James William "Jimmy" Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is a singer-songwriter, author,
entrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, and
film producerA film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his
Coral Reefer BandThe Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Originally it was a fictional band consisting of the imaginary members Marvin Gardens, Kay Pasa, Al Vacado and Kitty Litter....
, Buffett's musical hits include "
Margaritaville"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. This song was written about a drink in Austin, Texas, and the first huge surge of tourists who descended on Key West almost two decades ago. He wrote...
" (No. 234 on
RIAA'sThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
list of "
Songs of the CenturyThe "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
"), and "
Come Monday"Come Monday" is the title a song written and recorded by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1974 album Living & Dying in ¾ Time and was his first Top 40 hit single reaching #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #3 Easy Listening and #58...
". He has a devoted base of fans known as "Parrotheads".
Aside from his career in music, Buffett is also a best-selling writer and is involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best known songs, "
Cheeseburger in Paradise"Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer Jimmy Buffett. It appeared on his 1978 album Son of a Son of a Sailor and was released as a single, reaching #32 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" and "
Margaritaville"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. This song was written about a drink in Austin, Texas, and the first huge surge of tourists who descended on Key West almost two decades ago. He wrote...
". He owns the
Margaritaville CafeJimmy Buffett's Margaritaville is the name of a United States-based casual dining American restaurant chain and a chain of stores selling Jimmy Buffett-themed merchandise...
restaurant chain and co-developed the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant concept with OSI Restaurant Partners (parent of
Outback SteakhouseOutback Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant chain based in Tampa, Florida with over 1200 locations in 22 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It was founded in February 1988 in Tampa by Bob Basham, Chris T...
), which operates the chain under a licensing agreement with Buffett.
Personal life
Buffett spent part of his childhood in
Mobile, AlabamaMobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. As a boy in grade school, he attended St. Ignatius School, where he played the trombone in the school band. He later lived in
Fairhope, AlabamaFairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, on a sloping plateau, along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. The 2010 census lists the population of the city as 16,176....
, mentioned by Buffett as his "Home Town" during a 2001 concert. He graduated from high school from McGill Institute for Boys (now
McGill-Toolen Catholic High SchoolMcGill-Toolen Catholic High School, located in Mobile, Alabama, is a private co-educational high school operated by the educational system of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile.-History:...
) in 1964. He began playing guitar during his college years at
Auburn UniversityAuburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
,
Pearl River Community CollegePearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:...
, and
The University of Southern MississippiThe University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana...
in
Hattiesburg, MississippiHattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
, where he received a bachelor's degree in
historyHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in 1969. He was initiated into the fraternity
Kappa SigmaKappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
(
ΚΣKappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
) at the University of Southern Mississippi. After graduating from college, Buffett worked as a correspondent for
Billboard magazine in
NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, breaking the news of the separation of Flatt and Scruggs.
Buffett married Margie Washichek in 1969 and divorced in 1972. Buffett and his second wife Jane (Jane Slagsvol) have two daughters, Savannah Jane and Sarah Delaney, and an adopted son, Cameron Marley, and reside in
Palm Beach, FloridaThe Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. They were separated in the early 1980s; however, they reconciled in 1991. Buffett also owns a home in
St BartsSaint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao...
, a Caribbean island where he lived on and off in the early 1980s while he was part-owner of the Autour de Rocher hotel and restaurant. An avid pilot, Buffett has a flagship plane, a Dassault Falcon 900 aircraft with identifier N908JB, that he often uses while on concert tour and traveling worldwide.
His father, John Delaney Buffett, Jr. died in 2003 at the age of 83.
Music
Buffett began his musical career in
Nashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
during the late 1960s as a
countryCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist and recorded his first
albumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, the
folk rockFolk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
Down to EarthDown to Earth is the first album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was produced by Travis Turk and was initially released in 1970 on Andy Williams's small Barnaby Records label as Z 30093...
, in 1970. During this time Buffett could be frequently found
buskingStreet performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
for tourists in New Orleans.
Country musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer
Jerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
took him to
Key WestKey West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
on a busking expedition in November, 1971 . Buffett then moved to Key West and began establishing the easy-going beach bum persona for which he is known. Following this move, Buffett combined country, folk, and pop music with coastal as well as tropical lyrical themes for a sound sometimes called "gulf and western". Today, he is a regular visitor to the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islandAn island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Saint Barts and other islands where he gets inspiration for many of his songs and some of the characters in his books.
Buffett's third album was the 1973
A White Sport Coat and a Pink CrustaceanA White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean is the third album by American popular music singer–songwriter Jimmy Buffett and the first major-label album in Buffett's Don Gant-produced "Key West phase"...
.
