Page 32 - April 2023 Issue.indd

That's What Living Is To Me point: "Jimmy Buffett? Margaritaville? One hit wonder! He's
still around?" I know that was my father's reaction when he
by Chad Dean saw me decked out in my tropical threads leaving the farm-

house for my fi rst Buffett show in 1997. News flash: it's 2023.

Buffett might be most well-known in the mainstream for his

There are plenty of Jimmy Buffett fans in Caroline County. I signature song about a lost shaker of salt, but to those that

sat with some in the North Caroline High School band room
live the lifestyle, the adoration is obvious as every concert
as us students attempted to learn "Grapefruit Juicy-Fruit" on
he gives is a three hour sing-a-long of fan favorites from his
the guitar. I have attended myriad concerts of his with locals
more than 60 albums. Attendees know all the words and even
and bumped in to others tailgating at venues like Merri- dances that go with each song.
weather Post Pavilion and Jiff y Lube Live, not to mention

enjoying quality area acts such as Chris Sacks that cover his Buffett has not stopped with live shows. Perhaps you have

music. These "Parrotheads" as Jimmy Buffett fans are known dined at a Cheeseburger in Paradise, Margaritaville Cafe,

can be easily identified by their attire on concert day -- grass or the LandShark Bar and Grill in Baltimore. Maybe you've

hula skirts and coconut bikini tops for example -- and those picked up some Buffett-branded shrimp, beer, tequila, or
are just the men! flip-flops at a nearby store. Possibly you've gambled at a
Margaritaville Casino or stayed at a Margaritaville Resort,
In all seriousness, or about as serious as trop rock enthusiasts one of which is currently under construction in Ocean City. If

are willing to be, Jimmy Buffett's "gulf and western" genre
Jimmy Buffett is a one-hit wonder, then he has to be the most

continues to be successful both artistically and commercially
successful ever; at press time his net worth is approximately
because it provides escapism from the real world. Pop in any $550 million. Not bad for a fellow history major.
random album of his and each song takes listeners away to
a diff erent time and place where existence is bliss -- full of How does he use his money? To practice what he preaches, of

sunshine, clear water, and oft en copious amounts of adult course. Buffett is invested in the Miami Dolphins, has owned

beverages. Buffett sells happy hedonism, you might say. interest in several minor league baseball teams, has been

seen at courtside of Miami Heat games, flies his own private
Readers may be scratching their heads and wondering at this
plane, and has even been spotted sailing the Chesapeake Bay
(the 2009 song "Beautiful Swimmers" is about Eastern Shore
crabs, by the way).
That is, of course, when he isn't working appearing in movies

like The Beach Bum alongside of Matthew McConaughey and

Snoop Dogg or working on a Broadway play based on his
music or churning out yet another best-selling book; Buff ett
is one of few writers who has attained #1 on the New York
Times fiction and non-fiction lists. Ernest Hemingway is
another such author, and clearly a kindred spirit.
I don't want to elbow myself into that elite company, but I
understand the mindset. I have been independent with a
desire to live a carefree life as long as I can remember. To put
Classic Cars • Vintage Cars • Barn Finds it pithily, I want to do everything ever -- and not necessarily
for the accomplishment but rather to stand in the moment of
(Especially Mustangs, Shelbys, and Convertibles) the past and present. Previous Caroline Review articles have
explored my attempt to check off every national park, walk

Restored & Unrestored Finders across the country, see every county, visit every NASCAR

Running or Not Fee track, and more. That OCD-fueled way of thinking eventu-
ally overlapped with my love of and knowledge of Jimmy
ANY CONDITION
Paid Buff ett songs.
It is crystal clear to me where this one of many travel quests
¡“Žš—­ Ž¡©“ŒŽ $$$ CASH PAID began. It was 1994 and I had just received my driver's license.
There was a radio show called Country Gold Saturday Night

that played all the hits that modern stations did not. I would
410-320-7522 be driving home along the Denton-Greensboro Road and
more oft en than not the deejay would play a Buff ett tune.
Any pictures can be emailed His musical arrangements and his lyrics stuck out as unique;
to lightbd@comcast.net I was intrigued. So for my next birthday I asked for a Buff ett

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