Artistic Escape: A Tribute to my “Mentor for Living,” Jimmy Buffett

Sep 16

I’m taking a moment to honor the passing of my beloved “Mentor for Living, Jimmy Buffett. If we've been friends for a while you know how deep my love runs for this beautiful soul and his happy, lighthearted music. I've been a devoted fan since the late 80s and I've been to WAY too many concerts to count (at least 30 that I can remember based on my concert T-shirts🍹🙄 but there were many years I went to multiple concerts).

Each and every show embodied connection, JOY, and the feeling of freedom which is what I try to infuse into my art.

Jimmy Buffett concerts were magical in that they brought together people of all ages from all walks of life. Tailgating was taken VERY seriously and was THE BEST for people watching as we “Parrotheads” valued this pre-concert time so very much.

Flashback to some rare concert photos. Don’t judge me! 😘

Walking around the parking lot you could expect to see blenders churning with margaritas, rum drinks flowing from pop-up tiki bars, Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, coconut bras, and a camaraderie of pure FUN!

Jimmy embodied a carefree, beach-loving lifestyle, inspiring an escape from everyday life. As an artist, I have been deeply inspired by his music, colorful personality, and the vibrant pictures he paints with his songs that take you to “St. Somewhere,” a feeling I try to breathe into my art.

If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed that I have a favorite #hashtag I created some time ago ~ #LivingMyLifeLikeAJimmyBuffettSong. Although it's not always possible to live this way I try to embody this mentality to the best of my ability.

Jimmy's music became the joyful soundtrack of my life, consistent as the whirl of a blender and as predictable as the tides. I still have his albums on vinyl, all of his books, including his picture books, I danced to “Delaynee Talks to Statues” with my dad at my wedding and ended the festivities with “Love & Luck”.

He made escapism acceptable and taught me that life is meant to be FUN!

I made a special playlist of my FAVORITE Jimmy Buffett songs for you!

You can listen on Spotify but you will need to open a FREE account.

(it's REALLY GOOD! I hope it brings you joy on cloudy days)

Take me to the music!

I have no words to express how sad I am at Jimmy's passing. This man brought so much JOY to my life. I will always try to “live my life like a Jimmy Buffett song”, soaking up the "Joie de Vivre."

Jimmy, I hope you have found your "Cheeseburger in Paradise."

“It's Five O'Clock Somewhere”

Fins up! Your Hula Girl, Parrothead forever💞

Sending Sunshine ☀️ and a little escapism your way…

Laura