The Buffalo was born at a young age. He spent the early years of his life marinating in the angry words of his stubborn, German-Catholic parents. The one bright spot came when his father, who loved Fats Domino, would bring home guitars from the dump, fix them up, and play for little Lo’. Great fun until mom smelled out the prize and returned each one back to where they came from. But the guitar stayed in the little boy’s head like one of those summer days that never ended. Someday . .

He told himself. When kindergarten introduced new friends, hope blossomed for the little Buffalo. Until 1st grade.  When he met the nuns. Angry, German nuns.  "You must learn to act like God," Sister Mary Irene would say, "Busy, prayerful, but quiet." Each of the Sisters always appeared ready for battle. They carried large metal rulers–gun-metal gray. Steal beads hung on chain belts from their waste and the attached Cross added firepower. A good backhand combined with cat-like reflexes was lethal, which seemed to make praying extra-important. The Buff explained, "You could hang a hat on their eyebrows and just before a kid would get it, a large red vein began pulsing from their foreheads. . . it was worse when they showed up in your dreams."

School soon became a daily menu of anxiety and prayer. The buffalo once told a friend, "I knew right when I got up that I would do something wrong–it was only a matter of time before I’d get it." In any case, school was a bust and the Buffalo’s grades gravitated accordingly.

Until 5th grade. Buff’s father tried a new approach. Money. And a guitar.

The deal was that for every A, he would get one silver dollar. With nothing to lose but a few bad friends, the Buffalo started to do his homework. His handwriting improved. And books! In the 5th grade no one in Sister Mary Norbert’s class checked out and read more. School became interesting. He wound up with 47 A’s and a red and black Montgomery Wards acoustic guitar. His dad taught him some chords, but in that first weekend the Buffalo learned every song in the book and had the calluses to prove it. He would say later and often, "Nothing ever came that easy to me–before or since." Until 9th grade.

When the Buffalo discovered girls. And bands. And how the two related. It wasn't long before the Buff's combo, Aztec Prophecy, became a playground legend. And who could've predicted in a St. Paul band (Raggs) that shared the stage with Boz Skaggs, The Beachboys, Electric Light Orchestra, Tower of Power, Jimmy Witherspoon, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Chicago, Asleep At The Wheel, The Tubes, James Brown, Johnny & Edgar Winter and many, many more. With a successful band came girls- but not one of them would want the Buffalo forever. He often took comfort in a small bottle of Jim Beam and the words of his father who once told him, "There's two things you gotta know about a woman-and no one knows either one." After four Raggs albums, things looked good. Until 35th grade.

Buffalo became a father. Off to college, he studied poetry with Michael Dennis Brown, Poet Laureate of the University of Minnesota.

Eventually the Buffalo tried marriage, and it almost worked-twice! But with his college degree, and a love of words, the Buff became an English teacher. He holds no ill-will towards any woman or religion, and has no regrets. Even now he is fond of saying, "I don't get even I get odder." As for his CD, "Nobody Moves, Nobody Gets Hurt", the Buffalo would like to thank his parents for making it all possible and the voices in his head for making it necessary.

The Buffalo's Musical History:

Dad taught me how to play by using his ukulele and I still love that jumpy rhythm

Raggs circa 2003

Bands:

• Aztec Prophecy
• Raggs
• The Bedrockers
• Buffalo and The Heard

Accomplishments

• Played in front of The Beach boys, Tower of Power, ELO, and many others
• Studied classical guitar with maestro Albert Benson-.5 1/2 years
• Taught numerous introductory guitar classes and students at General Music (5 years) *BS and Masters Degree The U of Mn (English Ed)
• Studied poetry with U of M Poet Laureate, Michael Dennis Brown (2 years) *Language Arts (English) teacher (17 years)

Major Influences listening choices:

Johnny Cash, Carlos Santana, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Gershwin, Sinatra, Errol Garner, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Hank Penny, Bob wills, Spade Cooley, Leon Redbone, Tom Waits, any R&B, any old school country ...

The Buffalo Today