Jimmy Buffett is very rich

[noledog]

Buffett is big here on the Florida coast and I regularly perform for two Parrot Head groups at their monthly gatherings at local venues. They are a loyal, fun loving group and pay well too! Funny thing is they like the fact that I don't do all the same ol' Buffett tunes that you generally hear. I just play my brand of trop-rock reggae-ska and happy to do so because I got sick of Margaritaville & the like years ago and I won't play it anymore. But yeah Buffett has done well with his loyal following and merchandising, and that's a good thing!

[reeve21]

I'm dragging this thread up to report on the (early) close of the Broadway run of Jimmy's musical, Escape to Margaritaville, on Sunday. Apparently the critics and theater going public were less than impressed.

My wife and I have very different musical tastes, but we do agree on a few artists. We saw Jimmy's show many times "back in the day" before it became quite as much as a spectacle as I hear about now. And he always had good support acts, including the Neville Brothers at the last concert we saw him play, way back in 1989!

So when my wife got a Facebook ad for the final show, good seats still available, off we went on the train in 100 degree heat. She had a hunch something special might happen.

We loved the show. Yes it was corny and cheesy at times, but lots of musicals are. It reminded me of "Pump Boys and Dinettes" with beach music instead of country music, and more actors and dancing. The protagonist was a very good singer and accomplished guitar player, finger picking as well as strumming.

And the crowd went wild when Jimmy appeared in a cameo role at the beginning of the second act, and totally crazy when he joined in on a couple of songs at the end of the show, including a solo version of "Lovely Cruise" he dedicated to the cast and crew. He altered the lyrics in one song to work in a line about flying in (from his tour with the Eagles) from Minneapolis. I had told my wife not to expect him for that reason, so I was happy to be wrong (as usual )

I hear it will be on the road beginning this fall. If you have even a passing interest in Buffet or "feelgood" musical theater I would recommend it.

[stratokatsu]

How odd... I must know 20 people who have seen it and they all raved about it. Sometimes I wonder if the critics only know what they like or what they are comparing things to, but don't really have any feel for the tastes of the show going population.

[Fogducker]

Good job Jimmy, that was the plan years ago! I've heard some of your stuff on the radio (God that sounds old) and enjoyed it now keep on going and do what you want-----good luck!

Fog

[RussL30]

I know a guy on the Mississippi coast that’s a construction foreman and they were working on the Margaritaville report they built in Biloxi. He said he was on site early one morning before sunrise getting set up and this guy that looked homeless in an old shirt, shorts and flip flops was walking through there looking at and touching things. He yelled at him to get out and when got a little closer he realized it was Jimmy checking things out.

The poor guy thought he was about to get fired, but Jimmy was cool about and glad that he did that.

[Photojeep]

While I've never seen him in concert, I've always loved his older songs. I even play "Come Monday" myself.

In regards to his wealth, I saw an interview a while back where he said as he was driving to a venue to play sometime back in the 70s he saw vendors selling flowered shirts and other merchandise for the acts playing. I can't remember if he was the opening act or the headliner but he told the interviewer he thought HE should be the one doing that. He then started selling his own merchandise (I'm sure it wasn't actually HIM selling the stuff) and he said it just snowballed from there.

I'm a big country music fan and when Alan Jackson came out with his song, "5 O'Clock Somewhere", a duet with Jimmy Buffett, Buffett used it as a vehicle to ask other country artists to do duets. I don't know if any others were made but it does show how he made his money: He sees an opportunity and works it.

He seems to have worked hard for what he has. I can't fault him for that at all.

Best,
PJ

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by RussL30

I know a guy on the Mississippi coast that’s a construction foreman and they were working on the Margaritaville report they built in Biloxi. He said he was on site early one morning before sunrise getting set up and this guy that looked homeless in an old shirt, shorts and flip flops was walking through there looking at and touching things. He yelled at him to get out and when got a little closer he realized it was Jimmy checking things out.

The poor guy thought he was about to get fired, but Jimmy was cool about and glad that he did that.

From what I've read that sounds like him, very much "hands on" with all of his business ventures. He worked closely with the cast of the show and they clearly felt warmly towards him. At the end of the show there was a "group hug" with Jimmy in the middle, and several cast members took the opportunity to shine his balding pate.

[muscmp]

he should be--i go to food places all of the time that are named for him. chinese buffet, hometown buffet, greek buffet....🤣
play music!

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by reeve21

... Jimmy's musical, Escape to Margaritaville, ...... The protagonist was a very good singer and accomplished guitar player, finger picking as well as strumming.…

Paul Alexander Nolan

[Truckjohn]

I just introduced my young kids to Jimmy Buffet songs.

They wanted to listen to Cheeseburger in Paradise on infinite-replay... Over and over and over.

I really love his music and MASSIVELY admire his ability to turn silly nonsense into catchy ear worms that you can't stop singing..... Like that stupid Juicyfruit song.... Grapefruit.... Juicy fruit...

[BobbyMocha]

I was in Nashville recently and out and about early. JB's Margaritaville restaurant had a line 100 people long at 10am, an hour before opening. I have nothing against him or his business but I found the place to be the Rain Forest Café of musical themed joints. It just lacked authenticity and felt chainy and corporate.

But I like his music and I like him so props to him for all the success.

[lowrider]

I saw ''Escape to Margarettaville'' in May. I was sad to see it close but not that surprised. We were there for a Saturday Matinee and there were a lot of empry seats. We both loved the show and I thought they got into the songs easier than most of the shows I've seen. Like in ''Le Miz'' he's dragging he chains across the deck and the next thing, he's singing opera. In this show, since the songs are stories, they just advance the dialog and the story. After ''Fins'' snuck up on me, I didn't catch it when the two girls were in Cincinnati, it was fun to try and figure which song was coming up next

The Brick character was really badly written. I don't know who thought acid flashbacks would be funny but come on, that wouldn't have even been funny in the sixties! The weakness of Brick's character, not his acting, really affects the show. It gave the NY critics an excuse to cream the play. And they sure did. I usually read the reviews after I see a show. There was a long, nightclub size bar in the lobby serving margaritas. One of the reviewers even said ''you're going to need a few of them to get through this turkey''

In the article I read about the show closing, it said that they will be going on the road with the original cast. I hope someone will fix Brick's lines, but we loved the show and had a great time. If you get a chance to see it, don't pass it up. It was a fun time!

[Sage97]

Originally Posted by KevWind

To clarify a net worth of $550 is probably at the bottom end of well below poverty level Juss teasin' buddyhu I know you meant 550 mil.

I actually didn’t until a few lines further into the original post.

[Truckjohn]

Writing musicals and theatrical production is a learned skill - just like writing songs.... Sure - somebody can write a good one by accident.. But writing a second good one is no accident. It's likely to require a bunch of trial and error and a lot of bombs along the way....

Of course - some critics simply like to unhelpfully pontificate.... But others really do have good, valid input... You just have to sort out which ones give useful feedback and which ones hate Jimmy Buffet on principle.....

Then - can the current effort be "Touched up" to make the necessary changes? Hopefully so without ruining the fun....

It's sort of like going back and watching 1st season Simpsons episodes... In retrospect - they were absolute horrible trash and it's amazing they made it 1 whole season..... But they started getting their act together and turned it into a pretty good cartoon...

[XYRN]

Originally Posted by fitness1

Parrotheads are faithful folks who will go to incredible lengths to acquire tickets and merchandise. Many probably don't know this but he's also opening a retirement village in Florida (obviously themed after his music).
....

Metamucilville?