The Buffalo Club was an American country music group composed of Ron Hemby (lead vocals, guitar), John Dittrich (vocals, drums), and Charlie Kelley (vocals, guitar). Before the group's foundation, Hemby was a vocalist in the Christian group The Imperials, Kelley played guitar for Doug Stone, and Dittrich was the drummer in the country pop band Restless Heart. The Buffalo Club released a self-titled album on the Rising Tide Records label in 1997 and charted three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts that year, including "If She Don't Love You" at number nine. By the end of the year, the band broke up, and Dittrich rejoined Restless Heart.

The Buffalo Club
The Buffalo Club promotional picture. Left to right: Ron Hemby, John Dittrich, Charlie Kelley
Background information
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Country
Years active	1997
Labels	Rising Tide
Spinoff of	Restless Heart The Imperials
Past members	Ron Hemby John Dittrich Charlie Kelley

History

The Buffalo Club was founded in 1997 by John Dittrich, who had left his role as drummer in the band Restless Heart a few years earlier.[1] Dittrich met vocalist Ron Hemby, a touring vocalist for the contemporary Christian music group The Imperials, in the mid-1990s after suggesting that he write songs for Restless Heart. After Restless Heart disbanded in 1994,[2] Dittrich began writing songs with Hemby in 1995.[3] With Restless Heart disbanded at the time, Dittrich expressed interest in forming a musical act where he could express more creative control than he got to in his former band. As he thought that he was not suitable to work as a solo artist, Dittrich thus decided to form a new band with Hemby.[3] The two then recruited guitarist Charlie Kelley, who had previously been a backing musician for Doug Stone, and assigned Kelly as the band's lead vocalist.[1] Working with Dan Goodman as their manager, the three musicians recorded a demo which was sent to Ken Levitan, the president of Rising Tide Records.[4]

Initially, the group was to be called Johnny Ringo, but was renamed The Buffalo Club as representatives of Rising Tide disliked the original name.[1][4] The name came from a pub the band had visited in Buffalo, Wyoming.[5] The Buffalo Club's debut single, "If She Don't Love You", reached number nine on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart upon its early-1997 release.[6] This song had been previously offered to Restless Heart, who declined it.[7]

The Buffalo Club's self-titled debut album was released through Rising Tide Records on March 25, 1997.[8] Barry Beckett produced the album and played keyboards on it. Dittrich co-wrote the track "The Funny Thing Is", and Hemby co-wrote "Wish for You".[9] Robert Loy of Country Standard Time wrote of the album that "the harmonies are above average, and Ron Hemby's vocals deserve better material than anything here".[7] A more favorable review was published in Billboard, which compared the band's sound favorably to that of the Eagles.[10] One of the co-writers of the song was Marc Beeson, then recording on Curb Records as a member of Burnin' Daylight.[3]

Following "If She Don't Love You" was "Nothin' Less Than Love", which was co-written by Rusty Young of Poco and originally recorded by Bryan White on his 1994 self-titled debut album.[11] The Buffalo Club's rendition peaked at number 26 on Hot Country Songs.[6] Dittrich left the band in August 1997, stating in a letter of resignation, "I am no longer able to continue to do the things deemed necessary to break a new artist in this format".[12] At the time of his resignation, Hemby and Kelley announcing their intent to continue as a duo.[13] The group then released their third and final single "Heart Hold On". Co-written by Blackhawk lead singer Henry Paul, this song peaked at number 53 on the country music charts.[6]

By year's end, Hemby and Kelley disbanded.[14] In addition, Rising Tide Records closed in March 1998.[15] Dittritch rejoined Restless Heart the same year when the band reunited.[2] Kelley founded the polka duo The Boxhounds with Lynn Marie.[16] Hemby is a worship leader at River of Life in Smyrna, Tennessee.[17]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Music videos

References