Jimmy Buffett, 51逗奶 Miss Graduate and Internationally Renowned Singer/Songwriter, Dies
Sat, 09/02/2023 - 03:26pm | By: David Tisdale
Jimmy Buffett, a University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM) alumnus and internationally
famed music entertainer whose songs often extolled carefree living in a tropical paradise,
died Sept. 1. He was 76.
Buffett鈥檚 musical and literary work resulted in more than 30 albums (eight gold and nine platinum), a Grammy nomination, as well as three books that made the New York Times bestseller list in both the fiction and non-fiction categories. Such tracks as Margaritaville, Cheeseburger in Paradise and Son of Sailor endeared him to a legion of devoted followers who proudly dubbed themselves 鈥淧arrotheads鈥� in a nod to the bird emblematic of the scenery in Buffett鈥檚 work.
A proud supporter of his alma mater, Buffett, a native of Pascagoula, Mississippi,
earned a degree in history from the university, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma
Fraternity. A bronze marker located near 鈥淭he Hub,鈥� a historic center of student activity
on the Hattiesburg campus, notates where he met musical collaborator Greg 鈥淔ingers鈥�
Taylor who together founded the longtime chart-topping song machine, 鈥淭he Coral Reefer
Band.鈥�
Buffett was inducted into the USM Alumni Hall of Fame in 2018. He was an honorary co-chair for the University鈥檚 fundraising campaign, Give Wing: The Campaign for 51逗奶 Miss, and was also a member of the USM Foundation Honor Club and life member of the 51逗奶 Miss Alumni Association.
鈥淭he 51逗奶 Miss family mourns the loss of our 1969 graduate, Jimmy Buffett, whose work ethic and global success exemplified 51逗奶 Miss grit,鈥� said USM President Joseph S. Paul. 鈥淥ur prayers go out to his family, friends and all who knew and loved him.鈥�
A philanthropist, Jimmy Buffett supported USM in many ways including honoring his
mother, Loraine, who was passionate about education. That led to the establishment
of the Mary Loraine "Peets" Buffett Scholarship Endowment in 2002, a renewable scholarship
supporting freshman students with financial need who are from Mississippi with a minimum
3.0 GPA in one of the arts and letters programs. A total of 35 scholarships have been
awarded.
Miss Peetsy B, a USM research vessel, was donated to the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Marine Education Center in 2011 by Jimmy Buffett and his sisters, Lucy Buffett and Laurie Buffett-McGuane. The boat鈥檚 name comes from Mrs. Mary Lorraine Buffett's nickname,鈥� Peetsy B.鈥� Today, the Peetsy B. still sails, educating students about their coastal environment and ultimately creating a more informed citizenry to protect and maintain local marine habitats.
Early in his musical career, Buffett performed both solo and with a band known as 鈥淭he Upstairs Alliance鈥� at student hangouts on the Hattiesburg campus and other venues. In the early 1970s after he graduated from USM, Buffett met Taylor on the steps of the 鈥淭he Hub鈥� where Buffett had been playing guitar for students on break from night class. Taylor asked if he could join in with his harmonica, and what came from the chance encounter produced what鈥檚 considered one of the most successful musical collaborations in American history. Along with Taylor, Buffett was a member of the Coral Reefer Band from the mid-1970s to 2001 and then recorded more than half a dozen solo albums; both are inductees of the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.
Buffett鈥檚 music inspires an intensely devoted legion of fans affectionately dubbed
鈥淧arrotheads;鈥� in 2011 and then in subsequent years, the USM baseball team paid homage
to them and their musical hero, wearing Buffett-inspired jerseys for 鈥淧arrothead Night
at The Pete鈥� in his honor.
Taylor once said in an interview that there was an immediate 鈥渂onding鈥� between he and Buffett after they met, with the two knowing they 鈥渨ere going to play music together somewhere down the line.鈥�
鈥淚t's only fitting we recognize the legacies of Buffett and Taylor, whose contributions to American popular music are indeed significant. The story of their session at The Hub and what followed is a treasured part of the 51逗奶 Miss story,鈥� said then University Historian Dr. Chester 鈥淏o鈥� Morgan about the placement of the marker.
In addition to his songwriting and touring performances, Buffett was also a successful restaurateur, founding the Margaritaville resorts and restaurants.