RIP: NORTON BUFFALO

The great harmonica player and session man Norton Buffalo passed away Saturday from cancer at the age of 58.
Buffalo was born into a musical family with a harmonica playing father, a vocalist mother and a great uncle (Herbert Stothart) who wrote music for MGM during their golden years, winning an Academy Award for The Wizard of Oz.
 He first found acclaim in the San Francisco Bay area, playing with artists like Clover and Elvin Bishop. In 1976, he joined the Steve Miller Band and was a member for the rest of his life.
Not content to just be a band member, Buffalo also formed his own band, the Stampede, who recorded for Capitol in the late-70's, played on sessions for Bonnie Raitt, Mickey Hart, Merle Sanders and others, and acted in the movies The Rose, playing in Bette Midler's band, and Heaven's Gate.

 I saw him last year playing with Steve Miller @ Cypress Gardens, man he could really play that harmonica!!

 Rock on, Norton, rock on...