Known for his playful music and beachy vibes, Jimmy Buffett was an icon of the American music scene. His 1977 hit, “Margaritaville,” took the world by storm, bringing his laid-back style into the mainstream.
Jimmy passed away on Friday, September 1, leaving a legacy of joy and relaxation behind him. While he’s best known for his tropical triumphs, here are some fun, lesser-known facts about the “Mayor of Margaritaville.”
1. He was a writer.
Jimmy published a few books in his lifetime. His memoir, “A Pirate Looks At Fifty,” was a bestseller. It’s lesser known that Jimmy also wrote some fiction. He published a book called “Where Is Joe Merchant?” in 1992, which also hit the New York Times Bestseller list. It’s fair to say Jimmy was a jack-of-all-trades!
2. Jimmy was a pilot.
This isn’t far off-brand for a man whose whole shtick was vacation, to be honest. Jimmy loved to fly planes and possessed a commercial pilot’s license! He owned several different planes, but his favorite was supposedly the “Hemisphere Dancer,” the 1954 Grumman HU-16 Albatross.
3. Jimmy was an activist.
He really cared about the environment. He donated funds and time to Singing for Change, The Manatee Club, Last Mango Boatworks, and more.
4. He had a musical in his honor!
In 2017, a musical called “Escape to Margaritaville” opened on Broadway. It detailed his life and included a long list of his songs, including the classic “Margaritaville.”
5. He had an exciting birthday!
Jimmy was born on Christmas in 1946! Surely this had something to do with his spirit for celebration. It’s hard to have your birthday on many Americans’ favorite holiday of the year without taking a special liking to vacation.
Jimmy Buffett was a true artist, inspiring millions to sing, dance, and take it easy. In the spirit of Jimmy, let’s all go on a vacation. How’s that sound?
The featured images for this post are from Instagram (here and here)
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