Politico 44 reports that Jimmy Buffett was spotted at the White House today:

DEPARTURE: President Obama walked out of the Oval Office around 1 p.m., wearing a casual jacket and khakis, waving to the press once before boarding Marine One. He is scheduled to be at Camp David through Sunday, where spokesman Robert Gibbs has said he will spend some time reviewing Gen. McChrystal’s report on Afghanistan.

PLUS: Jimmy Buffett was spotted at the White House Wednesday afternoon. But he wouldn’t speak – or sing – to reporters. — Amie Parnes (UPDATED 1:31 p.m.)

Last November, Buffett performed at a rally for Barack Obama in Tampa, Florida.

Update – Buffett was also spotted eating lunch at The Bombay Club near the White House. (h/t TheMidnightHour)

(photo by Amie Parnes)

The show was back on the road tonight as Jimmy and the band continued the August Session of the Summerzcool Tour with another show in Bridgeview, Illinois.

The set list was primarily the same as recent shows with the exception of a few songs. “Nobody from Nowhere” moved “Stars on the Water” out of the second slot for just the second time on tour. For the final encore, Jimmy played “Tryin’ to Reason with Hurricane Season,” adding a verse of “Banana Republics” into the middle of the song for Steve Goodman.

View the entire set list Discussion Board or post your photos in our Photo Gallery.

The 2009 Summerzcool Tour continues next Sunday with a show in Atlantic City, NJ There’s still plenty of time to get your tickets now!

Jimmy Buffett was a good friend of legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite, who died July 17th at the age of 92. At Cronkite’s funeral today in Manhattan friends noted that Jimmy Buffett had recently visited him:

Sandy Socolow, Cronkite’s longtime executive producer and friend, took center stage. He told a series of affectionate anecdotes, highlighting Cronkite’s imperfections.

At one point, Mr. Socolow recalled that one day, towards the end of his life, Mr. Cronkite received a visit from the patron saint of beaches, sailing, and cocktails. Jimmy Buffett, he explained, had landed his waterplane on the East River, not far from Cronkite’s apartment. Mr. Buffett then proceeded to serenade the newsman turned sailor with a jamming ukulele.

The South Florida Business Journal has an article on how the relationship evolved between the Miami Dolphins and Jimmy Buffett:

Ross, recalling the familiar tune, then turned to Buffett, a Florida icon with national appeal. Talks started last year about a promotional partnership, and Buffett bought into the concept immediately. The relationship grew to include naming rights to the Dolphins’ home field. Buffett explained the attraction in early May at a concert when the lid was taken off the deal that rechristened the Dolphins home as Land Shark Stadium.

“What’s Miami about?” he asked. “Entertainment, celebrities and lifestyle. So we have to play to those strengths. I know what puts people in the seats is winning, but you need to do these things to compete and get people in the stadium.”

The Dolphins have sold 6,000 to 7,000 additional season tickets this offseason. Whether it was the addition of Buffett, or the turnaround from a 1-15 season to an 11-5 playoff squad ¬ tying the biggest single-season turnaround in league history ¬ isn’t important. If NFL football is the steak, then Ross sees entertainers like Buffett and his new minority partners, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, as the sizzle in the Dolphins brand.

The parallels between Ross’ interest in expanding the live experience at an NFL game and the popular music business forged an early bond with Buffett.

“There’s not as much money left in recorded music, so our emphasis has been to make the live experience something fun and memorable,” said John Cohlan, Buffett’s manager and CEO of Margaritaville Holdings, the singer’s marketing and merchandising company. “The tailgating that is now such a big part of our shows originated at football games. So maybe we’ve come full circle.”

Read the full article here.

We’ve told you that a new Jimmy Buffett album is in the works. The Examiner has an article on the upcoming release:

When Jimmy Buffett says it’s always five o’clock somewhere, you better believe he means it. In fact, he traveled all the way to Timbuktu to have happy hour with a group of nomadic Tuareg musicians at the Festival in the Desert, an annual gathering in Africa.

It was here that he gained inspiration to start writing, which would end up becoming his newest album that is slated for release by the end of the year. Buffett hasn’t had a new album since 2006, and says that the reason for this new burst of creative energy is because his trek to Africa was one of the best musical experiences of his life. This inspiration is paired up with his point of view on the current recession, intertwining his usual upbeat outlook with some satire and sarcasm.

For example, the two most popular new songs are “A Lot To Drink About”, (which has lyrics about Madoff taking off with money) and “Surfing in a Hurricane”. The names describe the current economical state perfectly, and Buffett feels it’s the perfect way to appeal to his long-standing loyal fans.

Read the full article here.