Jimmy Buffett’s success went beyond music

Jimmy Buffett glorified lazy people before the word existed, even though he was not one of those people himself.

“Wastin’ Away Again in Margaritaville,” is the chorus of his most famous song, which has become an international hit. But Buffett is actually a sharp, ambitious, and energetic businessman.

A statement is posted Buffett’s Official Website and social media sites announced his death on Friday at the age of 76. The statement did not say where Buffett died or give a cause. He rescheduled concerts in May and admitted he was hospitalized for an unspecified illness.

Buffett built an empire largely based on Caribbean-flavored pop music that celebrates the Florida Keys, sunshine, and nightlife. His name is synonymous with the laid-back subtropical party atmosphere and his fans are known as the Parrotheads.

But behind his laid-back exterior, Buffett is admittedly a workaholic. He expanded into novels, nightclubs and many other businesses. At one point, his estimated annual income was over $40 million, and his source of revenue far outstripped the typical business model of a musician of selling albums, concert tickets, and souvenir t-shirts. .

He comes in at number 18 on Forbes’ Richest Celebrities of All Time list with a net worth of $1 billion.

The titles of Buffett’s most famous songs appear on restaurants, clothing, alcohol, and casinos. He is involved in products such as Landshark Lager, the Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chains, boats, salsa, hummus, tortillas, dipping sauces, tequila and blenders. The Margaritaville Cafe on the Las Vegas Strip is arguably the highest-grossing restaurant in the nation.

Buffett is the chairman of Margaritaville Holdings based in Palm Beach, Florida. He has a restaurant and casino in Vegas, a casino in Mississippi and a hotel in Pensacola Beach, Florida, but the exact extent of his empire is a secret. Margaritaville Holdings LLC does not disclose his financial situation and he often declines interview requests.

Along with hit songs, Buffett also wrote best-selling novels. In 2008, he was ranked 97th on Vanity Fair’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world and his fan base is large and loyal. Even when he’s in his 60s, his concert tickets still cost more than $100.

“I won’t apologize for being a good businessman,” Buffett told The Washington Post in 1998. “Too many people in the music world have ruined their lives simply because they didn’t. I’m not a good singer, and I’m just a mediocre guitar player. I started running the band many years ago because no one else could, and it turns out I’m very good at it. There have never been any grand plans for this. I’m thinking of it as I keep going. … Just trying to run the system while maintaining my chaotic 60s soul.”

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Buffett may be more intense than his songs and stage personality suggest. He was injured in 2011 when he fell face down on stage while performing in Australia and was hit in the head causing him to lose consciousness. He was discharged the next day.

An avid Miami Heat basketball fan, Buffett caused friction at a game in 2001 when he cursed at referee Joe Forte from his side seat. Forte kicked him out. The Heat moved Buffett and his son to another area.

When Heat coach at the time Pat Riley asked Forte if he knew the man he had kicked off the field, Forte did not recognize the name. He asked Forte if he had ever been a Parrot Head. “He thought I was insulting him. He wanted to give me the technique,” ​​Riley said.

Buffett was born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He once said that he arrived in the Keys in a 1946 Packard around 1970. He found his musical niche during that decade with vibrant, island-based party tunes. The tune is taken from a popular 1973 song, “Why Aren’t We Drunk?”

He became a pop star in 1977, when “Margaritaville” entered the Top 10. The song has been the soundtrack to countless happy hours in the decades since.

Buffett’s 1992 collection titled “Boats, Beaches, Bars, and Ballads” became one of the best-selling box sets ever and season concert tours. His annual summer with the Coral Reefer Band became major events, attracting thousands of Hawaiian shirt-clad Parrots. , wreaths, fun hats and other calming party accessories. Some people will follow Buffet’s tour from city to city.

“We were a social network before there was a social network on the Internet,” Buffett told the Dallas Morning News in 2012. “They have something in common; They shared everything. They started getting dressed because they were listening to music. It is a common bond.”

Early business success eclipsed record sales. According to Buffett’s website, the first Margaritaville opened in Key West, Florida, in 1987. The chain has grown to 16 stores, and Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., partnered with Buffett to develop the Casino & Resort The $700 million Margaritaville in nearby Biloxi, Mississippi. where he grew up.

Despite his commercial achievements, Buffett’s legacy will, in his words, be “to help people forget their troubles for a few hours.”

The singer told the Baltimore Sun in 1999 that his optimistic outlook on life led fans to find humor and escapism in his work. And that’s okay, because there’s already enough serious material in the world.

“I am the soul of the party,” said Buffett.

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