Another year has come and gone, and we look back at some of the highlights from 2008:

January

• Jimmy’s sister Lucy “Lulu” releases cookbook: “Crazy Sista Cooking”



• Jimmy plays a charity benefit show in Hong Kong
• In addition to Hong Kong show, Jimmy performs private show in Singapore and performs for troops aboard the USS Harry Truman (right)

February

• February 4th was the 7 year anniversary of Jimmy getting ejected from Miami Heat game
• The crew of the space shuttle Atlantis prepares for spacewalk by listening to Buffett’s “Oysters and Pearls”
• It’s reported that a Michigan company would begin making chips and salsa for Jimmy’s Margaritaville Foods
• In mid-February the annual trickle of tour dates begin to leak out, followed by the official tour announcements by the end of the month
• Harrison Ford reveals in an interview with Barbara Walters that he got his ear pierced after a lunchtime birthday celebration with Jimmy and the late Ed Bradley
• It’s announced that Buffett would build a new restaurant in Waikiki, Hawaii called “Jimmy Buffett’s At The Beachcomber”

March

• Panama City Margaritaville opens on March 5th
• On March 12th, Comedy Central’s “South Park” lampooned Jimmy Buffett (right)
• March 17th marked the 30 year anniversary of the release of “Son Of A Son Of A Sailor”

April

• Jimmy and Mac performed April 9th at the Glendale, AZ Margaritaville
• On April 13th, Jimmy and Jane Buffett pledged $50,000 at Comedy Central’s “Night Of Too Many Stars Autism Benefit”
• 2008 tour kicks off April 21st in Houston
• Buffett plays St. Louis for the first time in 8 years
• Other tour stops this month were Frisco, TX and Charlotte, NC

May

• Freddie & The Fishsticks play benefit show at New Orleans Margaritaville on May 1st



• Buffett plays New Orleans Jazz Fest on May 3rd
• Jimmy’s latest novel, “Swine Not?” is released May 13th
• Publicity rounds for new book include the Today Show, Regis & Kelly, and David Letterman
• It’s reported May 29th that the Trump Casino in Atlantic City will be turned into a Margaritaville Casino

June

• “Scenes You Know By Heart” DVD released exclusively through Walmart on June 3rd
• Second leg of tour resumes in Atlanta on June 5th
• Buffett also plays Raleigh, Detroit, New York City, and Philadelphia in the month of June

July

• Tour resumes in Cincinnati on July 17th
• Buffett also plays East Troy, Pittsburgh, Chicago twice, and Indianapolis in the month of July
• It’s reported that because of the credit crunch, work was slowing on the Margaritaville Casino in Biloxi

August

• Jimmy performs at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island on August 3rd
• Tour resumes August 24th in Atlantic City
• Buffett also plays Wantagh, NY and the first of two shows in Bristow, VA in August

September

• Second show in Bristow, VA on September 1st
• Other tour stops in September include two shows in Mansfield, MA
• September 6th Mansfield show time moved up to 3 pm because of the approaching Hurricane Hanna
• Buffett performs two shows in Paris, marking the second year in a row he’s played Paris
• Mohegan Sun Margaritaville opens on September 29th
• BuffettWorld debuts the Buffett Caption Contest

October

• New monthly column debuts on BuffettWorld: “From Under My Lone Palm”, written by Justin
• Coral Reefer Nadirah Shakoor releases album on October 14th: “Nod To The Storyteller”
• West coast tour includes stops in San Diego, San Francisco, and two shows in Las Vegas
• On October 23rd, Jimmy visited Google Headquarters where he spoke and performed

November

• Jimmy’s dear friend and legendary Key West figure Captain Tony Tarracino died on November 1st



• Jimmy performs November 2nd at a Barack Obama rally in Tampa, Florida (right)
• On the 8th, Jimmy performed a private show at the Mohegan Sun Margaritaville Cafe
• Radio Margaritaville becomes available to XM subscribers as the result of the Sirius XM merger
• Coral Reefer Mac McAnally won CMA Musician of the Year at CMA Awards on November 12th
• Jimmy attends University of Florida football game on the 15th where he was invited into the locker room by coach Urban Meyer

December

• Jimmy Buffett turns 62 years old on Christmas Day

And that’s a quick review of 2008!

It was another great year at BuffettWorld and we’d like to thank all of you who visit BuffettWorld, subscribe to the daily email updates, and who are members of our forum.

Thank you and we look forward to providing you the best and most Jimmy Buffett news and information on the web again in 2009!

The Florence, AL Times Daily caught up with Mac McAnally following his CMA win on Wednesday night for Musician of the Year (pictured at right accepting the award. photo by John Russell/CMA) :

Mac McAnally still has a hard time believing that he’s the Country Music Association’s Musician of the Year.

A fixture in the Shoals music scene since the early 1970s, McAnally was gracious in victory, but first and foremost, complimentary of the other nominees, including Jerry Douglas, who McAnally called the best dobro player in the world, steel guitarist Paul Franklin and guitarists Brent Mason and Dann Huff.

“Those are all guys I get the honor of sitting and playing with,” McAnally said. “It meant a lot to be thought of in that context. It’s certainly an honor, not something I would ever expect.”

McAnally has been nominated for the award in 2007 and 2008, mostly, he said, for his work with George Strait and Jimmy Buffett.

“Buffett keeps me busy more than anything,” McAnally said. “We’re good song writing buddies.”

He said Buffett gives people the impression of an artist kicked back on the beach in flip flops, but he’s really thinking of things to do every day.

But the work is always fun, McAnally adds.

Read the rest of the article here.

Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally won his first CMA Award on Wednesday night for Musician of the Year.

The award was announced prior to the live airing of the CMA Awards on ABC at 7 pm CT on Wednesday night. Other nominees in the category were Jerry Douglas, Paul Franklin, Dann Huff, and Brent Mason. Mac was also nominated last year for Musician of the Year but did not win.

McAnally is currently on the country music charts with Kenny Chesney for their collaboration on Mac’s song “Down The Road”.

Congrats to Mac!

Coral Reefer Band member Nadirah Shakoor’s new album “Nod To The Storyteller” is out today!

Nod to the Storyteller is Nadirah’s tribute to Jimmy Buffett who for the last 13 years has featured her as a part of his show. Buffett fans (affectionately known as Parrottheads) have come to know and love Nadirah and claim her as their own. The CD includes Nadirah’s interpretations of popular Buffett songs like Margaritaville, and Volcano. Also notable are two duets she sings with him including Son of a Son of a Sailor and Eric Clapton’s When the War is Over.

Track List:

1. Creola
2. Why You Wanna Hurt My Heart
3. Makin’ Music For Money
4. La Vie Dansante
5. Give Henry the Receipt
6. Let Him Go
7. Frenchman For The Night
8. Margaritaville
9. Open
10. Son Of A Son Of A Sailor
11. Volcano
12. When The War Is Over
13. People Call Me Jesus
14. Wonder Why You Ever Go Home

Preview each track below:

Order the album now through Mailboat Records or Amazon.com.

You can also download the album in MP3 format at Amazon.com for only $8.99!

Veteran Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally has been nominated by the Country Music Association for Musician of the Year. Here are the other nominees in the category:

• Jerry Douglas (guitar)
• Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
• Dann Huff (guitar)
• Brent Mason (guitar)

McAnally was also nominated in 2007 for Musician of the Year, but did not win.

Be sure to watch the CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 12th on ABC!

Good luck to Mac!