New Book Celebrates Last Place Played By Original Lynyrd Skynyrd Band
Upstate South Carolina author and entertainer Michael Buffalo Smith announced today that his latest book, The Brown Box: Remembering Greenville Memorial Auditorium is now available from lulu.com. This is the history of Greenville, South Carolina’s Memorial Auditorium, a venue that, although it was closed and imploded in the early ’90’s, still holds a lot of happy memories for many people. It was the home of Monday night wrestling and the site of many outstanding concerts including the final performance by the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band. Smith spoke to the fans, the stars and the employees of the venue to create this little labor of love.
The book was actually started some twelve years ago when Smith decided to write a book about his own happy memories of the old Auditorium. Speaking with local celebrity Johnny Batson about his 1960’s Hi-Fi club, over burgers at Northgate Soda Shop, the seed was planted. When Smith experienced health problems in 1998, the book was shelved, only to be brought back to the table and completed in 2011.
Former Greenville resident Paul Surratt was a huge help with the project, as was media personality Scooter Lesley. The book includes an exclusive interview with drummer Artimus Pyle regarding the final Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in the auditorium prior to the fatal plane crash in 1977. Thanks to Scooter, there are some vintage wrestling photos, and the book also features a complete record of all wrestling matches in the Brown Box between 1975-78. There are fond remembrances of folk music in the auditorium from Surratt and of early rock and roll shows from Johnny Batson. Both men recount an appearance by Gram Parsons that led to his joining Surratt’s band The Shilos. Many of the artists that we interviewed for the book are no longer with us, but their love for the old venue lives on in the pages of this book. People like George McCorkle of The Marshall Tucker Band, Danny Joe Brown of Molly Hatchet, Jakson Spires of Blackfoot and Chuck Ruff of The Edgar Winter Group.
The Brown Box is loaded with vintage photos and memories from fans, artists and auditorium staff, and there’s a whole chapter dedicated to the many appearances of the rock band KISS, including rare photos.
The book is available exclusively through the publisher, Lulu…
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/gritzpublishing
The author is available for interviews or speaking engagements. E-mail michaelbuffalosmith@gmail.com
Source: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/gritzpublishing
