Al Roker interviewed Jimmy Buffett about the new album on his Weather Channel show “Wake Up with Al”:

Jimmy also spoke with USA Today about the new album:

“People say, ‘What’s the Buffett Hotel?’ I say, ‘Buffet.'” People have been mispronouncing Jimmy’s last name as Buff-ay instead of Buff-it for a long time, he told me when he called recently from Manhattan. “It used to really piss me off. Twice, he remembers, his name was misspelled on his own albums by his own record label in his early career. He admits that some of his lawyers still have trouble getting it right. “It’s been an ongoing thing.”

He has thought about growing old, he admits. He went to see Leonard Cohen recently in concert. “I wanted to see what 75 looked like on stage. He was doing a pretty fine job of it. I could see myself doing it at 75 – if people still want to see me,” he says cheerfully, adding, “If not, I’ll go to beach.”

Jimmy Buffett appeared on the Today Show Monday morning to promote his upcoming album “Buffet Hotel”:

According to Country Music Tattle Tale, Jimmy Buffett will team up with the Zac Brown Band for an episode of CMT Crossroads, a series that pairs country artists with musicians from other genres. Past episodes have featured Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams, Brad Paisley and John Mayer, Martina McBride and Pat Benatar, and Taylor Swift and Def Leopard.

The taping will reportedly be invitation-only in Nashville next month, with the episode airing in March.

The Zac Brown Band is one of the hottest new acts in country music, winning the 2009 ACM Award for Top New Vocal Duo or Group. They’ve had two number one singles: “Chicken Fried” and “Toes”.

Update – CMT has now confirmed this: “Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown Band Booked for Next CMT Crossroads”

Watch the video for “Toes” below:

Jimmy Buffett will appear on NBC’s Today Show this Monday (Nov. 23rd) to promote his new album “Buffet Hotel” that drops on December 8th.

Buffett’s last appearance on Today was May 13th, 2008 when he was making the rounds promoting his book “Swine Not?”

This morning Jimmy Buffett spoke briefly and performed at a memorial service for his friend Walter Cronkite in New York City.

Before singing “Son of a Son of a Sailor”, Buffett told a quick story about Ed Bradley and Cronkite:

Buffett, recounting the anchor’s response when he asked, on behalf of pal Ed Bradley, for Walter’s blessing to wear an earring on 60 Minutes. “He said, ‘It doesn’t matter where he wears an earring as long as it was a good story,'” Buffett recalled. “But he said, ‘If I was going to wear an earring on 60 Minutes, I’d wear one of those big, long hanging ones.”

Here’s video of the performance. Jimmy was joined by Mac McAnally and Mickey Hart: