Our good friend Norton Buffalo succumbed to lung cancer on Oct. 30th. He was a one-of-a-kind performer: a brilliant musician and a funny guy. He was blessed with boundless energy, good humor, and inspiration, which he readily shared with everyone he met.
His support for Bread & Roses goes way back to the days of the legendary Greek Theatre benefit concerts. Throughout the years, he was always willing to lend a hand to help us out with a benefit show or institutional performance, whenever he found time in his busy schedule, which included touring and recording with the Steve Miller Band, the Doobie Brothers, and Bonnie Raitt, among others.
In 2007, he led a harmonica workshop for B&R at San Quentin Prison, in conjunction with the Arts In Corrections program. Over the course of the evening, he regaled the gathering of inmates with jokes, funny stories, and good memories of his past association with Bread & Roses as well as his work in bringing music to prisons over the years. These photos are a testament to the spirit of that evening.
On January 23, 2010 there will be a musical tribute for Norton Buffalo featuring many performers who are his friends at the Fox Theater in Oakland.
Also see the related article in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Submitted by: Kurt Huget
Norton Buffalo doing a harmonica workshop for Bread & Roses at San Quentin on 03/27/07 - Photos by Peter Merts
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