I woke up at 5:30 am this morning, and about 7 am, a breaking news alert from the New York Times appeared on my phone.
I use this photo because it was taken at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway, where Escape to Margaritaville played.
Needless to say, I was shocked. I showed it to Don and he gasped.
He, along with millions of others, is very sad today.
We’ve been talking about how much we owe to Jimmy. If it wasn’t for him, sitting behind a table at an audition, listening to Don’s audition with ukelele and loving it, we wouldn’t have had the experience of Escape To Margaritaville. (He was charmed by the use of the ukelele and it became a part of the show.)
I say ‘we’ because I was lucky enough to be along for part of the ride.
But Don…Don got to know him and like him. Jimmy was around a lot over the course of 2½ years and his energy and joie de vivre infused that production from the very beginning. He was a good and kind man. He was funny. He loved life.
It seems impossible that he’s gone. How can that life force be extinguished?
I know some of you are longtime fans – maybe even parrotheads.
I came to it late via Margaritaville.
We are so grateful that we knew him. As Don said on Facebook “It was the time of my life.”
LaJolla, Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, and Broadway. Working with wonderful, kind, and talented people. Meeting amazing fans (and Jimmy’s fans were legion) who traveled to see the show. Sometimes Jimmy would show up for a quick visit and he would appear onstage at the end of the show.
Happily, the night my sister came to see the show, Jimmy made an appearance.
I’m really at a loss for words. May you rest in peace, Jimmy. You brought joy to millions of people. In fact, your mission was ‘joy.’ You changed Don’s life and for that I’ll be grateful to you forever. Bless you and your family and all who worked with you.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
Claudia, I, too, was shocked to hear of Jimmy Buffett’s passing. You said he was good, kind, funny, and loved life….what more could anyone want! How fortunate to have had the experience that you and Don had with him through Escape to Margaritaville …great memories!
Thank you, Barrie.
Stay safe.
sad bad news about jimmy.
glad for you and don to have had all those “margaritaville” experiences and that meredith saw him at a show. my sister and i saw that show in chicago (don, you were great!). jimmy wasn’t there, but it was a very fun night nonetheless.
your post is lovely, though sadly had to be written too soon.
i am a parrothead. jimmy wrote many happy songs to sing and dance to (like the title of a cd says … “songs you know by heart”), but he also wrote many beautiful ballads (among them “a pirate looks at 40”, “he went to paris”, “tin cup chalice”, “come monday”, “schoolboy heart” and “lovely cruise” [which i wanted to ask his permission to play at my own funeral some day] … ). i have lots of happy memories from jimmy shows around the midwest, including four concerts in four states in eighteen days (and the framed setlists from them). also most of his cds, all of his books and plenty of concert t-shirts. right now, though, i am a little bit in shock and am sad to think there won’t be any more of his shows to go enjoy. and very sad for jimmy for whatever he went through and for his family.
condolences to his family, friends and other fans.
and now God is resting your soul, jimmy. enjoy your cheeseburgers in true paradise.
…
hope you, don and everyone else have a peaceful, safe saturday and sunday. and don’t have to labor on labor day.
kathy
Don had the honor of singing He Went to Paris in the show. And I loved Tin Cup Chalice. In fact, Don has a gig tonight and he’s including He Went to Paris.
Stay safe, Kathy,.
We were shocked to hear of his death.I khow you were really upset when you said he took the show on the road non union. We are pro union so that was disappointing.
He was not that old.
Disappointing, but there were producers involved in that decision – and it was mostly due to them.
He was such a great guy.
Stay safe, Linda.
You were the first person I thought of when my husband told me the news of his passing. He was a true beacon of a life well lived and his legacy will live on in the hearts of his family, friends and many, many fans. I’m so happy that you and Don got to have an experience of a lifetime…he will surely be missed.
Thanks so much, Michele.
Stay safe,
Aww. His joy will be missed and mourned, but forever revisited and remembered. Thanks, Jimmy, for the life you lived and shared with us. You’ve earned your wings.
He sure has.
Stay safe, Shanna.
I thought of you as soon as I heard that this morning. At first, I thought it was a hoax (I saw it on FB where lots of famous people are said to be dead — but aren’t). So I looked it up and wow. Jimmy Buffet was — well, Jimmy Buffet. There are no words to describe the joy and fun of his music and no one like him. I’m glad you and Don (especially Don) had the experience of meeting and in Don’s case, spending time with him. I love hearing that he was kind and funny and good.
Hugs to you both and thank you for this very personal reminiscence. We’re all a little sadder today.
Thanks so much, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
I woke up to see the news of his passing and am so incredibly saddened. I pulled out all of of my Jimmy cds and will be listening to them all day .
A good thing to do today, Cristina.
Stay safe.
My husband just called me in to watch an announcement of Jimmy Buffett’s passing. I knew it would be tough on Don and you, and came right to the blog to offer condolences. I’m so glad that Don had that wonderful experience. Wish it had lasted longer.
He is very grateful for that experince. Truly the highlight of his acting life.
Stay safe, Linda.
For a variety of reasons, I was up all night (hey, we got RAIN in Southern Calif; we’re wet outside; been drippy for hours now!), so I was online the minute the news hit about Jimmy and I know I gasped aloud; just shocked; was there no lead-up to this, was I under a rock that I didn’t know he was sick, or? My husband thought he’d heard that Jimmy had kidney troubles; but, my gosh, at this age, I do not think the age of 76 is OLD, no way. Maybe because he spoke of everything in who he was as presented to us, with surf and sun and sail, not to mention fantastic fun, that I never saw him as an aging performer.