Living & Dying in 3/4 TimeLiving & Dying in ¾ Time is the fourth album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and the second major label album in Buffett's Don Gant-produced "Key West phase." It was initially released in February 1974 as Dunhill DS-50132 and later rereleased on Dunhill's successor labels...
and
A1AA1A or A-1-A is the fifth album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and the third major label album in Buffett's Don Gant-produced "Key West phase." It was initially released in December 1974 as Dunhill DS-50183 and later re-released on Dunhill's successor labels ABC and...
both followed in 1974,
Havana Daydreamin'Havaña Daydreamin' is the seventh album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and his fourth regular major label album. It was produced by Don Gant and was initially released in January 1976 as ABC Dunhill ABCD-914 and later rereleased on ABC Dunhill's successor label ...
appeared in 1976, followed by 1977's
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in AttitudesChanges in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is the breakthrough 1977 album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. The album, his eighth, remains the best-selling album of Buffett's career, and contains his biggest single, "Margaritaville"...
, which featured the breakthrough hit song "
Margaritaville"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. This song was written about a drink in Austin, Texas, and the first huge surge of tourists who descended on Key West almost two decades ago. He wrote...
".
With the untimely death of friend and mentor
Jim CroceJames Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
in September 1973, ABC Dunhill tapped Buffett to fill his space. Earlier, Buffett had visited Croce's farm in Pennsylvania and met with Croce in Florida.
During the 1980s, Buffett made far more money off his tours than albums and became known as a popular concert draw. He released a series of albums during the following twenty years, primarily to his devoted audience, and also branched into writing and merchandising. In 1985, Buffett opened a "Margaritaville" retail store in Key West and then in 1987, the Margaritaville Cafe was opened. During the 1980s Buffett played at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He briefly changed the name of the band from "Coral Reefers" to the "Coral Reef Band" to suit the HLS&R's request as they thought "Reefers" was a drug related reference. HLS&R is a charity event that provides student grants to children and young adults that compete in agriculture contests (FFA).
Two of the more out-of-character albums were
Christmas IslandChristmas Island is a 1996 collection of Jimmy Buffett's Christmas-themed music and is his 22nd studio album. It features covers of popular Christmas songs in Buffett's musical stylings as well as two tracks which Buffett wrote for the album. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" is a hidden...
, a collection of Christmas songs, and
Parakeets, a collection of Buffett songs sung by children and containing "cleaned-up" lyrics (like "a cold
root beerRoot beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
" instead of "a cold draft beer").
In 1997, Buffett collaborated with novelist
Herman WoukHerman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...
to create a short-lived musical based on Wouk's novel,
Don't Stop the Carnival. Broadway showed little interest in the play, (following the failure of Paul Simon's
The CapemanThe Capeman is a musical play written by Paul Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and had an initial run of only 68 performances....
) and it only ran for six weeks in Miami. He released an album of songs from the musical in 1998.
In August 2000 Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band played on the White House lawn for then President Bill Clinton.
In 2003, he partnered in a partial duet with
Alan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
for the song "
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" is a song performed by Alan Jackson with Jimmy Buffett, and written by Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins. It was released in June 2003 as the lead single from Jackson's 2003 compilation album Greatest Hits Volume II. It spent eight non-consecutive weeks at Number One...
", a number one hit on the country charts. This song won the 2003
Country Music AssociationThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
Award for Vocal Event of the Year. This was Buffett’s first award of any kind for his music in his 30 year career.
Buffett's album,
License to ChillLicense to Chill is the 26th studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and was released in 2004. It is his album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, released on July 13, 2004, sold 238,600 copies in its first week of release according to
Nielsen SoundScanNielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. With this, Buffett topped the U.S. pop albums chart for the first time in his three-decade career.
Buffett continues to tour throughout the year although he has shifted recently to a more relaxed schedule of around 20–30 dates, and rarely on back-to-back nights, preferring to play only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, thus the title of his 1999 live album
Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, SaturdaysBuffett Live - Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays is a live album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released on November 9, 1999. The album's material was culled from several concerts during the Don't Stop That Carnival Tour and Beach House on the Moon Tour ...
. Purchasing tickets is difficult with most of his concerts selling out in minutes.
In the summer of 2005 Buffett teamed up with Sirius radio and introduced
Radio MargaritavilleRadio Margaritaville is a worldwide Internet radio station owned by Jimmy Buffett. It features 24-hour music and live webcasts of most Jimmy Buffett concerts ....
, and as of November 2008 is also on XM radio channel 55. Until this point Radio Margaritaville was solely an online channel. The channel broadcasts from the Margaritaville restaurant at
Universal CityWalkUniversal CityWalk is the name given to the entertainment and retail districts located adjacent to the theme parks of Universal Parks & Resorts. Originating as an expansion of Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood, CityWalk serves as an entrance plaza from the parking lots to the...
in
Orlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
In August 2006, he released the album
Take The Weather With YouTake the Weather with You is the 27th studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on RCA Records in 2006. It peaked at #1 on Billboards country charts, also reaching #4 on the "Billboard 200"...
. The song "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On" on this album refers to 2005's
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. Also on the album he pays tribute to
Merle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
with his rendition of "Silver Wings" and covers, with
Mark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
playing on the track, "Whoop De Doo."
On December 8, 2009, Jimmy Buffett released his 28th studio album entitled
Buffet HotelBuffet Hotel is the 28th studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on December 8, 2009. On October 27, 2009, it was officially posted on the Margaritaville homepage as well on the Mailboat Records homepage...
