Log Cabin Stories: Buffalo Johnson

Rich-R-Tone's Forgotten Star
The Story of Buffalo Johnson

Although Buffalo Johnson was probably Rich-R-Tone Records' most enduring recording artist, being associated with the label on and off for more than 20 years, little information has surfaced on this artist, unfortunately. Rich-R-Tone, best remembered today for releasing bluegrass music by such artists as the Stanley Brothers, Carl Sauceman, Wilma Lee & Stoney Coiper, and others during the 1940s, recorded a variety of roots music styles - especially in its early years. Johnson was not tied to one style; he recorded honky tonk just as good as bluegrass tinged material and country boogie numbers.

Wayne "Buffalo" Johnson was born on April 1, 1926, to Chester W. and Elizabeth (Shelton) Johnson in Madison County, North Carolina, which is located on North Carolina's border to Tennessee, not far away from both Knoxville and Johnson City. He had three sisters and one brother. Although Johnson was depended on crouches all his life, this never distracted him from pursuing a career in music.

Tennessee's east was rich of Appalachian music traditions and Johnson became a part of it, when he moved to adjacent Washington County, Tennessee, where he would live most of his life. Though Knoxville was the center of country music in East Tennessee during the 1940s, Johnson decided upon Johnson City. He started his career in country music following World War II, when he began recording for James Hobart "Jim" Stanton's Rich-R-Tone record label in Johnson City. Stanton had founded the label earlier that year and Johnson's "I'll Always Find a Way" b/w "Come Back Again" (Rich-R-Tone #401) from December 1946 became one of the label's earliest releases. He was also soon heard on local radio WETB and had added a disc jockey show on the station to his portfolio by late 1948.

Billboard October 18, 1947

Johnson continued to record for Rich-R-Tone through the 1940s and until the early 1950s, mostly solo with a band variously called the "Melody Boys" or "Buffalo Johnson and his Herd". He recorded in a variety of different styles like honky tonk ("Where Are You Now", "You Sure Look Lonesome (In That Corner)" on which one might hear shades of Ernest Tubb), bluegrass, and renditions of traditionals like "Frankie and Johnny", "John Henry" or "Nine Pound Hammer" (complete with Merle Travis styled lead guitar). In 1948, Stanton struck a deal with Mercury Records and sold a total of 72 of his master tapes to the label, including some by Johnson. This resulted in two Mercury releases in 1948 and 1949: "My Angel Sweetheart" b/w "Between the Lines" and "That's Why I'm Nobody's Darling" b/w "Come Back to Me". Though, the discs did not sell well enough to earn him a contract with Mercury and Johnson returned to recording for Rich-R-Tone.

In October 1951, Stanton paired him with another Rich-R-Tone act, the Church Brothers and their Blue Ridge Ramblers. The results from that session, including the classic "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms", were pure bluegrass and, like many of the Church Brothers' recordings, noteworthy recordings in bluegrass history.

By October 1949, Johnson had moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked the night clubs and bars, including such spots as the Swing Bar and the Casa Grande. His band at that time included Dusty Rose, Guy Pealer, and Sterling Simpson. In April 1951, Billboard reported that Johnson "got a new five-year contract with Rich-R-Tone" but this did not turn out as fruitful as it seemed. In 1952, Jim Stanton sold the Rich-R-Tone label (following a move to and brief phase in Campbellsville, Kentucky) and Johnson's contract lapsed.

However, Johnson soon became acquainted with Cincinnati independent record producer Carl Burckhardt, who owned Rite Record Productions and several budget labels that were specialized in releasing cover versions of the hits of the day - for cheaper money than the original version. Johnson recorded bluegrass for Rite's Kentucky label and mainstream country hits for Big 4 Hits.

Obviously, Johnson split his time between Cincinnati and Johnson City during the early 1950s, as Billboard reported in August 1951 that he headed a new show on WJHL in Johnson City, which was also broadcast via ABC. The show also included such local acts as the Burleston Sisters, Smokey White, Jack Lane, and Toby "Guy" Pealer. At some point, Johnson moved back to Tennessee. In the meantime, the Rich-R-Tone label had undergone some changes and it seems by the 1960s, Jim Stanton had gained control over the label again. He produced occasional releases by Johnson out of his Champ recording studio in Johnson City in the 1960s and 1970s, including "Time Don't Mean Much Anymore" (Rich-R-Tone #8002) and "Another Mile to Nashville" (Rich-R-Tone #8040).

Buffalo Johnson died on June 17, 2002, at the age of 76 years in Johnson City Medical Center. He had spent his last years in Sulphur Springs, a small place east of Johnson City, where he is also buried. There never has been a proper reissue of Johnson's recordings, although he gathered enough material for a whole CD throughout the years.

Discography

Label No.#	Artist Credit	A / B side	Date
Rich-R-Tone 401	Buffalo Johnson and his Melody Rangers	I’ll Always Find a Way / Come Back Again	12-1946
Rich-R-Tone 403	Buffalo Johnson	Alone and Blue / Rangers Rag	02-1947
Rich-R-Tone 405	Buffalo Johnson	Something Within Me / Where Are You Now	08-1947
Rich-R-Tone 408	Buffalo Johnson	I Just Dropped In to Say Goodbye / Home in San Antone	unrel.
Rich-R-Tone 409	Buffalo Johnson	The Foolish One / The Sweetest Dream	12-1947
Mercury 6123	Buffalo Johnson	My Angel Sweetheart / Between the Lines	08-1948
Mercury 6178	Buffalo Johnson	That’s Why I’m Nobody’s Darling / Come Back to Me	03-1949
Rich-R-Tone 430	Buffalo Johnson	Come Back Again / Alone and Blue	unrel.
Rich-R-Tone 434	Buffalo Johnson	The Loser Pays / I Dreamed My Daddy Came Home	unrel.
Rich-R-Tone 442	Buffalo Johnson	The Fairy Tale / Untrue Love	06-1949
Rich-R-Tone 458	Buffalo Johnson	Untrue Love / Left My Gal in the Mountains	02-1950
Rich-R-Tone 702	Buffalo Johnson	Whisper Goodbye / Goodbye Boogie	1950
Rich-R-Tone 1013	Buffalo Johnson	Let’s Live a Little / You Sure Look Lonesome	02-1952
Rich-R-Tone 1016	Buffalo Johnson	Frankie and Johnny / No Love No More	1951
Rich-R-Tone 1019	Buffalo Johnson & the Church Bros. & their Blue Ridge Ramblers	Day Dreaming / I Don’t Know What to Do	11-1951
Rich-R-Tone 1023	Buffalo Johnson and his Herd	John Henry / Nine Pound Hammer	1952
Kentucky 520	Buffalo Johnson and his Herd	Tain’t Big Enough / Tappin’ Boogie	1952
Kentucky 521	Harry Adams with Buffalo Johnson	Milk Bucket Boogie / Arkansas Traveler	1952
Big 4 Hits 12	Delbert Barker Buffalo Johnson	Dont’ Stay Away / Don’t Just Stand There Lady’s Man / Gold Rush is Over	1952
Rich-R-Tone 8002	Buffalo Johnson	Time Don’t Mean Much Anymore / Come Back Again	ca. 1967
Rich-R-Tone 8036	Buffalo Johnson	Long Chain Charly / Let the Cold Winds Blow	1970
Rich-R-Tone 8040	Buffalo Johnson	Another Mile to Nashville / These Summer Days	1970