One of Country and Rock’s Finest Guitarists Dead at 76 as Tributes Pour In

Terry “Buffalo” Ware has died. The Oklahoma guitarist, who was known for his work with John Fullbright and Ray Wylie Hubbard, died on Aug. 5 after a battle with lung cancer, multiple local outlets reported. He was 76.

“Terry ‘buffalo’ Ware: ..a remarkable life..a remarkable man..a remarkable friend,” Hubbard wrote on Facebook in the wake of Ware’s death.

Ware’s friend, Chris Buhalis, also posted a Facebook tribute to the late guitarist, according to Wide Open Country.

“I was lucky to be friends with Buff for nearly 30 years. He was an amazing musician, friend, husband, and OU Women’s Basketball Fan,” Buhalis wrote, per the outlet. “A fierce lover of his friends and detester of rat bastards. I’ll miss being on the planet with him.”

What to Know About Terry “Buffalo” Ware

KOSU, Oklahoma’s NPR affiliate, reported that Ware first expressed an interest in music after watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

He played in several bands throughout high school and college.

After a move to New Mexico in 1972, Ware met Hubbard. The men, along with several others, formed Ray Wylie Hubbard & The Cowboy Twinkies. They toured throughout the decade, including an opening gig for Willie Nelson in Los Angeles.

Ware returned to Oklahoma in the ’80s, where he formed rock band The Sensational Shoes. Later, he took up touring once again, playing with Hubbard, Jimmy LaFave, and Kevin Welch.

Solo recordings followed in the aughts, as did freelance guitar work for many artists.

Ware also played on Fullbright’s Grammy-nominated album From the Ground Up, and shared the stage with the artist at both the awards show and during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.

All of that and more was covered in a 2024 documentary, Ware the Buffalo Roams. Ware also penned a memoir, Man with Guitar and Amp: A Sideman’s Memoir, which he put out earlier this year.

The Depot, an Oklahoma venue that hosted a book signing for Ware’s memoir, remembered the musician on Facebook.

“There are no words to express the immense loss that Terry Ware’s passing has brought to our community,” the post read in part. “Not only was he a highly accomplished musician, he was one of the kindest and most humble men most have ever met.”

The post added, “While we all feel this terrible loss, Terry’s legacy will be carried on in many of our hearts and actions as we are inspired to be kind, to do what we love, to love music, and to uplift the next generation.”

Photo by Michael Duncan via The Depot/Facebook