.
On April 20, 2010, a double CD of performances recorded during the 2008 and 2009 tours called
encoresencores is a live album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. 22 songs compiled from Buffett's intimate second encores, that he ends his concerts with, are featured on the album. All songs are taken from the 2008/2009 tours...
was released exclusively at Walmart, Walmart.com and Margaritaville.com.
Buffett partnered in a duet with the
Zac Brown BandZac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
on the song "
Knee Deep"Knee Deep" is the title of a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band with Jimmy Buffett. It was released in May 2011 as the third single from the Zac Brown Band's second major-label album, 2010's You Get What You Give. It reached number-one on the U.S...
": released on Brown's 2010 album
You Get What You GiveUpon its release, You Get What You Give received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80, based on 6 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable...
, it became a hit country and pop single in 2011.
Of the over 30 albums Jimmy Buffett has released, as of October 2007, he has 8 Gold Albums and 9 Platinum or Multi Platinum Albums. In 2003 Buffett won his first ever Country Music Award (CMA) for his song "It's 5 O'clock Somewhere" with Alan Jackson, and was nominated again in 2007 for the CMA Event of the Year Award for his song "Hey Good Lookin" which featured Alan Jackson and George Strait.
Writing
Buffett has written three #1 best sellers.
Tales from MargaritavilleTales from Margaritaville is a collection of short stories by singer Jimmy Buffett, published in 1989, 230 pages long.The book is broken up into an introduction and three sections, each containing several short stories....
and
Where Is Joe Merchant?Where is Joe Merchant? is a novel by singer Jimmy Buffett, published in 1992. The book, a New York Times Best Seller, revolves around Frank Bama and his ex-girlfriend, hemorrhoid-ointment heiress Trevor Kane...
both spent over seven months on
The New York Times Best Seller fiction list. His book
A Pirate Looks At FiftyA Pirate Looks at Fifty is the autobiography of the singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett, revolving around the singer's fiftieth birthday. The book was released on June 3, 1998...
went straight to No. 1 on the
New York Times Best Seller non-fiction list, making him one of eight authors in that list's history to have reached No. 1 on both the fiction and non-fiction lists. The seven other authors who have accomplished this are
Ernest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
,
John SteinbeckJohn Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
,
William StyronWilliam Clark Styron, Jr. was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work.For much of his career, Styron was best known for his novels, which included...
,
Irving WallaceIrving Wallace was an American best-selling author and screenwriter. Wallace was known for his heavily researched novels, many with a sexual theme. One critic described him "as the most successful of all the many exponents of junk fiction perhaps because he took it all so seriously, not so say...
,
Dr. SeussTheodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
,
Mitch AlbomMitchell David "Mitch" Albom is an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide...
and
Glenn BeckGlenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
.
Buffett also co-wrote two children's books,
The Jolly MonThe Jolly Mon is a children's picture book written by Jimmy Buffett and Savannah Jane Buffett and published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. The book was originally released in 1988...
and
Trouble Dolls, with his eldest daughter, Savannah Jane Buffett. The original hard cover release of
The Jolly MonThe Jolly Mon is a children's picture book written by Jimmy Buffett and Savannah Jane Buffett and published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. The book was originally released in 1988...
included a cassette tape recording of him and Savannah Jane reading the story accompanied by an original score written by
Michael UtleyMichael Utley, often credited as Mike Utley, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. He is the musical director of the band...
.
Buffett's novel
A Salty Piece of LandA Salty Piece of Land is a 2004 novel by bestselling author and songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It is about a fictional American westerner, Tully Mars, who goes to work repairing an island lighthouse. Buffett first introduced the character Tully Mars in his earlier work, Tales from Margaritaville...
, was released on November 30, 2004, and the first edition of the book included a CD single of the song "A Salty Piece Of Land", which was recorded for
License to ChillLicense to Chill is the 26th studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and was released in 2004. It is his album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
. The book was a
New York Times best seller soon after its release.
Buffett's latest title,
Swine Not?, was released May 13, 2008.
Buffett is currently writing a follow-up to his autobiography
A Pirate Looks at FiftyA Pirate Looks at Fifty is the autobiography of the singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett, revolving around the singer's fiftieth birthday. The book was released on June 3, 1998...
, which he says may take up to ten years to write and complete.
Buffett is one of several popular 'philosophers' whose quotations appear on the road signs of Project HIMANK in the
LadakhLadakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
region of Northern India.
Film and television
Buffett wrote the soundtrack for, co-produced and acted in the 2006 film
HootHoot is a 2006 American family comedy film based on Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name. It was directed by Wil Shriner and produced by New Line Cinema and Walden Media. Hoot was released on May 5, 2006....
