Three years ago, we said goodbye to Jimmy Buffett, a musician, storyteller, author, entrepreneur and cultural icon who somehow turned a guitar, a few island stories and a laid-back attitude into an entire way of looking at life.
Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023, at age 76, leaving behind a career that stretched across more than five decades. His breakthrough came with “Margaritaville” in 1977, but reducing Jimmy Buffett to one song—or even to beach bars and margaritas—misses what made him special. He blended country, folk, rock, Caribbean rhythms and a healthy dose of storytelling into what became known as “Gulf & Western.” The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted him posthumously in 2024, recognized him for creating a musical style and a cultural world that was uniquely his own.
And then there were the Parrotheads.
Buffett didn’t simply have fans—he created a community. His concerts became celebrations where people showed up in Hawaiian shirts, parrots on their heads, drinks in hand and ready to forget about everyday life for a few hours. At the center of it all was Jimmy and the Coral Reefer Band, his longtime musical family that backed him on the road and in the studio for decades.
I was fortunate enough to attend two Jimmy Buffett concerts with the Coral Reefer Band, and those aren’t the kind of concerts you simply remember as “I saw Jimmy Buffett.”
You remember the atmosphere.
The people.
The music.
The smiles.
And that unmistakable feeling that, for a few hours, nobody had anywhere else they needed to be.
Jimmy understood something that many entertainers never quite figure out: you don’t have to make people forget their lives—you can simply give them a place to enjoy them.
His songs celebrated getting away, following the road, finding adventure, accepting life’s imperfections and enjoying the moment. Beneath the humor and tropical imagery was a genuine appreciation for curiosity, travel and the characters you meet along the way.
That may be one reason Buffett fits so naturally into the Curious Perro world.
He was curious, too.
About places.
About people.
About stories.
About what might be around the next corner.
And he spent his life turning that curiosity into songs.
Three years later, the music is still playing. The Coral Reefer Band continues to keep his musical spirit alive, and Buffett’s influence continues to reach musicians and fans who weren’t even around when some of his biggest songs were released.
So today, Curious Perro raises a glass to Jimmy Buffett.
Thanks for the songs. Thanks for the stories. Thanks for the memories. And thanks for reminding us that sometimes the best thing you can do is follow the road, find a little sunshine and see where the adventure takes you.
And Jimmy…
The party’s still going. 🌴🍹🎸🐾
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