I really liked him. ‘Way before we ever talked here about Escape to Margaritaville, I was getting his paper mail-order magazine; I ordered a lot of the Margaritaville merchandise in those years; I was crazy for it. But, seriously, as I gasped, the first I thought of was of you and Don because Jimmy was SO MUCH in our dialog at the time Don was performing on stage; wasn’t it indeed a glorious time and I wanted it to last and last for you and Don; was so enjoyable to be along for the ride here on the MHC blog.
But I was thinking of, too, how there is no boomer on this Earth who is not going to be affected by the death of this musical icon; he was in our ears when we had car radios and AM stations; for me, when I was still living at home with my parents before I had my first apartment and my brother was still a teen. I had the memorable experience of seeing Jimmy perform in concert in the late 1980s at a state fair and it was raucous; THE most fun concert with the parrot-heads, doing the wave, doing the fins; just giddy fun and, I tell you, it was wholesome; it was healthy.
God love him, may Jimmy rest in peace. I tried to watch a little TV coverage on him just now but I got too teary. I feel so sad but I’m so glad he touched my life and my youth with his music and his zest for life. It can’t have all just been for ‘show’; I think he really was that guy; after all. he flew planes, sailed; did he ever wear street clothes; I’m sure if he was in a suit, he still had bare feet. I feel like in tribute I just want to embrace everything he stood for as the performer we loved; that image of him that doesn’t have to be an image but can be for real; the change in attitude and not just latitude!
Thank you for the photos, Claudia; I’m glad you could get to them easily; look at how Don towers in height over everybody else. What a time. What a time!
That raucousness was in evidence at performances of the musical. Parrotheads from all over the world came to watch that show. They shouted out to Don on the street afterward. They were so lovely.
Stay safe, Vicki.
And now we learn he had a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer, more common as we age, too much sun, fair complexion. It’s just so unfair. I’ve read he’d been fighting the disease for four years.
Yeah, I read that, too.
xo
What a guy! What wonderful memories you have. Thinking of him and his songs will always make me smile.
Always. How could you not smile?
Stay safe, Lynda.
Oh my gosh just found out Bill Richardson died
To us this is very upsetting
He truly helped so many people
A gift to mankind
Hope he gets the tributes he truly deserves
Very upsetting to me, as well. He was a true gift. Always trying to help others. What a loss.
xo
Stay safe.
I know, I know; I admired Bill Richardson. Did I see in a flash that he was only age 75? Dear God. A loss. And you know what my mom would say, who will be Number Three, because these deaths tend to come as a trio; chilling; I don’t want to think about it. It’s enough loss already.
How wonderful that both of these gentle men (gentlemen) are remembered with so many positive, glowing tributes. To die knowing you contributed positively to the lives of others. Can’t put a price on it.
Only 75, and died in his sleep.
Yes, that must be the best legacy, contributing positively to so many lives.
xo
Very sad news. I just saw a brief clip of Don in “Margaritaville”, it looked like a finale scene.
My favorite song of his was “Come Monday”. I think it is a beautiful song.
Take Care,
Kaye
Probably was – was Jimmy onstage? That would make sense.
Love Come Monday.
Stay safe, Kaye.
Yes, Jimmy was on stage, too.
Kaye
xo
Sad news that has touched you and Don deeply. You’ve got some lovely memories. Hugs, Elaine
We’re very fortunate. Don is really upset.
Stay safe, Elaine.
My heart goes out to Don. Tell him we are thinking of him.
xoxo
I immediately thought of you and Don when I read the news. So sorry for both of you.
Thank you, Mindy.
Stay safe.
Thought of you immediately when reading this on my phone before getting out of bed. Although I’m not at all familiar with his music, it is another artist who made this world happier gone too soon.
Take care,
Kay
He brought joy to the world and he’s gone too soon.
Stay safe, Kay.
Oh Claudia! We woke up to this sad news today and immediately thought of both you and Don. Know you are in our hearts today as you process this grief and remember with heart.
X Chy
Thank you so much, Chy.
Stay safe.
As soon as I heard the news about Jimmy Buffet today, I thought of you and Don. What a beautiful tribute you gave him. I am glad Don got to spend time with him and that you both have rich and positive memories. It does seem like he was taken too early. I’m sorry for your loss.
Thank you so much, Colleen.
Stay safe.
I, too, was shocked, along with everyone. He is one of those people that you expect will live forever. So happy to hear about your experience with him. An amazing person.
He was, indeed. He will be greatly missed.
Stay safe, Lori.
A lovely tribute Claudia. We are all sad.
Thank you, Kay.
Stay safe.
I too saw the notice in the NYT about Jimmy Buffet’s passing. Big punch to the gut. He was only 76! What I admired most about him was that he handed out great big bowls of fun. In my humble opinion, fun is highly underrated and the world could use a whole lot more of it. He was serious about his life’s work, but he did it with an inimitable joie de vivre, and he spread joy everywhere he went. I hope he is resting easy. There’ s a mess of us down here who are going to miss him terribly.
We sure are.
Stay safe, Elizabeth.