We’ve misplaced a large of American enterprise — a Buffett whose legacy absolutely will stand the take a look at of time.
Not Warren Buffett, who stays very a lot the Oracle of Omaha at 93 years previous. However, sigh, Jimmy Buffett, the singer-songwriter of “Margaritaville” fame who died on Friday on the age of 76.
There have been at all times rumors of the 2 Buffetts being someway associated — they weren’t, however they solid a friendship nonetheless. However even with out that blood tie, that they had a lot in widespread — particularly, a capitalistic genius that made them every insanely rich. Maybe much more necessary, they every confirmed of their phrases and deeds that it was by no means simply in regards to the cash.
For many who have by no means thought-about themselves a part of Jimmy’s legion of followers generally known as Parrot Heads, right here’s the fundamental gist of the artist’s life and profession.
A man from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi finds success with a tropics-meets-country/pop type of music that’s straightforward on the ears and invitations folks to sing alongside. However he finds even higher success by turning that model — and Jimmy Buffett was a model lengthy earlier than marketeers spoke in such phrases — right into a merchandising and way of life empire.
“Margaritaville” was greater than a track. It grew to become a restaurant chain, a resort chain, even a 55-and-older residential complicated. And as his enterprise empire grew, Jimmy additionally by no means stopped hitting the highway to play dozens of concert events in any given 12 months, itself no small money-making operation. Heck, the person even had a Broadway musical to his title, though it didn’t show fairly the smash hit.
All of it added up huge time from a dollars-and-cents perspective. Buffett’s web price was $1 billion, in response to Forbes. Positive, there are artists and celebrities who’ve made more cash, nevertheless it’s price maintaining in thoughts that Jimmy did all this with out being a lot of a success maker — in reality, his solely High 10 hit was “Margaritaville,” a track that dates from all the best way again to 1977.
Once more, it was about constructing a model — and continually feeding and rising it.
And but, underlying that model, as goofily hedonistic because it grew to become, was Jimmy’s actual expertise as a singer-songwriter. At its greatest, his music wasn’t simply straightforward on the ears; it was, at turns, intelligent, soulful, witty and joyous. I say this as somebody who listened to quite a lot of Jimmy — not simply because I as soon as resided in Jimmy’s beloved Florida (he lived in Key West in his formative days and later had a home in Palm Seaside), but in addition as a result of I additionally coated him whereas working as a pop-music critic for a couple of decade on the Palm Seaside Put up.
If you happen to hear — I imply actually hear — to a few of Jimmy’s hottest tunes you’ll discover a man in love with a very good narrative: Consider the sad-sack story behind “Margaritaville,” with its story of a man looking for his “lengthy misplaced shaker of salt.” However I additionally relish a few of the lesser-known Jimmy. A private favourite: “The Evening I Painted the Sky,” a track in regards to the miracle that could be a summer season fireworks show.
The purpose is there was at all times a “there” there with Jimmy Buffett. The model got here from a real and sincere place. I believe the Parrot Heads at all times have identified that and beloved him all of the extra for it.
Not that Buffett minded the cash he constituted of his model. He admitted as a lot on one of many events I obtained to interview him (and he was at all times a really gracious interview, not like so many celebrities I’ve come throughout). However once I challenged him that his carefree, sea-loving way of life may solely come about due to his riches, he countered that wasn’t actually the case.
“Properly, if I took the cash out of the equation, I might nonetheless be glad,” he advised me in that 1998 interview. “I’d be working a ship someplace if I hadn’t been fortunate sufficient to go this manner.”
In that sense, Jimmy Buffett wasn’t a lot completely different from Warren Buffett, who has lived in the identical modest Omaha residence for many years and who visits an area barber for $18 haircuts. Typically monetary genius and humility go hand in hand.
It’s a lesson I believe just a few different billionaires may be taught. In the intervening time, relaxation in peace, Jimmy.