, directed by
Wil ShrinerWil Shriner is an American actor, comedian, director and game show host.-Life and career:Shriner was born in New York City, New York, the twin brother of soap opera actor Kin Shriner and the son of Eileen “Pixie” McDermott and Herb Shriner, a Hoosier humorist who had several shows in the early...
and based on the book by
Carl HiaasenCarl Hiaasen is an American journalist, columnist and novelist.- Early years :Born in 1953 and raised in Plantation, Florida, of Norwegian heritage, Hiaasen was the first of four children and the son of a lawyer, Kermit Odel, and teacher, Patricia...
, which focuses on issues important to Buffett, such as conservation. The film was not a critical or commercial success. Among his other film music credits are the theme song to the short-lived 1993
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series
Johnny Bago; "Turning Around" for the 1985 film
Summer RentalSummer Rental is a 1985 comedy film directed by Carl Reiner, starring John Candy. The screenplay is written by Mark Reisman and Jeremy Stevens. The original music score is composed by Alan Silvestri. It was filmed in St. Pete Beach near St. Petersburg, Florida. Several area landmarks can be seen...
starring
John CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
; "I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)" for the film
Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
; "Hello, Texas" for the 1980
John TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
film
Urban CowboyReleased as a 2× vinyl record album, re-released on CD in 1995.Side A:#Hello Texas – Jimmy Buffett #All Night Long – Joe Walsh #Times Like These – Dan Fogelberg #Nine Tonight – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band...
; and "If I Have To Eat Someone (It Might As Well Be You)" for the animated film
FernGully: The Last RainforestFernGully: The Last Rainforest is a 1992 Australian-American animated film directed by Bill Kroyer, produced by Peter Faiman and Wayne Young, and written by Jim Cox based on a book of the same name by Diana Young. It is a film with a strong environmental theme...
, which was sung in the film by rap artist
Tone LocAnthony Terrell Smith , better known by his stage name Tone Lōc, is an American rapper and actor.-Early life and career:...
.
In addition, Buffett has made several
cameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s, including in
Repo Man,
HookHook is a 1991 American fantasy film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, and features Maggie Smith, Caroline Goodall, Charlie Korsmo, Amber Scott, and Dante Basco. Hook acts as a sequel to Peter Pan's original adventures, focusing...
,
CobbCobb is a 1994 biopic starring Tommy Lee Jones as the famed baseball player Ty Cobb. It was written and directed by Ron Shelton and was based on a book by Al Stump...
,
HootHoot is a 2006 American family comedy film based on Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name. It was directed by Wil Shriner and produced by New Line Cinema and Walden Media. Hoot was released on May 5, 2006....
,
CongoCongo is a 1995 action adventure film, based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It was directed by Frank Marshall and stars Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Tim Curry, Ernie Hudson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Grant Heslov, and Joe Don Baker. The film was released on June 9, 1995 by...
, and
From the Earth to the Moon. He also made cameo appearances as himself in
Rancho DeluxeRancho Deluxe is a comedy western film that was directed by Frank Perry and released in 1975. Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterston star as two cattle rustlers in modern-day Montana who plague a wealthy ranch owner, played by Clifton James....
(for which he also wrote the music) and in
FMFM is a 1978 directed by John A. Alonzo, and starring Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan, Alex Karras and Cleavon Little. The screenplay was written by Ezra Sacks.This film was produced by Universal Pictures, and originally released to movie theaters in 1978....
. He made a Guest appearance in the season two of
Hawaii Five-0 on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 2011. Buffett reportedly was offered a cameo role in
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, but declined the offer. In 1997, Buffett collaborated with novelist
Herman WoukHerman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...
on a musical production based on Wouk's 1965 novel
Don't Stop the Carnival. In the
South ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode "
Tonsil Trouble"Tonsil Trouble" is the first episode of the twelfth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 168th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 12, 2008...
", an animated version of Buffett (but not voiced by Buffett) was seen singing "AIDSburger in Paradise" and "CureBurger in Paradise". Jimmy has also appeared on the Sesame Street special,
ElmopaloozaElmopalooza is a Sesame Street special that aired on ABC on February 20, 1998.-About the show:The show is a musical, featuring performances from guests Jon Stewart, David Alan Grier, Rosie O' Donnell, Gloria Estefan, En Vogue, The Fugees, Kenny Loggins, Shawn Colvin, Jimmy Buffett, and The Mighty...
, singing "Caribbean Amphibian" with the popular Muppet, Kermit the Frog.
Business ventures
Buffett has taken advantage of his name and the fan following for his music to launch several business ventures, usually with a tropical theme. He owns or licenses the Margaritaville Cafe and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chains. As a
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
fan, he was part-owner of two minor league teams: the
Fort Myers MiracleThe Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
and the
Madison Black WolfThe Madison Black Wolf was a Northern League baseball club located in Madison, Wisconsin from 1996 to 2000. They played their home games at Warner Park which was then nicknamed "The Wolf Den". The club was owned by Madison Baseball, LLC, which folded operations following the 2000 season...
. Between his restaurants, album sales, and tours, he earns an estimated
$The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100 million a year.
