Islanders, it is time to don your flip-flops and flowered shirts in honor of a tropical tunesmith who transformed his passion for cheerful party songs and relaxed beach days into a $1 billion fortune.
Upon your next turn onto Highway A1A, the island’s primary thoroughfare, you will be traveling on the newly designated Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. Therefore, I implore you to take a moment to appreciate the experience and determine whether you can detect a calypso melody in the warm, dense air.
Buffett became synonymous with Key West and Florida in general as a result of his mega-hits “Margaritaville” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.” The new designation was approved by all members of the Florida State Senate and House, including liberals and conservatives, as well as freshmen and longtime legislators.
The Department of Transportation has until August 30 to “erect suitable markers” informing passersby of the road’s new character, as Governor DiSantis signed HB91 into law at the end of June.
Buffet, who was born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, was raised in Mobile, Alabama. He attended Auburn University, where he learned to play the guitar in order to attract females, but ultimately failed to graduate. He ultimately earned a history degree from South Mississippi University and pursued a career as a writer and musician in Nashville before relocating to Key West in 1972.
According to Jimmybuffett.com, he “discovered his true voice as a songwriter” during his time there. He combined his musicality, wanderlust, and storytelling to create a unique brand of island escapism that resulted in over 30 albums, nine certified platinum or multi-platinum, multiple New York Times best-selling books (both fiction and non-fiction), a Broadway musical, and successful business ventures (including restaurants, resorts, retirement communities, video games, and casinos). He also developed Landshark Beer and obtained a license for the “Coral Reefer” brand of marijuana.
According to Forbes, Buffet had amassed an easygoing fortune of $1 billion by the time of his death on Sept. 1, 2023, at the age of 76.
Buffet, an environmentalist who co-founded the Save the Manatee Club and a humanitarian who supported a diverse array of causes, continued to produce new music and memories until his death from skin cancer, which had been diagnosed three years prior. He completed his final album, “Equal Strain on all Parts,” just prior to his passing.
We hope that the highway department will install a unique “suitable marker” in Vero Beach to honor one of the most beloved and flamboyant characters in American music over the past 50 years.
Therefore, the next time you activate Highway A1A, don your Aloha shirt, insert a CD, and beam. The official designation does not alter the addresses on the state highway; however, it will undoubtedly enhance the driving experience.