michael Buffalo Smith August 2001 He’s the most famous “roadie” on the planet, no read more...
"Mr. Texas Heat!" by Ken Burke Summer 2001 Mack Stevens is the heir apparent to the great Rollin' Rock artists of the 70's. A prolific songwriter, his work read more...
NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES Johnny Winter in The 21st Century by Michael Buffalo Smith August 2001 Johnny Winter is a legend. Sure, that title gets tossed around in rock and roll like a Frisbee in the park on Sunday, read more...
Music, Muscle Shoals and The Mighty Field of Vision by Mitch Lopate August 2001 Warning, reader! The following story is laden with hair-pin turns, dangerous escapes, party-till-you-drop read more...
Of Pigs and Panic An Interview with Film Maker Geoff Hanson by Michael Buffalo Smith July 2001 Christopher and Geoff Hanson are turning out to be an excellent pair of movie read more...
From Blackfoot to Black Molly Charlie Hargrett is Still Rocking Hard by Scott Greene January, 2001 One of the best bands to rise to the top during the heyday of great Southern rock read more...
Dru Lombar Recalls Grinderswitch, Joe Dan and Southern Rock of the Seventies by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2001 (prior to the reformation of Grinderswitch, the death of Joe Dan Petty and ultimately the death of read more...
Jakson Spires: On Blackfoot and The Southern Rock Allstars by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 2001 Most people remember Jakson Spires as the hard-working drummer for the heavy Southern Rock band Blackfoot, but these read more...
Somewhere Between Tokyo and Muscle Shoals Southern Rock Allstars Bassist Charles Hart Speaks by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2001 Where were you born and raised? I was born in read more...
FAST GIRLS AND COUNTRY MUSIC The Steve Ripley/Tractors Interview by Ken Burke June 2001 The 1992 hit "Baby Likes To Rock It" made Steve Ripley and his band The Tractors stars virtually overnight. read more...
Playin’ in The Allstar Band Dave Hlubek Talks About Molly Hatchet, The Southern Rock Allstars and TV by Michael Buffalo Smith May 2001 Dave Hlubek needs no introduction to fans of Southern read more...
"SCRATCHY" WAS JUST THE BEGINNING Travis Wammack is Still Rocking May, 2001 by Michael B. Smith We can think of no better introduction to our exclusive interview than the following article from ROLLING read more...
Checking Back in with George McCorkle Rockin’ Blues on an American Street by Michael Buffalo Smith April 2001 George McCorkle was a founding member of The Marshall Tucker Band and, for the past read more...
The Southern Rock of Ages Former Grinderswitch guitarist Larry Howard talks about his old band, his friends like The Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker Band and his journey toward a higher calling. by Michael Buffalo read more...
From The Allmans to Gov't Mule, Johnny Neel Rocks The Blues with Style by Michael Buffalo Smith April 2001 Where were you born and raised? read more...
You Doesn’t Have To Call Me Johnson! Jay Johnson ponders the state of rock and roll and traces his footsteps from Radio Tokyo to The Rossington Band to The Southern Rock Allstars by Michael Buffalo Smith
BROTHERS IN ARMS Donnie and Johnny Van Zant Talk About Their Brother, Their Parents, and Their Second Collaborative Album By Michael B. Smith March, 2001 Perhaps no other name in Southern Rock conjures up as read more...
Snapshot of a Band on the Verge Sister Hazel is Ready for Big Time by Julia Mclaughlin & Scott Greene February, 2001 Sister Hazel, from Gainesville, FL, recently released their third CD, read more...
Gypsy Trail Bobby Ingram Carries The Molly Hatchet Torch Into The 21st Century by Michael Buffalo Smith February, 2001
An Ear for Southern Rock Paul Hornsby On Hourglass, Capricorn Records and A Life in Music by Michael Buffalo Smith January, 2001 Paul Hornsby's name is synonymous with Southern Rock, as both musician and producer. The following read more...
THE DADDY OF US ALL Col. Bruce Hampton (ret) Discusses Everything from Andy Griffith to Slingblade to The Aquarium Rescue Unit , Horse Racing and Zambee by Michael B. Smith January, 2001 Col. Bruce read more...
Les is More Les Dudek on The Allman Brothers, Cher and making movies by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2001 Les Dudek is a much sought after session guitarist due to his talent and versatility. Dudek read more...
Blowing through the Jasmine in My Mind The Return of Dash Crofts by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2001 Dash Crofts, one half of the legendary duo of Seals & Crofts, released his first ever solo read more...
