Steve Miller Band Member Norton Buffalo Dies at 58:
Norton Buffalo, a singer-songwriter and the harmonica player for the Steve Miller Band since 1975, died Friday, Oct. 30, at the age of 58. Buffalo first wrote about being diagnosed with lung cancer in September after feeling ill following a concert. After his personal doctor mistakenly told him that his lungs sounded fine, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma of the lower right lobe, with a subsequent MRI revealing that it had spread to his brain.
Born Sept. 28, 1951 in Oakland, Calif., Buffalo played with the Steve Miller Band for 34 years and performed with the group on its 2009 summer tour. As a session player, Norton's harmonica was heard on records by the likes of the Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Mickey Hart, Commander Cody and Elvin Bishop.
He also recorded several albums with the Stampede and appeared in several movies. He issued his solo debut, 'Lovin' in the Valley of the Moon', on Capitol Records in 1977. A year later, he dropped 'Desert Horizon'. Norton also led his own band, the Knockouts, and teamed with blues slide guitarist Roy Rogers for 'R&B,' which included the Grammy-nominated track 'Song for Jessica.'
Just ahead of his passing, Buffalo wrote, "While the tumor in my lung has receded a little bit, a couple of the tumors in my brain have grown. My doctors are now talking about the next step being full brain radiation and believe that I should begin that ASAP. [We] are doing research into that as we speak and we are, as well, looking for insight, personal experiences and/or more knowledge or alternatives that any of you may have regarding that."
"It sounds like such a daunting concept," he added. "As my brain is what connects me to my body and all of the gifts of love laughter, music, friendships and spirituality, I of course have some fears about how and what the radiation may affect. There is a heap more homework for us to do to learn about this before making choices and moving forward. Seems that the prayers and healing work did some good with my lungs, maybe we need to focus them more on my brain now ... Blessings to you!!"
Buffalo is survived by his wife; children, Aisah and Elias; stepchildren, Sierra Ruelas and Bo Winterburn; father, Ken Jackson of Paradise; and five brothers and sisters. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals.
In 1965, Steve Miller and keyboardist Barry Goldberg founded the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band along with bassist Shawn Yoder, rhythm guitarist Craymore Stevens, and drummer Lance Haas after moving to Chicago to play the blues. The band was contracted to Epic Records after playing many Chicago clubs. They also appeared on Hullabaloo with the Four Tops and the Supremes, and gigged at a Manhattan club. With Miller, the band's only release was the ten-track album Blowing My Mind in 1966.
Miller left the group to go to San Francisco where the psychedelic scene was flourishing. He then formed the Steve Miller Blues Band which, when they contracted with Capitol Records in 1967, they shortened their name to the Steve Miller Band. The band, consisting of Miller, guitarist James Cooke, bassist Lonnie Turner, and drummer Tim Davis (who replaced the departing Lance Haas on drums), backed Chuck Berry at a gig at the Fillmore West that was released as a live album. Guitarist Boz Scaggs joined the band soon after and the group performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in June. In May 1968 while in England, they recorded their debut album Children Of The Future. The album didn't have any successes and didn't score among the Top 100 album chart, but standout tracks are the acoustic tune "Baby's Calling Me Home" and funky blues number "Steppin' Stone". Closing the album is a slow version of the blues standard "Key To The Highway". The Steve Miller Band's second album Sailor appeared in October and climbed the Billboard charts to #24. Successes include the single 'Livin' In The USA', 'Lucky Man', and Boz Scaggs 'Overdrive' and 'Dime-A-Dance Romance'.
Miller's audience expanded with each album: Brave New World (#22, 1969), which featured the successful song "Space Cowboy" and the track "My Dark Hour" that was co-written by and featured Paul McCartney (aka Paul Ramon) on bass, Your Saving Grace (#38, 1969), Number 5 (#23, 1970).
In 1971, Miller suffered a broken neck after a car accident and Capitol Records released the album Rock Love. The album featured unreleased live performances (including an 11-minute jam on the title track) and studio material and is one of two of Steve Miller Band albums not to be released on CD, the other being Recall the Beginning... A Journey From Eden. It is on this album the song "Fandango" (Track
appears. The first lyrics of the song read, "Kim, come and play the drum." This song was written as an invitation to drummer Kim Kopko of the band, The Black and Blues, to, as the next lyrics call, "come and join the fun." In 1972, the double album compilation Anthology was released, featuring 16 songs from the band's first five albums.
The Joker (#2, 1973) showed audiences a new style of the band. The title track became a #1 scoring single album and was certified platinum for reaching over 1 million sales.
Three years later, the Steve Miller Band returned with the album Fly Like An Eagle, which charted at #3. Three singles were released from the album: "Take The Money and Run" (#11), "Fly Like an Eagle" (#2) and their second Number One success, "Rock 'N Me". Miller credits the guitar intro to "Rock 'N Me" as a tribute to the classic song by Free, "All Right Now".
Book Of Dreams (#2, 1977) also included three sucesses: "Jet Airliner" (#8), "Jungle Love" (#23), and "Swingtown" (#17). 1982's Abracadabra album gave Steve Miller his third Number One success with the title track. An odd chart moment happened with Abracadabra hitting #1, Miller knocked Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" out of the #1 spot, just as Chicago had done to him in 1976 when "If You Leave Me Now" knocked "Rock N' Me" out of the #1 spot.
Released in 1978, The Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974-1978 has sold over 13 million copies and Miller continues to perform successful sold-out concert performances.
The band has recorded sporadically but has not released a new album since 1993's Wide River.
The Joker
Jet Airliner
Rock N Me
Macho City
Quicksilver Girl
Give it up
Living in the USA
Take The Money And Run
Fly Like an Eagle
Jungle Love
Abracadabra
WILD MOUNTAIN HONEY
