Remembering Jimmy Buffett
Surfsupusa at English Wikipedia, [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons
I’m not normally one to virtue signal or publicly mourn the deaths of celebrities that I didn’t know, but I am saddened by the death of Jimmy Buffett. I’ve been a Buffet fan since I first heard his music about 40 years ago and saw him perform live about five times, mostly in Atlanta’s Lakewood Amphitheater, an outdoor venue where the place to be was the general admission section on the lawn. The Parrotheads in the parking lot were always an entertaining warmup for Jimmy and the Coral Reefers.
Buffett was best known for his odes to sailing and margaritas, but he was also a pilot. One of my favorite deep tracks was “Somewhere Over China,” a song that described the joy of flying. As a flight instructor in Florida, I used to see his Grumman Albatross seaplane on a regular basis.
Buffett’s death also hit home because he died from lymphoma that began as skin cancer. I’ve had my own brushes with cancer, and my first was skin cancer. Wear hats and sunscreen, folks.
Buffett sang years ago about “growing older but not up” and, on the surface, his lifestyle matched his lyrics. Underneath, however, he was a hardworking entertainer who wrote books, started a restaurant chain, and even composed a Broadway musical in addition to releasing countless albums of “Key Western” music. Much like the Beatles, Buffett produced such an incredible array of diverse music that there’s something for everyone.
Every time I saw Jimmy perform, there were rumors that it was his last tour. Well, now that sad fact is no longer a rumor. Come Monday, we’ll begin to understand that Jimmy will never more be featured at the Labor Day weekend show. The dreamers, romantics, and those born 200 years too late have lost a powerfully poetic voice.
May Jimmy Buffett rest in peace and may God have mercy on his soul.
Fair winds and calm seas, Jimmy.