Across the Water, and Back Again An Interview with Bernard Allison by Michael Buffalo Smith January, 2001 Bernard Allison was born the son of a blues legend, the late Luther Allison, and with eight read more...
Looking for Adventure In Whatever Comes Our Way by Mitch Lopate November, 2000 Before becoming one of Nashville's finest session guitarists, Larry Byrom rocked it hard as the axe man for one of rock and roll's read more...
BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGINS An Exclusive with Dickey Betts by Michael Buffalo Smith November, 2000 The words, "no introduction is necessary" come immediately to mind as I sit down to write a foreword for the following read more...
Back to Tennessee: Catching Up with Charlie Daniels by Michael Buffalo Smith October 2000 What inspired you to record the songs you recorded for your new album Tailgate Party?
Still Jammin' for Danny Joe Riff West's Life in Molly Hatchet, Foghat, White Witch and Service to All Creatures Great and Small by Michael Buffalo Smith October, 2000 Tell us a little about read more...
The Bionic Blues Man Jimmy Nalls Battles Disease and Keeps On Rockin’ by Michael Buffalo Smith Fall 2000 Jimmy Nalls is read more...
Layla, and Many Other Songs of Love Bobby Whitlock Talks About Derek & The Dominos, Duane Allman, Gram Parsons, Eric Clapton and more... by Mitch Lopate Winter 2000 I see you released a new album on the read more...
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE ARE ROCK AND ROLL, AND A HOT CARR... An Interview with Muscle Shoals Guitar Legend, Pete Carr by Michael B. Smith /with Roxanne Crutcher May 2000 Pete Carr, recognized as one of the read more...
DELANEY, CLAPTON, ALLMAN AND FRIENDS A Conversation with Delaney Bramlett by Mitch Lopate Fall 2000 Be sure to read our read more...
All That You Dream Touching Base with Bill Payne of Little Feat by Michael B. Smith Summer, 2000 Bill Payne, an original member of the legendary Little Feat, is a musician in every sense of the word, from his read more...
by Michael B. Smith Summer 2000 North Carolina's own Rock, Folk and Blues Legend & Premier Songwriter-Performer and recipient of 1999-2000 North Carolina Arts Council Music Fellowship in Songwriting, Mojo Collins has honed a unique musical talent read more...
Bama-Lam! Alabama's Drumming Legend by Allen Smith, July 2000 What do Leon Russell, Delbert McClinton, Ronnie Hawkins, and Willie Nelson have in common? How about Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and John Denver? Other read more...
Greg T. Walker Recalls Blackfoot and Talks About the Here and Now by Scott Greene July 2000 If you were choosing a rhythm section for a Southern Rock Hall of Fame band, Greg T. Walker would be first off read more...
Rockin' Into The Night An Interview with Danny Chauncey by Scott Greene (Photos by Michael Buffalo Smith) Summer 2000 What do a Norwegian composer, a Czech read more...
COUSIN TO COUSIN Jimmie Van Zant Carries On Ronnie's Tradition with Love and Respect by Scott Greene, June, 2000 When you think of the name Van Zant, the three brothers from the West Side of Jacksonville, Florida read more...
The Guitar Player's Guitar Player Gritz Speaks with Guitar Hero Lonnie Mack by Michael Buffalo Smith (June, 2000) Lonnie Mack is a roadhouse blues-rock legend - modern rock's first true guitar read more...
Like a Rolling Stone A Visit with Former Doc Holliday Member, and Current Solo Star, Eddie Stone by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2000 Eddie Stone spent many years playing keyboard and read more...
POUNDING KEYS & HUGGING TREES A Conversation with Chuck Leavell By Michael B. Smith June 2000 What can you say about Chuck Leavell? He is and has been one of the most sought-after keyboard players in rock and roll, read more...
KINGSNAKE HAS AN ACE UP THEIR SLEEVE Ace Moreland Remembers Steve Gaines, Talks About The Blues, Recording with Edgar Winter, and His Friend Derek Trucks by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2000 When read more...
Saving Our Planet: Danny O'Keefe Speaks up for Conservation and Land Stewardship, Feathered Friends & Tuneful Buddies, and Making Music That Has a Purpose. by Mitch Lopate Summer 2000 Danny read more...
Don't You Remember You Told Me You Loved Me Baby? A Conversation with Bonnie Bramlett by Jill McLane Smith Summer 2000 From her work with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, to her friendships with a who's-who of '60's and read more...
