Jimmy Buffett Biography

Singer / Songwriter

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Jimmy Buffett's Caribbean-tinged single "Margaritaville" (1977) established him as a cheerful musical advocate for beaches, bars and laid-back living. Never exactly a dominant figure in pop music, Buffett instead proved to be an enduring star in his own tropical niche, strumming wistful, boozy tunes about sailors, dreamers and lowlifes with titles like "Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful" and "Cheeseburger in Paradise." He and his Coral Reefer band toured regularly throughout the 1980s and 1990s and into the 21st century, playing to crowds of devoted fans known as Parrotheads. Buffett has released more than two dozen albums, including A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean (1973), Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (1977), Son of a Son of a Sailor (1978) and Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads (1994). He also has had success as a writer of books, penning the memoir A Pirate Looks at Fifty (1998), the short story collection Tales From Margaritaville (1989) and the whimsical novel Where Is Joe Merchant? (1992).

Extra credit: Buffett owns a chain of Margaritaville Cafes... His duet with Alan Jackson, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," hit #1 on the country music charts and won "Vocal Event of the Year" at the 2003 Country Music Awards... Buffett earned a bachelor's degree in history from Southern Mississippi University... He married the former Margie Washichek in 1969; the couple split two years later. He married his second wife, the former Jane Slagsvol, in 1977... According to Buffett, the term "Parrotheads" originated as a cheerful takeoff on "Deadheads," the name given to fans of The Grateful Dead.

Other troubadours of Buffett's era: James Taylor, Billy Joel, John Denver and George Strait.