I grew up loving the Beatles, didn't like the Rolling Stones - they were "bad boys". The Beach Boys were okay, but Elvis was a bore -- I had to listen to Elvis because my older sisters listened to him, so he was "old" to me by the time I had a choice.
As I started to buy and collect 45s, I did get one Elvis record, but the rest were mostly of the British Invasion: The Kinks, The Animals, the Dave Clark Five -- and yes, every piece of vinyl the Beatles produced. I even got the cleaver/raw meat/broken doll cover of one of the LPs that was quickly covered up. My sister and I spent an afternoon peeling the "innocent" cover off of it, probably rendering it forever worthless..... I never checked that out - I really wasn't interested in selling it.
Even later on, I didn't listen to much else. When Aerosmith, AC/DC, Kiss, Michael Jackson, Bob Seger, and Jimmy Buffett came along, I found Billy Joel, the Guess Who, Barry Manilow (I'll admit it!). I knew some of the other music, but when I did pick up an album, I found I'd like only one or two of the songs out of the whole list. In the late seventies, my whole family (Mom, Dad, sisters, brother and their various spouses found a great local band called the Brite Set, and we followed them around the area. Their shows introduced me to The Who, Leonard Skynnard, and The Boss. I still didn't get far out of my own circle of preferences, which including Harry Chapin and Jim Croce.
The early eighties seemed like the death of music as we knew it, and I found Country. Country music was evolving -- true country enthusiasts claim that was the "Murder on Music Row", but it turned out to be a genre to which I was attracted. Alabama was my first big crush -- I even have a photo of them signing autographs at the Crystal Lake K-Mart. Thinking about that now just blows my mind! Vince Gill has the voice of an angel. Johnny Cash, Mel Tillis, Kenny Rogers, and on and on. I am a true-blue fan of today's country music, and quite a bit of the old country music.
So, how have I become a Parrot-Head? "Margaritaville" has always been one of those songs that caught my ear -- I love the play on words, the change of heart within the song, and the melody's not so bad, either. Three years ago, I was scheduled to travel to Miami for a conference. The conference was only four days, and I had plenty of vacation time, and I needed a vacation. So I took a look at the Florida map and discovered that Miami was at the lower tip of the state. I never knew that, I'd never had any intention of going to Florida. Further search showed that the Florida Keys were just below that. The legend indicated that Key West was 137 miles from Miami, and I was intrigued.
I spent about two months researching and planning a few extra days into the Keys, after the conference. I really didn't have much money, so I reserved a campsite down in the keys, and packed my backpack tent and sleeping bag. Unfortunately, I was going to have to eat out all the time, but I was going to be out exploring most of the time, so it wasn't going to be too bad. I'd discovered a kayak outfitter and scheduled a kayak trip into the mangroves, and I'd found out that the famous Jimmy Buffett had a restaurant on the infamous Duvall Street, I was on a mission.
That trip, I was in the Keys for just three days, but I'd gotten "the Bug" and was hooked on anything "island". I took myself to lunch for my birthday at Margaritaville, and was immersed in the Jimmy Buffett experience. Upon arrival home, I began to buy up old Jimmy Buffett music. The delight I found in the song, "Margaritaville" carried over to his other songs; each was a story, a mini-movie, a little bit of biography. I realize that JB probably hasn't written EVERY song he sings, but I'd be terribly disappointed if he wasn't really as he seems through his music and his other writings.
I've been back to Key West again, and even entered a contest to try to win a job in Key West. My time is too short, or I'd run down there more often, but my state of mind is more and more on Island Time, and specifically in Jimmy Buffett modality. I continue to add to my CD collection of his music, I stream Radio Margaritaville, and I've only been to one of his concerts. Whether or not I get to spend any more time in Key West, I am definitely aiming for a life as depicted.
My favorite JB song? "Fruitcakes"! I feel it is the epitome of the sarcastic, cock-eyed look at people -- sort of the way I see people. I love it! This is the song that makes me think that Jimmy would be a person I'd like to sit down and sip Margaritas with on the lake shore. Okay, if I had to go to the Keys again, I would.... What do you say, Jimmy Buffet? Up for some Heart to Heart?
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