Checking in with Dennis Winters of The Winters Brothers Band by Michael Buffalo Smith March 2000 One question we here at Gritz have been asked time and time again over the past year is read more...
Hallucination Verification John Wyker and Mighty Field of Vision by Mitch Lopate 2000 Hallucination verification, John D. "WildCat" Wyker's back on the loose! Actually, it's hard to read more...
There’s Still Something Special About .38 The Don Barnes Interview by Michael Buffalo Smith February 2000 One of the hardest working bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s, still going strong read more...
On and Off the Road with Dick Cooper by Mitch Lopate 2000 Dick Cooper wears many hats: music museum curator, band road manager, free-lance writer and photographer, motorcycle racer, traveler, martial arts disciple and read more...
BAD LITTLE DONKEY Gov’t Mule Conquers the World by Michael Buffalo Smith February 2000 Following in the footsteps of bands like The Grateful read more...
Talkin’ Trash with Jerry LaCroix An Interview with the Former Lead Singer of Edgar Winter’s White Trash by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2000 My wife and I were in Port Arthur, Texas on read more...
Remembering Janis, with Love An Interview with Her Sister, Laura Joplin by Jill McLane Smith January 2000 Janis Joplin remains a rock and roll icon thirty years after her death. Her albums have gone read more...
Praise the Bridge that Carried You Across An Audience with The Queen of the Blues by Michael Buffalo Smith 2000 I understand that Koko is a nickname. How did you come to be called Koko?
THE ULTIMATE ROCK AND ROLL SIDE MAN Wayne Perkins: A Lifetime on Six Strings by Roxane Crutcher December 1999 Wayne, could you give the readers of the interview a brief review of your music read more...
His Tonka Toys Were Real An Exclusive Interview with Artimus Pyle by Michael Buffalo Smith November 1999 He was the second drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd but most fans know him as THE drummer for read more...
Winter Wonderland 25 Years After “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride,” Edgar Winter is Still Rockin’ by Michael Buffalo Smith October 1999 From his early, jazz-influenced read more...
Still Beatin’ the Odds An Exclusive Interview with Danny Joe Brown by Michael Buffalo Smith November 1999 When you talk about Southern Rock legends, one of the names that will always read more...
Barney Barnwell and The Plum Hollow Band Open New Recording Studio Upstate South Carolina by Michael B. Smith Fall, 1999 Just up the road "a piece" in the town of New Prospect, a new read more...
Welcome to The Brave New South Mike Estes Talks About His Friend Allen Collins, His Days with Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Brave New South by Michael B. Smith Summer 1999 Born in Kentucky, raised in Ohio and read more...
by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 1999 Ricky Skaggs has finally found his bliss. After years of performing Top 40 Country music, which netted him twelve number one singles and a wall filled with gold and platinum records, eight CMA awards, read more...
THE KING OF SOUTHERN ROCK THE ED KING INTERVIEW by Michael Buffalo Smith June 1999 Ed King was one of the original members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and when the group reunited read more...
THE LIFE OF A ROADIE Arthur Mullins Recalls His Days with The Marshall Tucker Band by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 1999 Spartanburg’s Arthur “Moon” Mullins was almost as read more...
The Edgar Winter Group, Sammy Hagar, and Being a Rock Star by Michael Buffalo Smith Summer 1999 Chuck Ruff may forever be remembered best as the drummer for The Edgar Winter Group, and for his percussion on read more...
Midnight Rider An Audience with Gregg Allman by Michael Buffalo Smith Spring 1999 Warren Haynes and Allen Woody had just left The Allman Brothers Band to pursue Gov’t Mule full time, and Jack Pearson read more...
Remembering Toy Caldwell A Conversation with Tony "Smoke" Heatherly by Michael B. Smith March, 1999 Editor's Note: In February, 2000, Blue Hat Records (Charlie Daniels' label) re-released read more...
Checking in with Chris Hicks by Michael Buffalo Smith February, 1999 To be so young, Macon, Georgia’s Chris Hicks has been around the Southern Rock block a few times -- and in a big way. As guitarist and read more...
Lightning in the Air An Interview with George McCorkle by Michael Buffalo Smith June 1998 There truly was “fire on the mountain and lightning in the air” on June 4, 1998 when I caught up with read more...
JUST AS WET AS EVER WET WILLIE FRONTMAN JIMMY HALL by Michael Buffalo Smith Summer 1998 When the stage is his, Jimmy Hall, the dynamic, Mobile, Alabama -born singer transforms himself into one righteous medium who melds the read more...