Jimmy Buffett, legendary 'Margaritaville' singer, dies at 76

[sonnymax]

Never a fan, but I respected the community of fans he built around his music and values.

Jimmy Buffett, legendary 'Margaritaville' singer, dies at 76

[Dan Gould]

Medium-level fan (few CDs from 80s recordings, never considered seeing him in concert) but his passing does give me pause because my older brother, if he were alive, would be distressed at this news.  He came back from his first semester at Miami of Ohio a big fan and continued that way the rest of his life.

I do think Buffett had songwriting skills beyond the "fun" and "clever" label attached to his best known songs.  Sometime in the early 90s, he put out a CD marketed to promote acts that have appeared at his chain of restaurants/bar/hotels, with I think one song of his own. It was called Margaritaville Cafe, and "Souvenirs" is a gem. The bridge thru the last verse/chorus always gets me:

I still go to pieces
But I don't go as often
Placeless times in space
Where all the edges soften

 

She took me away
Where I couldn't send her
I knew that she would leave me
Something to remember

 

I wanted more than one
Until I found the one I wanted
Her memories are ghosts now
Though I'm still pretty haunted

 

What we gave each other
Ain't exactly clear
Probably comes under the heading
Of souvenirs

Edited September 2, 2023 by Dan Gould

[sonnymax]

Thanks for sharing that, Dan. Very moving.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I always liked his music and thought about seeing one of his shows, but the "Parrothead" stuff got crazy a long while ago and his concerts felt like an "in" thing that I didn't really get. Maybe if I liked margaritas more?

I once met a guy with a parrothead hat on who went on rant at me that went something like, "If you don't think Jimmy Buffett is the best, you're a moron". I just can't get that into his music.

[Teasing the Korean]

17 minutes ago, bresna said:

I always liked his music and thought about seeing one of his shows, but the "Parrothead" stuff got crazy a long while ago and his concerts felt like an "in" thing that I didn't really get. Maybe if I liked margaritas more?

I once met a guy with a parrothead hat on who went on rant at me that went something like, "If you don't think Jimmy Buffett is the best, you're a moron". I just can't get that into his music.

About 20 years ago, the Parrotheads tried to infiltrate the tiki community.  It did not go well for them.

[JSngry]

My HVAC guy is a huge parrot head guy with the resources to go all in on the rituals.

 He's a really nice guy of unimpeachable ethics and skills, so the loss will be felt there, for sure. 

[Stompin at the Savoy]

He made pleasant enough music and some of the songs were actually pretty good.  Nevertheless it kind of makes you wonder that this guy with his mostly bland, formulaic, 4 chord strummed ditties ended up with half a billion dollars while a lot of worthy players and composers don't get much appreciation or recognition.  Popular tastes are strange.  People go ape-shit over the Jimmy Buffetts and Taylor Swifts of this world.

[jazzbo]

I think he made most of that money via restaurant/resort property and business.

[Dan Gould]

3 hours ago, Stompin at the Savoy said:

He made pleasant enough music and some of the songs were actually pretty good.  Nevertheless it kind of makes you wonder that this guy with his mostly bland, formulaic, 4 chord strummed ditties ended up with half a billion dollars while a lot of worthy players and composers don't get much appreciation or recognition.  Popular tastes are strange.  People go ape-shit over the Jimmy Buffetts and Taylor Swifts of this world.

Try a full billion dollars net worth, per Forbes, though as Jazzbo points out, the money was mostly from his empire of products and facilities dedicated to the image engendered by "Margaritaville".

Which, by the way, was his ONLY top ten hit and that was 1978. Comparing Buffett to Taylor Swift is ludicrous and anyway, the tastes you deride are popular.  What part of that is confusing or surprising?

 

7 hours ago, JSngry said:

My HVAC guy is a huge parrot head guy with the resources to go all in on the rituals.

 He's a really nice guy of unimpeachable ethics and skills, so the loss will be felt there, for sure. 

Sorry but this last sentence makes no sense.  Parrot heads with resources and impeachable ethics and skills can also be expected to feel a loss. Are you saying that you will sympathize only because he's a good guy?

17 hours ago, sonnymax said:

Thanks for sharing that, Dan. Very moving.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[gvopedz]

2 hours ago, jazzbo said:

I think he made most of that money via restaurant/resort property and business.

Some details of Jimmy Buffet the "astute, ambitious, aggressive businessman" are here:

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/jimmy-buffett-remembered-margaritaville-empire

[Dan Gould]

I never willingly watched any of the Jurassic Park sequels but just found out that Buffett had a spot as an extra in Jurassic World. If the script only called for him to carry two Margaritas as he ran from the raptor and he improvised the sip,, that's pretty damn funny.

 

[Brad]

RIP. I can’t say I was a huge fan but did enjoy some of his music. He left the life he sang about a king time ago. 

[Stompin at the Savoy]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Try a full billion dollars net worth, per Forbes, though as Jazzbo points out, the money was mostly from his empire of products and facilities dedicated to the image engendered by "Margaritaville".

Which, by the way, was his ONLY top ten hit and that was 1978. Comparing Buffett to Taylor Swift is ludicrous and anyway, the tastes you deride are popular.  What part of that is confusing or surprising?

 

 

I guess your assumption is popular music = lowest common denominator crap.  That hasn't always been true.   Fats Waller was once a very popular artist.  There are plenty of examples.  Listen to the audiences at Jazz at the Philharmonic and tell me pop music is crap by definition.  And why is the comparison of Buffett and Swift ludicrous?  Both parlayed a minor talent and personal cult into billions.

[Teasing the Korean]

6 minutes ago, Stompin at the Savoy said:

I guess your assumption is popular music = lowest common denominator crap.  That hasn't always been true.   Fats Waller was once a very popular artist.  There are plenty of examples.  

Burt Bacharach.

[Stompin at the Savoy]

46 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Burt Bacharach.

Right.  Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat Cole were actually excellent singers and musicians.  There are contemporary examples but I have to say that contemporary culture has in some ways hit a nadir.  We live in the age of short-lived viral sensations which have a lot to do with superficial style, hair-dos, glittery costumes and a cult of personality. Thus you have Justin Bieber.

I suppose if I make some attempt to generalize what is happening, it would be that popular artists are nowadays often popular for non-musical reasons.  I suppose there have always been novelty acts but I think Taylor Swift is a new phenomenon which grew out of Sinatra, Beatles, etc sort of superstardom.  There is a bigger package here, of which the music is only a part and sometimes even a pretty small part.  The artist has graduated from singer to comprehensive, multi-media show.  Jimmy Buffett, the Grateful Dead, etc are a lifestyle, an industry, not a musician or musical group.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Stompin at the Savoy

[JSngry]

4 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Are you saying that you will sympathize only because he's a good guy?

I'm saying that me myself am totally indifferent. My HVAC guy is my only window into that world. Literally my only window. Nobody else I know cares one way or the other, nor do I. 

[Rooster_Ties]

Don’t know much nor ever known much about Buffet, but this popped up on my YouTube feed…

Buffet on Carson — and the second song he sings is “Stars Fell on Alabama”: