Buffalo Club

Group Members:

John Dittrich
Ron Hemby
Charlie Kelly

The Buffalo Club was an American country music group composed of Ron Hemby (lead vocals, guitar), John Dittrich (vocals, drums), and Charlie Kelly (vocals, guitar). Before the group's foundation, Hemby was a vocalist in the Christian group The Imperials, Kelly played guitar for Doug Stone, and Dittrich was the drummer in the country pop band Restless Heart from 1984 until the mid-1990s. The Buffalo Club released a self-titled album on the Rising Tide Records label in 1997 and charted three singles on the Billboard country charts that year, including the Top Ten "If She Don't Love You". Dittrich disbanded the group at the end of the year and rejoined Restless Heart soon afterward.
The Buffalo Club was founded in 1997 by John Dittrich, who had just left his role as drummer in the band Restless Heart. Dittrich met vocalist Ron Hemby, formerly of The Imperials, in the mid-1990s after suggesting that he write songs for Restless Heart. After Restless Heart disbanded, Dittrich then suggested that they form a new group, and recruited Charlie Kelly, who had previously been a backing musician for Doug Stone and Tom Wopat. 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.

Initially, the group was to be called Johnny Ringo, but was renamed The Buffalo Club as representatives of Rising Tide disliked the original name. The Buffalo Club's debut single, "If She Don't Love You," reached a peak of number 9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. This song had been previously offered to Restless Heart, who declined it. The Buffalo Club's self-titled debut album, produced by Barry Beckett, was released on March 25, 1997. It received a mostly unfavorable review from Country Standard Time magazine, whose critic Robert Loy said "the harmonies are above average, and Ron Hemby's vocals deserve better material than anything here." Following "If She Don't Love You" were two more singles: the number 26 "Nothing Less Than Love", originally recorded by Bryan White, and the number 53 "Heart Hold On," which was co-written by Blackhawk lead singer Henry Paul.

Dittrich left the band in August 1997 for medical reasons, and the other two members soon parted ways as well. Dittritch briefly rejoined Restless Heart to record new selections for a Greatest Hits album in 1998. He and the other four founding members of the band officially reunited in 2003.

Discography: