Jimmy Buffett was in New York City Thursday night for the 40th annual New York City Police Foundation charity gala:

On Thursday night, they were at the Waldorf-Astoria because the New York City Police Foundation held its 40th annual gala and honored Ron Perelman, in an event that raised nearly $2.3 million, according to an event representative.

An audience of 700 guests, including Michael Douglas, gaming-resort developer Richard T. Fields, Chevy Chase, Jimmy Buffett and Penny Marshall enjoyed a four-song Jon Bon Jovi concert.

But wait, wasn’t rock ‘n’ roll supposed to rebel against the law?

According to Mr. Buffett, that’s passé. “One of the great things in rock ‘n’ roll is you get a police escort,” he said. “There are many times I’ve been stopped by them, so it’s nice to be led by them.” He remembered once seeing a Grateful Dead sticker on an NYPD cop car and thinking to himself, “You know? It might be time to get over our ’60s mentality—the pigs versus hippies thing.”

In fact, what was apparent at the gala was that an awful lot of police officers have entertainment impulses, and an awful lot of entertainers have law-enforcement impulses.

“I’d want to be a helicopter pilot,” said Mr. Buffett.

Buffett with Kevin Jonas

Jon Bon Jovi, Buffett, Raymond Kelly, and Michael Douglas

On Thursday night, Jimmy Buffett, along with Mac McAnally and Robert Greenidge, played a benefit show for the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida:

“I kind of do this for a living, so I’ve seen a lot of crowds,” the singer/songwriter said, voice echoing through the National Naval Aviation Museum on Thursday night. “But I’ve got airplanes in attack mode aimed at me.”

Buffett grinned as his fans, gathered around the small stage, hooted their appreciation. He marveled at the jets once more.

“This is pretty cool.”

A typical understatement by the understated king of trop rock. But Thursday’s sold-out show was nothing short of paradise for Buffett’s loyal Parrot Heads.

Fans from all over the U.S. shelled out $500 each for the intimate, hour-long concert which raised about $250,000 for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.

Next Thursday Jimmy Buffett, along with Mac McAnally and Robert Greenidge, will play a benefit show in Pensacola for the National Naval Aviation Museum.

The Pensacola News Journal has an interview with McAnally on the show:

In a phone interview, McAnally said the sold-out fundraising concert is something that he and Buffett are both excited about.

“We were just bragging about that show last night in Raleigh,” McAnally said. “Jimmy’s been a longtime supporter of the military and the Wounded Warrior Project, and so have I, drafting off him in the NASCAR sense. Both of our fathers were connected to the military. (Jimmy) is a sailor and a military historian, so the Navy and the air, it’s an interest to him. I hesitate to speak for him, but I know there’s a passion there. There’s nothing not to like.”

McAnally said the show will consist of he and Buffett on guitar, accompanied by steel drummer Robert Greenidge.

“It’s a reincarnation of what we did two years ago in Tahiti,” McAnally said. “We enjoy playing that configuration, so we’re looking forward to it.”

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McAnally said his relationship with Buffett on- and off-stage is something that is still enjoyable and exciting, all these years on.

“We are truly old, good friends, and that’s never a bad thing,” McAnally said. “He’s been a supporter of what I do from the very beginning. He sent me a note after my first record came out (in 1977), and it said, ‘we’re both from Mississippi and both songwriters and we’re going to be friends.’ I was a fan before I met him, and I am now. I’m honored to get to stand beside him and play. I was and am sort of bashful. I was from the — as he says — ‘not fun’ part of Mississippi. He was from the fun part near the water, and is less bashful. I was always more inclined to stand to the side. Maybe I’m of more use to him there; I try to be, anyway.”

Read the full interview here.

A caller to WDOK in Cleveland, Ohio told a story recently of Jimmy Buffett funding a trip to the Gulf Coast for a group of middle schoolers.

A Dayton, OH teacher wrote to Jimmy hoping to get a couple of t-shirts to raffle off and raise money for a field trip to an aquarium in Kentucky. Jimmy got in touch with the teacher and paid for the group to travel by bus to Gulf Shores, and funded their condos, meals, and excursions.

Listen to the call below:

The Florida resolution honoring Jimmy Buffett we told you about yesterday was voted on and passed today. That officially makes Saturday, April 16th “Jimmy Buffett Day” in the state of Florida!

And appropriately the Welcome to Fin Land Tour kicks off that night in Tampa.

Congrats Jimmy on this honor!