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Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, and Parrot Heads

Jimmy Buffett and Margaritaville are a whole-world immersion, like Disney for kids if Disney was in every state. It's hard to actually describe that immersion, as each person finds Jimmy in his or her own unique way. (No, Jimmy isn't Jesus.)

 I first heard his music at a biker bar thirty years ago. The fan base has exploded since then. The official Jimmy Buffet fan club is Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc (PHiP). It's as unique as the artist himself.

They sponsor an annual Meeting of the Minds (MOTM) event.

Support Charities with Parrot Head Music
The 2022 Meeting of the Minds is a beachfront festival to celebrate Parrot Heads in Paradise - a nonprofit inspired by Jimmy Buffet and his music. Over the years, the festival has raised over 53 million dollars towards various charities. 

This special island event features over 30 hours of live music and cool events over the course of five days. The festival takes place in beautiful Key West near all sorts of cool attractions like the Hemingway House and the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S. With all the excitement going on, you’ll need the perfect place to relax and unwind after all the fun - book a Key West vacation rental close to all the excitement!

Jimmy Buffett appreciates his fan base. They aren't just bread and butter; they share his passions. And, over the decades, they have shaped bits of his world and ours. I don't think Buffett's Save the Manatee organization would be as successful as it is were it not for those shared passions.

Those shared passions belong to the Parrot Heads. Mega fans of both the music and the culture swirling around it, they can seem a bit...odd.  

Old men in tank tops
Cruisin' the gift shops
Checkin' out chiquitas down by the shore
They dream about weight loss, oh
Wish they could be their own boss
Those three day vacations become such a bore

Not all are old men or women, nor do they all prefer tank tops. They mostly are bright, colorful and fun at Buffett concerts or related events.

Are you a Parrot Head? Go on. Take the quiz.

Events? Yup. Want the full Margaritaville experience? Want to know where the Parrot Head crew spends cash? Where he flourishes? How passionate he is?

You can:

Not going to lie; his books are good reads.

Not into books? Buffett pioneered his own radio station, Radio Margaritaville. 

Jeff loves the station. I'm kinda burnt on the same Buffett songs played ad nauseam. That aside, I enjoy the rest of the offerings and his lesser-played songs. I actually enjoy the stuff in his musical.

Musical?! Yup.

Escape to Margaritaville is a musical that was first performed in 2017, featuring Jimmy Buffett songs. The plot revolves around a part-time bartender and singer who falls for a career-minded tourist. The show features music and lyrics by Jimmy Buffett with book written by Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley.- Wiki

Yes, it's mostly all his existing songs, but the format is different. The songs aren't the repeated radio offerings from twenty, thirty etc years ago. It also contains three of my favorite songs,"Son of a Son of a Sailor", "One Particular Harbor", and "Love and Luck". The latter is our theme song, and we've had our share of love and luck getting us by.

Everbody needs a little good luck charm
A little gris-gris keeps you safe from harm
Rub yours on me and I'll rub mine on you
Luckiest couple on the avenue

The radio has played for four hours tonight. I was kicking around in my office when an AARP article caught my eye.


Anyway, if you want to find out more about his fans and history, Parrot Heads is available for free for Amazon Prime members. It's pretty well put together.

And now, out come the headphones. Soft jazz is in my future. I'll leave Jeff to his Jimmy fix.


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