In 1993, he launched Margaritaville Records, with distribution through MCA Records. His MCA record deal ended with the release of 1996's
Christmas Island and he took Margaritaville Records over to Chris Blackwell's Island Records for a two record deal, 1998's
Don't Stop The Carnival and 1999's
Beach House On The Moon. In the fall of 1999, he started up Mailboat Records to release live albums. He partnered up with RCA Records for distribution in 2005 and 2006 for the two studio albums
License To Chill and
Take The Weather With You.
In 2006, Buffett launched a cooperative project with the
Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
brewing company to produce his own
beerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
under the Margaritaville Brewing label called Land Shark Lager.
Another Margaritaville Casino was slated to be opening in
Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
but has been put on hold indefinitely. Buffett has also licensed Margaritaville
TequilaTequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
, Margaritaville Footwear and a Margaritaville Foods including Chips, Salsa, Guacamole, Shrimp, Chicken and more.
From May 8, 2009 through January 5, 2010 Sun Life Stadium (formerly Dolphin Stadium) in Miami was named Landshark Stadium pursuant to an eight-month naming rights deal. Buffett also wrote new lyrics for the team to his 1979 song "
Fins"Fins" is a song performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was written by Buffett, Coral Reefer Band members Deborah McColl and Barry Chance, and author Tom Corcoran. It was released as a single on MCA 41109 in July 1979.It was first released on his 1979 album...
", which is played during Dolphins home games.
In May 2011, Buffet announced that he had partnered with game makers
THQTHQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
to make a
Margaritaville"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. This song was written about a drink in Austin, Texas, and the first huge surge of tourists who descended on Key West almost two decades ago. He wrote...
game for
FacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and
iOSiOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
devices. The game opened in closed beta to what's being referred to as the Buffet Beta Club. The game, which requires users to download Unity Engine for use on the Facebook API, is expected to release on
FacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
in
DecemberDecember is the 12th and last month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.December starts on the same day as September every year and ends on the same day as April every year.-Etymology:...
2011 and to
iOsiOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
devices by the end of
JanuaryJanuary is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day...
2012.
Charity work
Buffett has been involved in many
charityThe practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
efforts. In 1981 the
Save the Manatee ClubSave the Manatee is a 501 non-profit group and membership organization. They are the world's leading manatee conservation group . It was created by singer and song writer Jimmy Buffett and former U.S. Senator, Bob Graham in 1981...
was founded by Buffett and former Florida governor
Bob GrahamDaniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
. Save the Manatee Club is the world's leading manatee protection organization.
West Indian ManateeThe West Indian Manatee is a manatee, and the largest surviving member of the aquatic mammal order Sirenia . The West Indian Manatee, Trichechus manatus, is a species distinct from the Amazonian Manatee, T. inunguis, and the West African Manatee, T. senegalensis...
In 1989, legislation was passed in
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
that introduced the "Save the Manatee" license plate, and earmarked funding for the Save the Manatee Club. One of the two manatees trained to interact with researchers at
Mote Marine LaboratoryMote Marine Laboratory is an independent not-for-profit marine research organization based on City Island in Sarasota, FL. The laboratory aims to advance the science of the sea, both through its marine and estuarine research labs and through the public Mote Aquarium and its affiliated educational...
is named Buffett after the singer.
The "Singing for Change" foundation was initially funded by proceeds from Buffett's 1995 concert tour, and provides grants to local charities in three main areas: children and family causes, environmental causes, and causes for disenfranchised groups.
On November 23, 2004, Buffett raised substantial money at his "Surviving the Storm" Hurricane Relief Concert in Orlando, Florida to provide relief for hurricane victims in Florida, Alabama and the Caribbean affected by the four major hurricanes that year.
Buffett performed in Hong Kong on January 18, 2008 for a concert that raised US$63,000 for the Foreign Correspondents' Club Charity Fund. This was his first concert in Hong Kong and it sold out within weeks. Not only did Buffett perform for the groundlings for free, but he also paid for the concertgoers' tequila and beer.
On July 11, 2010, Buffett, a Gulf Coast native, put on a free concert on the beach in
Gulf Shores, Alabama-External links:*...
. The concert was Buffett's response to the
BPBP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
oil disaster in the Gulf. The concert was aired on
CMT- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
television. The 35,000 free tickets were given away within minutes to help draw people back to Alabama's beaches. Buffett played several popular songs including "Fins", "Son of a Son of a Sailor", "A Pirate Looks at Forty" and a modified version of "Margaritaville" where the lyrics were changed in the chorus to "now I know, it's all BP's fault." The concert featured
Jesse WinchesterJesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970...
and
Allen ToussaintAllen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
.
In addition, many Parrothead club activities are focused on charity work, although Buffett is not directly involved with them.
