House Concurrent Resolution 16

(As Adopted by House and Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CELEBRATING THE LIFE, LEGACY AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF MR. JIMMY BUFFETT, LEGENDARY AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER AND BUSINESSMAN, AND EXPRESSING SINCEREST SYMPATHY UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, Mr. Jimmy Buffett, a Mississippi native and beloved legendary American singer-songwriter and insightful businessman, who passed away at the age of 76 on September 1, 2023, thus leaving an indelible mark upon the music industry; and

WHEREAS, born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on Christmas Day in 1946, Mr. Buffett became an iconic pop star in 1977 when "Margaritaville", which has the well-known chorus of "Wastin' away in Margaritaville" cracked the Top 10 and became an international singalong that has endeared unparalleled devotion for over 50 years of his loyal fans, who are affectionately referred to as "Parrot Heads"; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buffett built an empire that was primarily based on what is known as "Gulf and Western" or "Tropical Rock" music that celebrated the Gulf of Mexico life, sunshine and nightlife, and he paid homage to the Magnolia State with songs such as "Pascagoula Run" and "Biloxi"; and

WHEREAS, the success of Mr. Buffett continued when his 1992 collection titled Boats, Beaches, Bars, and Ballads became one of the most successful box sets ever and his annual summer concert tours with his Coral Reefer Band became major events that drew thousands of Parrotheads; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buffett, who was blessed to know that he had insight for business, surpassed his record sales as his first Margaritaville restaurant, which opened in Florida in 1987, increased to a chain of 16 outlets and Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., teamed up with the business genius to create the $700 million Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buffett also became involved in products such as Landshark Lager, the Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chains and other merchandise, and he was chairman of Margaritaville Holdings in Palm Beach, Florida, and had a restaurant and a casino in Vegas as well as a casino in Mississippi and a hotel in Pensacola Beach, Florida, which spoke to his nationwide success; and

WHEREAS, in addition to his musical and business feats, Mr. Buffett authored number one best-sellers on both the fiction and nonfiction lists of the New York Times Book Review, and, in 2008, he was ranked by Vanity Fair as No. 97 on the 100 most influential people in the world; and

WHEREAS, as one who loved his Mississippi roots, Mr. Buffett, a 1969 graduate and proud supporter of the University of Southern Mississippi, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, has a bronze marker in the center of the Hattiesburg campus that notes where he met musical collaborator Greg "Fingers" Taylor, who together founded the longtime chart-topping song machine "The Coral Reefer Band"; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Buffett also had a small but yet significant bridge dedicated to him on September 15, 2015, in his birthplace of Pascagoula, and this bridge that led to the Baptiste Bayou was part of the genesis of his greatness as his grandfather told him that the bayou led to the rest of the world and he was told "the world was yours if you want it to be"; and

WHEREAS, his native Pascagoula also bestowed upon Mr. Buffett the key to the city by Mayor Jim Blevins and the bridge over the Baptiste Bayou was fittingly and officially renamed the "Jimmy Buffett Bridge", and he was also honored by the Mississippi State Legislature by proclaiming May 6 as "Jimmy Buffett Day", which is the wedding anniversary of the Buffetts; and

WHEREAS, notably, Mr. Buffett also received a sign that would be erected at Pascagoula's three entrances - a sign that will proudly share with all who enter into Pascagoula that this is the birthplace of Jimmy Buffett; and

WHEREAS, also, in 2020, Mr. Buffett, along with Mac McAnally and the late B.B. King were inducted into the 2020 Mississippi Songwriter Hall of Fame, which speaks volumes of the immense talent that he had and shared with others; and

WHEREAS, the memories of Mr. Buffett will continue to flourish in the hearts and minds of his survivors, some of whom include, his wife of 46 years, Jane Buffett; daughters, Savannah Jane and Sarah Delaney; son, Cameron Marley; grandson, Marley Ray; his Montana sister, Laurie Buffett McGuane; their children, Heather Hume, Anne Buffett McGuane, Maggie McGuane and Thomas McGuane IV; his Alabama sister, Lucy Buffett and daughters, Mara Delaney Buffett O'Dwyer and Melanie Leigh Buffett as well as a host of other loved ones who will cherish the impact he has not only had on their lives but the lives of others; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to honor the life of an iconic Mississippi music legend such as Mr. Jimmy Buffett who will forever be known for his optimistic view of life while bringing fans to the humor and escapism in his timeless work that will be cherished for generations to come:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and celebrate the life, legacy and contributions of Mr. Jimmy Buffett, legendary American singer-songwriter and businessman, and expressing sincerest sympathy upon his passing to his loved ones and friends.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mr. Jimmy Buffett, forwarded to the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame and the National Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.