When Jimmy Buffett helped bring streaking to central Illinois

"Struttin' naked through the crosswalk in the middle of the week" — Jimmy Buffett, "Fruitcakes"

Switch out "crosswalk" for "cafeteria" and those lyrics could refer to a fabled Wednesday in East Peoria nearly 50 years ago, when Buffett unwittingly helped introduce streaking to central Illinois.

In the Journal Star, the 1974 incident was referenced in a front-page story. On social media, it has been labeled "Jimmy Buffett and the ICC Streaker."

Those accounts vary in their details, but at its core, the story remains the same: An apparently bemused Buffett helped bring the naked-running phenomenon to Greater Peoria.

Related: When Jimmy Buffett survived a spinout near Peoria in the 1970s and it inspired a song

From the archives

In a cover story on Thursday, March 7, 1974, the Journal Star reported on a recent run of streaking in the Peoria area.

The story recounted a mass streak the previous day, when about 160 male Bradley University students, "beered up and in the buff," ran through the campus. Hundreds of spectators looked on. The approximately six-block run lasted about 19 minutes, the paper reported.

There were no reported injuries, the story noted, apparently concerned, "but one chubby streaker, who had trouble keeping up with the rest of the pack, fell down several times and may have suffered abrasions to a well padded portion of his anatomy."

"While not a national record (mass streaks involving more than 300 have been reported) it was a first for Peoria and Bradley," the article said.

The story then recounted another March 6 streaking incident — at ICC:

"Two males reportedly 'streaked' naked except for socks and beards as a folk concert began in the Student Lounge at Illinois Central College yesterday. They ran between the audience of about 50 to 75 men and women and the stage and disappeared as they went through an exit."

Apparently, the folk singer was Jimmy Buffett. The concertarchives.org website confirms a Buffett performance at ICC on March 6, 1974, though it lists the venue as the college "auditorium."

More Illinois music lore: Jeff Beck threw Peoria dinner across the room: English 'don't eat catfish'

From social media

Buffett died on Sept. 1. Two days later, a post on the Retro Peoria Facebook page asked, "Does anyone else recall the day March 6, 1974 when Jimmy Buffett played a solo concert in the cafeteria at ICC?"

Many did. The post drew dozens of replies. Some of the comments, looking back nearly half a century, were understandably contradictory.

One of the first replies mentioned the streaking incident. In response, another commenter suggested his late brother may have been a streaker that day.

The longest reply offered a detailed account:

"The streaking fad had finally reached central Illinois, and the word in the halls was that today was the day. ...

"Nobody had heard of Jimmy Buffet. ... The crowd was there for another reason. ...

"The door to the bathroom suddenly opened and a streaker ran across the room. ... He disappeared down the hallway to thunderous applause while Jimmy sat in stunned silence. ...

"Then, he did something that really impressed me - he resumed the song right where he’d left off. He continued with his concert and worked in wisecracks about what happened. ...

"I always hoped that I would run into him again someday, and I could ask him - do you remember ICC and the streaker?

"I like to think he would."

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Jimmy Buffett took streaking incident in stride at 1974 Illinois show