Controversy
The earliest controversy with Buffett was his recording of "God's Own Drunk" found on the live recorded album
You Had to Be There. In 1983 the son of the late entertainer
Lord BuckleyLord Richard Buckley was an American stage performer, recording artist, monologist, and hip poet/comic...
sued Buffett for $11 million for copyright infringement claiming that Buffett took parts of the monologue from Buckley's
A Tribute to Buckley and claimed it as his own work in "God's Own Drunk". The suit also alleged that Buffett's "blasphemous" rendition presented to the public a distorted impression of Lord Buckley. They got an injunction against Buffett which prevented him from performing the song until the lawsuit was settled or resolved. So, in 1986 when Buffett would get to the part of his show where he would normally perform "God's Own Drunk," he would say that he still isn't allowed to play it because of the lawsuit and instead played a song he wrote called "The Lawyer and the Asshole" in which he accuses Buckley's son and lawyers as being greedy and tells them to "kiss his ass."
On October 6, 2006, it was reported that Buffett had been detained by French custom officials in Saint Tropez for allegedly carrying over 100 pills of
ecstasyMDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
.
Buffett’s luggage was searched after his Dassault Falcon 900 private jet landed at Toulon-Hyères International Airport. He paid a fine of $300 and was released. A spokesperson for Buffett stated the pills in question were prescription drugs, but declined to name the drug or the health problem for which he was being treated. Buffett released a statement that the "ecstasy" was in fact, a Vitamin B supplement known as Foltx.
In January 1996 Buffett's Grumman HU-16 airplane nicknamed "
Hemisphere DancerHemisphere Dancer is the name of singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett's personal seaplane. A Grumman HU-16 Albatross flying boat, serial number 137928 and civil registration number N928J, the aircraft is central to the action in Buffett's best-selling autobiography A Pirate Looks at 50...
" was shot at by Jamaican police who believed the craft to be smuggling marijuana. The aircraft sustained minimal damage. The plane had been carrying Buffett as well as
U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell, and co-pilot Bill Dindy. They were not on board at the time. The Jamaican government acknowledged the mistake and apologized to Buffett who penned the song "Jamaica Mistaica" for his
Banana Wind album based on the experience. The plane from the incident is now at Orlando City Walk's Margaritaville.
On February 4, 2001, he was ejected from the American Airlines Arena in Miami during a
Miami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
/
New York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
basketball game for cursing. After the game, referee Joe Forte said that he ordered him moved during the fourth quarter because "there was a little boy sitting next to him and a lady sitting by him. He used some words he knows he shouldn't have used." Forte apparently didn't know who Buffett was, and censured Heat coach
Pat RileyPatrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
because he thought Riley – who was trying to explain to him who Buffett was – was insulting him by asking if he'd ever been a "Parrothead", the nickname for Buffett fans. Buffett didn't comment immediately after the incident, but discussed it with
Matt LauerMatthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
on
The Today Show three days later.
Jimmy Buffett was paid $250,000 to perform a private show for ex-Tyco CEO
Dennis KozlowskiLeonard Dennis Kozlowski is a former CEO of Tyco International, convicted in 2005 of crimes related to his receipt of $81 million in purportedly unauthorized bonuses, the purchase of art for $14.725 million and the payment by Tyco of a $20 million investment banking fee to Frank Walsh, a former...
. This show was part of a multiple day event held to celebrate Kozlowski's girlfriend and her birthday. Video footage of this performance is included in a CNBC television series known as "American Greed."
Setlist structure
Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band have earned a tremendous amount of recognition for their concerts—which mixes theatrical elements with improvisation—bringing a carefree tropical party to life. Most recent shows consist of 24–26 songs and two separate encores.
The first
encoreAn encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
usually consists of two songs. After the first song, Buffett introduces the band, and then they segue into the second song. The second encore usually consists of a single acoustic ballad. "A Pirate Looks at Forty" is a typical closer at shows, however, Buffett sometimes takes the opportunity to choose a more obscure song to perform such as:"He Went to Paris", "
Nautical WheelersNautical Wheelers refers to a ship builder that specifically works on the fabrication of hulls of ships. The technique called wheeling is used to form the metal panels that form the hulls of ships....
" or "
Tin Cup ChaliceTin Cup Chalice , was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who, in 2008, became the first New York-bred to win New York’s “OTB Big Apple Triple" of Racing: the Mike Lee Handicap, the New York Derby, and the Albany Stakes...
", among others.
"
Fins"Fins" is a song performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was written by Buffett, Coral Reefer Band members Deborah McColl and Barry Chance, and author Tom Corcoran. It was released as a single on MCA 41109 in July 1979.It was first released on his 1979 album...
", mostly performed towards the end of the show in recent years, is always preluded by the
JawsJaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
theme as a teaser. Buffett calls out to the Parrotheads, or "land-sharks", to get their "fins up"! The fans raise their hands in the air, in the manner of a dorsal fin, and wave it left and right. "
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in AttitudesChanges in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is the breakthrough 1977 album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. The album, his eighth, remains the best-selling album of Buffett's career, and contains his biggest single, "Margaritaville"...
" usually has a video of local parrotheads in the arena/venue parking lot playing over its performance. "
Why Don't We Get Drunk"Why Don't We Get Drunk" is a novelty song written and performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was a b-side to the first single from his 1973 album A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean...
