The Farr Side: Here's to the trop rock king of the cabana

I don’t like to wake up to hear that another great entertainer has passed away. Saturday morning my Facebook feeds were flooded with posts that another great one was gone.

I read posts that said things like, “It’s just a change in latitude” to “I hope you find your lost shaker of salt.” Others had posted “It’s 5 o'clock somewhere.” I, on the other hand, was hoping he was enjoying a big cheeseburger.

Of course, I’m referring to Jimmy Buffett. The famed, tropical-themed singer passed away peacefully Sept. 1. He was 76.

Jimmy Buffet was the kind of guy everyone liked. It didn’t matter the occasion either. If one of his songs came on, it was going to be a sing-a-long party. Songs like “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Manana,” “Mexico” and “It’s 5 o'clock Somewhere” have all become a part of the fabric of our lives.

I was interested to read up a little on Buffett as I enjoyed my coffee and listening to his catalog. He was quite an interesting guy with a pretty cool life. I believe he lived the life he was known for singing about.

Buffett’s accomplishments are many and sadly probably weren’t really recognized until now. He released 29 studio albums, nine compilation projects, 14 live albums, eight specialty records and 67 singles during his 50-plus-year career. That was surprising to me to learn of all the album releases, but to his “parrotheads” it was paradise.

His passions evolved beyond music to being a best-selling author and entrepreneur. Buffett started two restaurant chains, both named after his best-known songs: Margaritaville Café and Cheeseburger in Paradise. His net worth this year exceeded $1 billion.

Buffett began as a country artist in the late 1960s. He released his debut album, “Down to Earth,” in early 1970. The album was country-flavored with a folk-rock edge. It led to friendships with other artists like Dianne Davidson and Jerry Jeff Walker. It was Walker who brought him to Key West. That move molded Buffett and his sound. It was there his sound evolved to incorporate rock, folk, country, calypso and pop — or trop rock.

He became friends with singer Jim Croce, who died in 1973 prompting ABC/Dunhill Records to have Buffett fill his space. The albums “A White Sportcoat and a Pink Crustacean,” “Living & Dying in 3/4 Time,” “Havana Daydreamin’” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes” followed. “Margaritaville” quickly became a hit and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

I’m blown away to know that “Margaritaville” was Buffett’s only Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. How can that be for a man as popular as Buffett was? It goes to show that chart singles don’t always mean success. He built a following of fans who simply loved the man. That’s the best kind of success!

My favorite Buffett songs were duets such as “Knee Deep” (Zac Brown Band), “Trip Around The Sun” (Martina McBride” and the ultimate feel-good song of the 2000s, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” with Alan Jackson. Jackson and Buffett embodied the song as only they could. This was Buffett’s life put into words all over again for a whole new generation of “parrotheads.”

Thank you for all the many years of sharing your talents with us and for reminding us to just chill out and enjoy the simpler things in life.

— David T. Farr is a Journal correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: The Farr Side: Here's to the trop rock king of the cabana