The American singer-songwriter, musician, novelist, and businessman James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) passed away on September 1, 2023.
His music generally portrayed a “island escapism” way of life, and for that reason he became famous. Both “Margaritaville” (234th on the RIAA’s list of “Songs of the Century”) and “Come Monday” were recorded by Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band and became huge hits. His “Parrotheads” fan base was extremely loyal.
Jimmy Buffett Net Worth
At the time of his passing, American singer-songwriter-actor-entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett was worth an estimated $1 billion. Jimmy passed away on September 2, 2023, at the age of 76. Jimmy Buffett became synonymous with the “island escapism” lifestyle, which he used to earn a fortune.
Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise, two of his biggest hits, became anthems for people who wanted to leave their mundane lives behind. Buffett’s music is distinctly eclectic, incorporating elements of country, rock, folk, and pop, all while incorporating tropical and beachy themes in the lyrics.
When Buffett first entered the music scene in the late 1960s, he encountered many obstacles. The emergence of albums like 1977’s “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” which featured the single “Margaritaville,” however, solidified his place in the mainstream music industry.
He went on to make more than 30 albums, and his concerts frequently drew large crowds of tropically-attired followers who called themselves “Parrotheads.” Buffett’s economic empire, outside of music, is a reflection of the carefree spirit he celebrates in his songs.
His multibillion dollar business conglomerate featured eating and sleeping establishments as well as a product line. Buffett made between $50 and $100 million from his music and business endeavors in a regular year. As of this writing, dozens of Margaritaville restaurants can be found in different countries.
There are numerous places to eat, gamble, stay, and relax. There are also other shops to peruse. Margaritaville Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheesburger Holding Company, LLC, is the entity that controls the Margaritaville brand.
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Jimmy Buffett Early Life
James William Buffett was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He grew up in the Alabama towns of Mobile and Fairhope. He studied trombone in elementary school at St. Ignatius.
He started his college career at Auburn, but transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi’s Pearl River Community College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1969. After finishing university, he moved to Nashville to work as a correspondent for the magazine Billboard.
Jimmy Buffett Music Career
In the 1960s, Buffett launched his musical career in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1970, he released his debut album, a collection of folk-rock songs with a country influence titled “Down to Earth.”
In November 1971, music singer Jerry Jeff Walker took Buffett on a busking adventure to Key West, after finding him routinely busking for vacationers in New Orleans. This is what ultimately led to Buffett relocating to Key West and developing his signature laid-back beach bum attitude.
There, Buffett fused elements of folk and country music with lyrics about seaside life, creating what has become known as the “gulf and western” style. He won over fans with his infectious dance floor fillers.
Before 2003, every Buffett concert featured the same eight songs, or the “Big 8,” which included “Margaritaville,” the tune that catapulted him to fame.
The other songs that make up the “Big 8” are “Come Monday,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”
His well-established character as the laid-back beach-bum man has been maintained through his 30+ album releases, eight of which are Gold and nine of which are Platinum or Multiplatinum, and about 40 live tours to date. As a bonus, he has a devoted following of people who call themselves “Parrotheads.”
Buffett revealed he had recorded an album named “Equal Strain on All Parts” at a concert in Nashville in April 2023, although it has yet to be released.
Jimmy Buffett Writing Career
Buffett has written three New York Times best-sellers. “Tales from Margaritaville” (1989) is a collection of short stories and was his first book. “Where Is Joe Merchant?” (1992) is his second novel. Each of these two novels stayed on The New York Times Best Seller fiction list for nearly seven months.
In 1998, his autobiography “A Pirate Looks at Fifty” was the best-selling nonfiction book in The New York Times. Besides “A Salty Piece of Land” (2004) and “Swine Not?” (2008), he has published a number of additional works. Buffett has said that he wants to publish his autobiography around the time he turns 86 (2032).
Buffett’s eldest daughter Savannah Jane Buffet collaborated with him on two children’s books: “The Jolly Mon” and “Trouble Dolls.”
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Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville and Business Empire
As a result of their 1997 collaboration, Buffett and author Herman Wouk produced a musical adaptation of Wouk’s novel “Don’t Stop the Carnival.” For six weeks in Miami in 1998, Buffett’s record featured songs from the musical.
The La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego presented the world premiere of the musical “Escape to Margaritaville” in May 2017, and the show ran through July of that year. Going on, it had a few performances in New Orleans, Houston, and Chicago.
The musical has a book by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley and a score composed of Buffett’s greatest songs, some of which were altered to better fit the tale. The Broadway premiere took place under Christopher Ashley’s direction in March 2018. The show had a total of 124 regular performances and 29 previews until July of that year.
Buffett had a hand in two different restaurant franchises, both of which have the names of his most famous songs: “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Margaritaville.”
Plus, Buffett owns the Margaritaville Cafe chain and co-created the Cheeseburger in Paradise concept with OSI Restaurant Partners (the parent company of Outback Steakhouse), which runs the restaurants under a license from Buffett.
Margaritaville Tequila, Margaritaville Footwear, and Margaritaville Foods, which makes things like chips, salsa, guacamole, shrimp, and chicken, are just a few of the items that Buffett has licensed under the “Margaritaville” trademark.
In 2006, Buffett and the Anheuser-Busch business released LandShark Lager under the Margaritaville Brewing name. At the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, he also launched the Margaritaville Casino in May 2013.
His other real estate projects include the $1 billion Latitude Margaritaville retirement community in Daytona Beach, Florida. Minto Communities and Buffett’s Margaritaville Holdings have partnered to create this business.
250 of the originally 400 lots were sold as of March 2018, with prices for homes ranging from the low $200,000s to the mid $300,000. Buffett also established Margaritaville Records in 1993; it was distributed by MCA.
After his contract with MCA expired after 1996’s “Christmas Island” album release, Margaritaville Records struck a two-album agreement with Island Records. In 2005 and 2006, he formed a distribution partnership with RCA Records.
Jimmy Buffett Personal Life and Death
In 1969, Buffett tied the knot with Margie Washichek. They separated in 1971. He has two biological daughters and an adoptive son with his second wife, Jane Slagsvol. In the early 1980s, Buffett and Slagsvol split up, although they reconciled in 1991. They split their time between West Palm Beach, Florida, and Sag Harbor, New York.
The Caribbean island of Saint Barts was also home to one of Buffett’s properties. Together with then-Florida governor Bob Graham, Buffett founded the nonprofit Save the Manatee in 1981 to combat the declining manatee population. Jimmy Buffett passed away on September 2, 2023. He was 76.
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