" is sometimes performed in a different style (i.e. Hawaiian style, karaoke style, sing-along style). "
One Particular HarbourOne Particular Harbour is the 13th studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in September 1983 as MCA 5447 and was produced by Buffett and Michael Utley. It was Buffett's first involvement producing an album....
" is played for women and men wearing
hulaHula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
-skirts. "
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" is a song performed by Alan Jackson with Jimmy Buffett, and written by Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins. It was released in June 2003 as the lead single from Jackson's 2003 compilation album Greatest Hits Volume II. It spent eight non-consecutive weeks at Number One...
" is performed with
Mac McAnallyLyman Corbitt "Mac" McAnally, Jr. is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. Two of his singles were hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and six more on the Hot Country Songs charts...
taking
Alan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
's place.
The band will also often throw in references to and skits about the actual venue they're playing to please home town fans. As an example, when Buffett and the Coral Reefers performed at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, Boston, in September 2004, they added a performance of "
Take Me Out To The Ball Game"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
" featuring Dr. Charles Steinberg on organ, segued "Why Don't We Get Drunk" into
Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
favorite "
Sweet Caroline"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
", and attempted to reverse the
Curse of the BambinoThe Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
(some even claim they were successful, as the Red Sox won their first World Series in over 86 years a few weeks later). Similarly, when playing the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2009 (Buffett's first London gig for 29 years), the setlist included Warren Zevon's "
Werewolves of London"Werewolves of London" is a rock song composed by LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, and Warren Zevon and performed by Zevon. Included on Zevon's 1978 album Excitable Boy, it featured accompaniment by bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.The single was released by Asylum as...
", a cover that Buffett recorded on the
soundtrack to HootHoot is a 2006 American family comedy film based on Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name. It was directed by Wil Shriner and produced by New Line Cinema and Walden Media. Hoot was released on May 5, 2006....
. Buffett also performed two
BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
songs that he had been playing throughout the
Summerzcool tour: "
Yellow Submarine"Yellow Submarine" is a 1966 song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , with lead vocals by Ringo Starr. It was included on the Revolver album and issued as a single, coupled with "Eleanor Rigby". The single went to number 1 on every major British chart, remained at number 1 for four weeks...
" and "
Rocky Raccoon"Rocky Raccoon" is a song by The Beatles from the double-disc album The Beatles . The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, who was inspired while playing acoustic guitar with John Lennon and Donovan in India .-Composition:The song, a folk rock ballad, is titled from the character's name,...
".
"The Big 8" and standard songs
Before 2003, songs played at every Buffett show were known as the Big 8. With the success of the Alan Jackson duet "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere", and the rising popularity of "One Particular Harbour", the list of songs played at every show went from 8 to 10. The "Big 8" were:
- "Margaritaville
"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. This song was written about a drink in Austin, Texas, and the first huge surge of tourists who descended on Key West almost two decades ago. He wrote...
"
- "Come Monday
"Come Monday" is the title a song written and recorded by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1974 album Living & Dying in ¾ Time and was his first Top 40 hit single reaching #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #3 Easy Listening and #58...
"
- "Fins
"Fins" is a song performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was written by Buffett, Coral Reefer Band members Deborah McColl and Barry Chance, and author Tom Corcoran. It was released as a single on MCA 41109 in July 1979.It was first released on his 1979 album...
"
- "Volcano
"Volcano" is a song performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was written by Jimmy Buffett, Keith Sykes, and Harry Dailey and released as a single on MCA 41161 in November 1979....
"
- "A Pirate Looks at Forty
"A Pirate Looks at Forty" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was first released on his 1974 album A1A and "Presents to Send You" is the B-side of the single....
"
- "Cheeseburger in Paradise
"Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer Jimmy Buffett. It appeared on his 1978 album Son of a Son of a Sailor and was released as a single, reaching #32 on the Billboard Hot 100...
"
- "Why Don't We Get Drunk
"Why Don't We Get Drunk" is a novelty song written and performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was a b-side to the first single from his 1973 album A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean...
" — Only played occasionally, as of 2007
- "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
"Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" is the title of a song written and recorded by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released as a single on ABC Dunhill 12305 in August 1977....
"
Since "Why Don't We Get Drunk" has been knocked off the standards list, there are only nine songs played at almost every show in recent years. However, neither Buffett nor the Coral Reefers have ever used the term "Big 9" for the new line-up.
This list doesn't necessarily mean that those songs have been played at every show. "A Pirate Looks at Forty" was not played during the
George, WashingtonGeorge is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 528 at the 2000 census. Its name is a play on the name of George Washington.The city is known for being near the Gorge Amphitheatre, sometimes being called, "The Gorge at George"....
'92 show. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was excluded from two setlists during the 1998 tour. "One Particular Harbour" was left out of 11 shows during the 1997 tour, not to mention every show during the 1988 & 1989 tour. "Why Don't We Get Drunk" wasn't played at all during the Bama Breeze tour, and has since only returned to be played on an occasional basis. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" did not appear during the opening shows of the 1998 and 2003 tours. "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" was omitted from first of the two Irvine shows in 2006.
