Jimmy Buffett
Makes the Rounds
in Livingston
Celebrities are not uncommon on the streets of Livingston, so it was no surprise to some that singer Jimmy Buffett paid a visit in July, having been spotted at the Livingston Bar and Grill and other places near town. With family and friends in the area, Buffett’s ties to Livingston date back to the early 1970s and the making of the film Rancho Deluxe, in which he performed his standard (at least to those in town) Livingston Saturday Night.
Buffett is known for his Key West sound, sometimes referred to as Gulf and Western (described as his own fusion of calypso and country music). Ties to Livingston include longtime friend, author Tom McGuane, whose has been married to Buffett’s sister Laurie since the late 1970s.
Buffett’s career endures to this day, and he has prospered. The singer has survived the decades and perils of the music business, unlike others of his generation. In spite of his image, that of a beach comber absorbed in the drinking life, he has stated that he restricts his consumption of alcohol to no more than two drinks between sets.
Note: There is alcoholic help available for people from all walks of life if they seek it.
With 30 albums released, Buffett has accrued 8 Gold Albums and 9 Platinum or Multi Platinum Albums. Buffett won a Country Music Award in 2003 for It's 5 O'clock Somewhere with Alan Jackson. In 2007, he was nominated for the CMA Event of the Year Award for Hey Good Lookin’ with Alan Jackson and George Strait.
Buffett is also a successful author, having chalked up three best sellers at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. He is one of only seven authors ever to have achieved that standing in both fiction and non-fiction.
At the Livingston Bar and Grill, where he sipped cocktails at the bar, Buffett chatted with fans, signed autographs, and enjoyed a few mojitos— which, he told the bartender, were the best he ever had.
