DANGEROUS DAN TOLER A MEMORIAL
by Michael Buffalo Smith I guess the first thing that comes to mind
when I think of Danny Toler is not the fact that he was one of my favorite guitarists of all time. It’s not even his huge smile and infec- tious wit. The first thing that comes to mind are those eyes of his. Eyes that could cut through steel. Of course, if those eyes had be- longed to a different man, they would have struck fear into anyone’s heart, but if you knew Dan Toler, you knew that behind those piercing eyes was a heart of gold. “Dangerous” Dan Toler passed away on
February 25th, 2013 near his hometown of Sarasota, Florida. He had been battling amy- otrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, since August, 2011. Shortly after the announcement was made, a benefit show was staged in Florida and drew thousands, followed by another one in Nashville. The very first time I spoke with Dan I felt
like we’d known one another forever. We were scheduled for an interview, and we had a good one, but not until we finished shooting the bull for about an hour. I knew then and there that Dan Toler was much more than just one of the hottest guitar slingers on the planet, he was also a down to earth, fun guy to talk to. That day marked the beginning of a new friendship, and over the years I kept in touch with Dan, talking on the phone, e-mail- ing, and later texting whenever we could find some time. Just a few years ago when he had reunited with Dickey Betts & Great Southern, I went to
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see him at Amos’ South End in Charlotte. Me and my running buddy Scott Greene went on the tour bus and talked to Dan for a long time. He was in great spirits, and ready to rock. I remember he had a brand new guitar, one of the high-end models that costs an arm and a leg. He reaches over and hands it to me, “Play it, Buff.” I was a bit nervous. Not so much about the monetary value of the instru- ment, but picking in front of Danny Toler. Even without an amp, it was absolutely intim- idating, but he just smiled real big. “How do you like it?” he asked. “Plays like a dream,” I said. We talked for a while and then Dickey
came in and we talked to him for a while. That night Dan Toler and Dickey Batts played one of the hottest shows I have ever heard. They were hittin’ the note, time after time. I was blown away. The next time I saw Dan was at the annual
Angelus benefit in Tampa. It as a nice sur- prise. Dan sat in with several bands that day, starting with Tommy Crain and the Crosstown Allstars, followed by The Marshall Tucker Band. I’ll never forget the smoking rendition of “Jessica” he and Tommy Crain played that day. It’s so hard to believe they are both gone. Dan is best known for his work as a mem-
ber of The Allman Brothers Band during the 1980’s, and also performed with The Gregg Allman Band and Dickey Betts & Great Southern, but most recently, he recorded and performed with John Townsend (“Smoke From a Distant Fire”) as the Toler-Townsend Band.
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