Other notable songs that are played at almost all shows, but have been dropped on occasion, are "
Son of a Son of a Sailor"Son of a Son of a Sailor" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It's the opening track of the 1978 album of the same name...
",
Van MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's "
Brown Eyed Girl"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Written and recorded in 1967 by Van Morrison and produced by Bang Records chief Bert Berns, it was first released in May 1967 on the album Blowin' Your Mind!. When released as a single, it rose to number eight on the...
" and Crosby, Stills and Nash's "
Southern Cross"Southern Cross" is a song written by Stephen Stills and performed by the rock band Crosby, Stills & Nash. It was released in 1982 on the band's Daylight Again album. Stephen Stills sings lead vocals throughout, with Graham Nash joining the final verse....
". However, it's not unusual for these three songs to be dropped from a show, therefore they aren't considered a standard.
Tour issues
On 26 January 2011 (
Australia DayAustralia Day is the official national day of Australia...
), Buffett was performing a concert in Australia at Sydney's
Hordern PavilionThe Hordern Pavilion is a building located in Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the grounds of the old Sydney Showground. "The Hordern", as it is affectionally known by Sydneysiders, has been an architecturally and socially significant Sydney landmark since its construction in 1924...
and fell off the stage after an encore. Coincidentally, one of Australia's leading trauma surgeons was at the concert and close to the stage; Dr. Gordian Fulde treated Buffett at the scene then at St Vincent's Hospital Emergency centre. Fulde has said, "I thought he'd broken his neck." "I heard the clunk of his head on a metal ledge, he has a deep gash on his scalp, which is all right now." "But at first I thought - this guy is going to be a spinal injury." Another concert-goer said, "He just went over to the edge of the stage, like he had numerous times through the night, just to wave, and people were throwing stuffed toys and things at him. And he just took one step too many and just disappeared in a flash. He didn't have time to put his arms out to save himself or anything, he just dropped." He was released from the hospital the next day.
List of tours
- 1976: A Pink Crustacean Tour
- 1977: Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes Tour
- 1978: Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour
- 1979: You Had to Be There Tour / Volcano Tour
- 1980: A Hot Dog & A Road Map Tour
- 1981: Coconut Telegraph Tour
- 1982: Homecoming Tour
- 1983: The Six-Stop American Tour
- 1984: Feeding Frenzy Tour
- 1985: Last Mango in Paris Tour
- 1986: Floridays Tour / World Tour of Florida
- 1987: A Pirate Looks At Forty Tour
- 1988: Cheap Vacation Tour / Hot Water Tour
- 1989: Off to See the Lizard Tour / Buffett Does Ballads Tour
- 1990: Jimmy's Jump Up Tour
- 1991: Outpost Tour
- 1992: Rece$$ion Rece$$ Tour
- 1993: Chameleon Caravan Tour
- 1994: Fruitcakes Tour
- 1995: Domino College Tour
- 1996: Banana Wind Tour
- 1997: Havana Daydreamin' Tour
- 1998: Don't Stop The Carnival Tour
- 1999: Beach House On The Moon Tour
- 2000: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays Tour
- 2001: A Beach Odyssey Tour
- 2002: Far Side of the World Tour
- 2003: Tiki Time Tour
- 2004: License To Chill Tour
- 2005: A Salty Piece Of Land Tour
- 2006: Party At The End Of The World Tour
- 2007: Bama Breeze Tour
- 2008: Year of Still Here Tour
- 2009: Summerzcool Tour
- 2010: Under The Big Top Tour
- 2011: Welcome to Fin Land
"Gulf and western" style
Gulf and western is a term used to describe the
musicA music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
of Buffett and other similar sounding performers. The name derives from elements in Buffett's early music including musical influence from
country and westernCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, along with
folk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and lyrical themes from the
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coast. A critic described Buffett's music as a combination of "tropical languor with country funkiness into what some [have] called the Key West sound, or Gulf-and-western." The term is a play on the name of the former megacorporation
Gulf+WesternGulf and Western Industries, Inc., for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate.- History :Gulf and Western's prosaic origins date to a manufacturer named Michigan Bumper Co. founded in 1934, though Charles Bluhdorn treated his 1958 takeover of what was then Michigan...
(now part of
National AmusementsNational Amusements, Inc. is a privately owned theatre company based in Dedham, Massachusetts, USA. The company was founded in 1936 as the Northeast Theatre Corporation by Michael Redstone....
).
Other performers identified as gulf and western are often deliberately derivative of Buffett's musical style and some are
tribute bandA tribute act is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act - sometimes one which has disbanded, ceased touring or is deceased. Probably the largest class of tributes acts are Elvis impersonators, individual performers who mimic the songs and style...
s or, in the case of Greg "Fingers" Taylor, a former member of Jimmy Buffett's
Coral Reefer BandThe Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Originally it was a fictional band consisting of the imaginary members Marvin Gardens, Kay Pasa, Al Vacado and Kitty Litter....
. They can be heard on Buffett's
onlineThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
Radio Margaritaville and on the compilation
albumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
series
Thongs in the Key of Life.
External links