Key West claims Jimmy Buffett.
New Orleans claims Jimmy Buffett.
Pascagoula, Miss., claims Jimmy Buffett.
The Caribbean, claims Jimmy Buffett.
Mobile claims Jimmy Buffett.
Nashville claims Jimmy Buffett.
Baldwin County claims Jimmy Buffett.
Have I left out any?
All of the above have strong Buffett connections.
Pascagoula is where Buffett was born and has a bridge named after him.
Mobile is where Buffett grew up, graduated from McGill High School and started his singing career for $5 a night plus tips at the Admiral Semmes Hotel's bar, The Admiral's Corner.
New Orleans is where Buffett sang on the streets and in joints, graduating from "The University of Bourbon Street," the title and subject of Buffett's recent posthumous release.
Nashville is where Buffett got studio and musical industry connections and went from a wanna-be to a success.
Key West is where Buffett developed and lived his tropical theme.
With the passing of Buffett on September 1 to that "One Particular Harbor" in the skies, there seems to be an increase in interest and participation of fans – new and old – in all things Buffett.
A rite of passage is the changing location for the annual "Meeting of the Minds," the national gathering of members of Parrott Head clubs. For 28 years, it has met in New Orleans and then Key West. Not anymore. It will now meet on Alabama's Gulf Coast in Gulf Shores.
Baldwin County is where Buffett's parents lived out their retirement lives, where Buffett's sister Lucy built successful Buffett-style restaurants, Lulu's, where she serves a "Cheeseburger in Paradise."
It's also where Buffett:
Haunted the famous Flora-Bama Lounge on the Alabama/Florida state line.
Started the original Margaritaville.
Frequented Kenny Stabler’s ‘End Zone.’
Performed concerts at The Wharf.
Donated his time for a benefit concert on the public beach to assist in the Gulf oil spill recovery.
Visited his friend, Jack West, who operated the infamous “Judge Roy Bean’s” bar where Buffett would come unannounced and perform.
Yes, the Meeting of the Minds has a new home close to Buffett's boyhood home.
From October 24 to 29, 2023, an estimated 2,500 Parrot Head club members from around the country will flock to the beach at Gulf Shores to hear live music from beach-style musicians. The event will be headquartered at The Hangout in Gulf Shores, home of an annual music fest of its own, also named Hangout. Other performances occur nearby at Burro Azul, Flora-Bama, the Gulf, Live Bait, Lulu's, Picnic Beach and Zeke's.
The gathering is organized by Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc., a non-profit corporation that assists in environmental concerns and provides social activities for people interested in the music of Jimmy Buffett and the tropical lifestyle he personified.
David Zislin of Hangout Hospitality, the event host, said he wanted to "bring the event to Gulf Shores for the entire community to enjoy. The Parrot Head tradition has a history in this area, and the event can become an annual gathering."
Registration for the event costs $172.22 for over 40 hours of music. To register or for additional information, go to Meeting of the Minds.
The author, Jim Zeigler, is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comment at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
