Margaritaville

"Margaritaville" is the name of a song that Jimmy Buffett wrote and recorded with his Coral Reefer Band in Key West, Florida. The song was a major hit in 1977, reaching #8 on the Billboard 100 list.

The song is named after the "Margarita Cocktail," with lyrics that reflect the relaxed laid-back lifestyle that was characteristic of tropical Key West in those years.

In subsqeuent years, Jimmy Buffett wrote
and recorded many hit songs including: "Volcano," "Come Monday," "Changes in Latitude," "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Christmas Island." He toured heavily and became a popular in-demand concert draw. However, Jimmy Buffett is best known for "Margaritaville," and his easy-going beach bum image.

Jimmy Buffett has parlayed the "Margaritaville" song's popularity into some successful "Margaritaville" branded commercial ventures that started in 1985 with his opening of his first Margaritaville restaurant in Key West Florida. He now has shoe shops (Soles of the Tropics), a line of frozen foods, Margaritta Salsa, Margaritaville Margaita Mix and apparel and souvenir shops. He also has LandShark Lager, in cooperation with Anheuser-Busch.

Jimmy Buffett's concert tours continue to be extremely popular. He and his Coral Reefer Band recently played at Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, to a sell at crowd.

Also recently, some major Gaming Companies have contracted with Jimmy Buffett to employ his branded "Margaritaville" theme, with its laid-back lifestyle and implied relaxed state of mind, in their casinos.

Biloxi Margaritaville

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is developing the Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi featuring a Jimmy Buffett-inspired theme. The resort will be developed on 46 acres on the site of the Grand Casino and Magic Casino that was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2010.

Atlantic City Margaritaville

Coastal Marina, LLC, a New York-based gaming venture, is to acquire the Trump Marina Hotel Casino in Atlantic City. Coastal Marina plans to refurbish the casino and re-brand the Trump Marina into a Jimmy Buffett-inspired "Margaritaville". Jimmy will be involved helping them to bring his laid-back, beach-bum, lifestyle of soaking up the sun and drinking margaritas to Atlantic City.

Jimmy Buffett's fans call themselves Parrot Heads. There is a series of officially sanctioned Parrot Head Clubs across the nation. The local branch is the Jersey Shore Parrot Head Club. Check them out at Jersey Shore Parrot Heads.

Some Parrot Heads are shown below.

Parrot Heads