Jimmy Buffett 2016 Year in Review
December 28th, 2016
Another year is nearly in the books and for parrotheads it saw another busy tour from Jimmy, multiple Margaritaville restaurant and resort openings, a new Christmas album, and a special birthday milestone. Relive 2016 with our annual Year in Review:
January
- Several tour dates had already been announced by mid-January with tickets going on sale later in the month
- In an email to the Miami Herald, Jimmy shared a remembrance of his good friend Glenn Frey, who died in January
February
- It was announced in early February that the Escape to Margaritaville musical will debut in San Diego in 2017
- Jimmy made a surprise appearance at The Ryman in Nashville, teaming up with Jenny Lewis on a cover of “Handle With Care”
- By mid-month, nearly every spring and summer show had been announced
- Jimmy went for a demo ride in the new Icon A5 amphibious airplane
March
- Jimmy and his wife Jane were spotted at the Vanity Fair Oscars after party
- President Obama made a trip to Cuba in March and Jimmy also went along where he attended a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National team.
Jimmy Buffett talks with fans at US Cuba baseball game. @BBCNewsUS pic.twitter.com/GhNISUAcsJ
— Regan Morris (@reganmorris1) March 22, 2016
April
- Our annual April Fools Joke, that Jimmy endorsed Donald Trump for president, hooked many BuffettWorld visitors. Later in the year, Buffett campaigned for Hillary Clinton
- Jimmy played a private show at The Masters golf tournament
- After North Carolina passed the controversial “bathroom bill,” Jimmy released a statement where he referred to it as a “stupid law” but said he’d still play his two planned shows in the state
- Buffett played his first show of 2016 in Virginia Beach, VA. The show was considered a continuation of 2015’s Workin’ ‘N Playin’ Tour
- Jimmy also played shows in Birmingham, Raleigh, and Charlotte
- The governor of Mississippi signed into law a bill naming a stretch of Pascagoula beach after Jimmy
May
- Jimmy kicked off the 2016 I Don’t Know Tour in Austin, Texas with a performance at Austin City Limits Live
- Buffett implemented the “Door Number Three” contest where fans could vote on rare songs for Jimmy and the band to play each night
- Alan Jackson joined Jimmy on stage at his show in Nashville where they sang “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” together
- Shows were also played in Frisco, TX and Orange Beach, AL
June
- Jimmy played shows in Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and a second Chicago show at the House of Blues
- “Margaritaville” is inducted into Grammy’s Hall of Fame 2016
- The Margaritaville Biloxi Resort opened
July
- Jimmy opened his first Margaritaville in Texas with a location in San Antonio
- Buffett attended the US premiere of the latest “Jason Bourne” film that his friend Frank Marshall produced
- At the end of the month, Jimmy performed on The Today Show as part of their summer concert series
August
- Jimmy caused a little bit of a stir in TV land when he said in an interview that Hawaii Five-O would be ending after the next season
- Buffett played on the beach in Atlantic City to as estimated 20,000 parrotheads
- Shows were also played at Boston’s House of Blues, Bangor, Mansfield MA, Pittsburgh, Wantagh NY, and Camden, NJ
- At the Wyndham Championship golf tournament, Jimmy played at the temporary Margaritaville bar
- The Margaritaville Casino in Tulsa opened its doors
- Jimmy performed with Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney at a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in the Hamptons
September
- The St Louis Cardinals hosted a Jimmy Buffett Night at Busch Stadium
- A Margaritaville restaurant opens in the Mall of America in Minneapolis
- Buffett played shows in Omaha, East Troy WI, and two gigs in Paris
October
- Jimmy released “Tis The SeaSon,” his second holiday album, at the end of October
- Buffett played shows at Red Rocks in Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, Sacramento, and Irvine CA
- After some west coast shows in October, Jimmy flew his jet north to Alaska and then on to Japan where he played a couple shows for service members stationed there
November
- On his way back from Japan, Buffett filmed some Hawaii Five-O scenes, reprising his role as helicopter pilot Frank Bama
- Buffett performed at a Get Out The Vote Rally featuring vice president Joe Biden in St Petersburg, Florida the day before the election
December
- Jimmy performed music from his new holiday album “Tis The SeaSon” on The Today Show
- Buffett joined James Taylor and Sarah MacLachlan for a show in Brooklyn
- On Christmas Day, Jimmy turned 70 years old
We hope you had a wonderful 2016! Thanks for visiting BuffettWorld and we’ll see you in the new year!
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