Staff report
Jimmy Buffet, who parlayed his special brand of music into a major franchise, died on September 1st. He was 76.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st, surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs” was the official statement. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
Buffet, who had been hospitalized after cancelling his concert tour earlier this year, reportedly died of skin cancer. He is survived by Jane, his wife of 46 years, three children, Savannah, Sara, and Cameron and his grandchildren.
He is well known in the Greater Cincinnati region for concerts performed at River Bend that drew record crowds — 54 sold-out concerts over three decades.
It was, in fact, at a concert at Timberwolf Amphitheater at Kings Island the famous Parrot Head term was born in 1985. It became a movement and prompted the first of the more than 200 Parrothead Clubs across the country, starting in Atlanta in 1989.
His enthusiastic fans are — and will forever be — Parrotheads, distinguished not just for their enthusiasm for Buffet, his music, and his message, but by their colorful attire and parrot hats.
President Joe Biden issued an official statement lamenting his death and praising him as an “American music icon” whose “witty, wistful tunes celebrate a uniquely American cast of characters and seaside folkways, weaving together an unforgettable music mix of country, folk, rock, pop, and calypso into something uniquely his own…
“He reminded us of how much the simple things in life matter — the people we love, the places we’re from, the hopes we have on the horizon.”
Buffett parlayed “his cheeky, rum-soaked songs about pirates (“A Pirate Looks at Forty”), boozy beach bums (“It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere”), captains and sand-caked rogues (“The Captain and the Kid”) into a permanent vacation journey where every port of call was loaded with fruity drinks, colorful summer-themed outfits and precisely no cares in the world,” wrote one music critic.
His iconic songwriting style leaned into the guy you can enjoy a margarita (or a beer) with.
He had 13 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles — including seven top 40 hits and one top 10 — as well as 40 entries on the Billboard 200 album chart.
But his laid-back personna hid a keen mind for business that parlayed his island-spiked bar band folk rock anthems into an estimated billion-dollar personal fortune. His businesses included a series of Margaritaville and LandShark Bar & Grill restaurants across the U.S., as well as licensing agreements for Margaritaville tequila, shoes, cruises, pre-packaged food items and an Atlantic City casino.
There were also his personal Margaritaville and Mailboard Records imprints, a trio of charitable organizations that funded personal growth through music and manatee rescue as well as a couple of musicals, a signature beer, and three retirement communities.
He was a best-selling writer, a businessman, a pilot and a conservationist.
Born James William Buffett on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, MS, and raised in Mobile, Alabama, the singer was one of three children born to James Delaney Buffett Jr. and Mary Loraine (Peets), who both worked for the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding company. He grew up listening to his grandfather steamship captain J.D. Buffett’s tales of high seas adventure, to whom he paid homage in “Son of a Son of a Sailor.
Margaritaville was his all time highest charting career single, though his wide-ranging music is on everybody’s mind, including It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (with Alan Jackson), Come Monday — and many, many more.
Riverbend Music Center published this remembrance on its Facebook page:
“The history of Riverbend Music Center cannot be written without acknowledging the impact of Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers. Buffett performed 54 sold-out concerts over 3 decades and created millions of memories for all of us. Every summer, we could always count on him to bring the good vibes to Riverbend, and he never let us down.
“The annual pilgrimage to the river signaled the time to break out Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, leis, and even coconut bras for THE event of summer. After all, Cincinnati was the birthplace of the affectionate term “Parrothead.” Bassist Timothy B. Schmit coined the term after a 1985 performance at Timberwolf Amphitheater likening the sea of fans to not Deadheads, but a bunch of Parrotheads. It’s a term this great city proudly wears as a badge of honor, with fans showing unwavering dedication year after years selling out his concerts.
“Jimmy Buffett never failed to transform Riverbend Music Center into a paradise for the evenings he shared his laid-back tunes. During the height of Buffettmania fans flocked to the venue for five consecutive sold-out shows, exemplifying their devotion to the tropical troubadour. Every brightly-clad, beachy-looking fan infused the venue with smiles and good vibes whilst searching for their lost shaker of salt and tossing their fins in the air. After all, we’re in Fincinnati.
“Our little slice of Margaritaville heaven was something we looked forward to every summer, a chance to connect with fans from all walks of life. The realization that those days are behind us is heartbreaking, but the memories will live on for the man who made it all happen. We will deeply miss this unofficial summer holiday spent with thousands of friends and our clocks perpetually set to 5 o’clock. The special bond our city shares with this son of a son of a sailor will never be forgotten.
“In the words of the man himself: “If there’s a heaven for me, I’m sure it has a beach attached.” From the bottom of our hearts, rest in paradise, Jimmy Buffett.”