In Memory of Jimmy Buffett

[Freestyle]

In 1974, my swim coach played us a new album by a guy named Jimmy Buffett that had stories about a bear and a still in the woods and basic instruction on how to use alcohol to get laid that grabbed my 10 year old attention.

This man seemed to know a lot about boats, beaches, bars, and all sorts of places I decided I wanted to be.

In one of his early album jackets, he said something to the effect that you should buy a boat when you get your first money, because you might not get any second money.

Best advice I ever followed.

Thank you Jimmy, you will be missed.

Bruce

Freestyle
1986 62 CPMY (54 MY with ext)
Tampa

 

[Fanfare]

Sometime around the early 1990s my bride and I were wandering around downtown Harbour Island in the Bahamas (both streets). Everyone we met wanted to know if we were going to see Jimmy Buffet. Our response was "Jimmy who..?" We learned he was in town to become his friend Gusty's son's godfather and that there would be a concert at Gusty's Bar that night. Tickets were $4.50. We went. One of the first songs that night was "Why Don't We Get Drunk And..." What???...

Later over the years I had the pleasure of meeting him in several other times and watering holes and having great discussions about why I felt he should buy a Grumman Mallard amphibian airplane instead of the smaller Goose (he ignored my advice), the best islands dive spots and other enjoyable matters. What a nice guy.

Not having met many celebrities I was impressed by his easy going and friendly approach to all he met. Over the years I have acquired several of his CDs and no trip South is complete without playing a few.

Tonight I'll skip my customary martini and have a large rum on the rocks in his honor. And a cheeseburger. I'll miss him. An Original. R.I.P. Jimmy.

 

[Scarlett]

We were lucky to see him twice in concert. The second time one of his crew flew his plane over the parking lot where we were all tailgate partying. Sitting in the concert venue all you had to do was Breathe in to get high due to all the weed being smoked. Good times.

 

[Pascal]

We were lucky to be given tickets to his concert in key west in February, in a very small theater. Maybe 200-300 people max. Amazing experience. It was like a test run for the bigger events he had planned this year.

It’s a page of musical history which was just turned.

 

[Picknasty]

I was lucky to see him once before he passed, saw him last spring at the Wharf in Mobile, AL. I teared up at certain songs because of how much I've listened to them and how central they've become in fond memories. When I was in Afghanistan, several of the guys passed around one of his books, A Pirate Looks at Fifty. My dream was to get Jimmy to sign it and give it back to the parrot-head that lent it to me. He was a hell of a man, hell of a life.

 

[whoover]

Alot of fun music and that book was one of my favorite reads.

Walt Hoover