Wasting Away Again in Margaritaville
How a song from 1977 built an empire - and became a way of life
Earlier this week I was listening to an interview with Jann Wenner, the co-founder of Rolling Stone.
Wenner has run in circles with some of the most famous musicians of the last 50 years, and during the interview was asked:
“If you could have written - or owned the rights to - one song, what would it be?”
“I’d probably choose Yesterday,” he said.
“Or Margaritaville.”
Yesterday did not surprise me, but the choice of Margaritaville got me thinking.
“I think Jimmy [Buffett] is a genius,” Wenner said.
“They have retirement homes called Margaritaville now.”
Wait, what?
I was suddenly picturing condos with seashell paintings and parrots.
And of course,
I was curious…
Is there really a Margaritaville Retirement Community?
A quick google search took me to Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, a “55 and better” community in Hilton Head, South Carolina, “inspired by the music and laid-back lifestyle of singer, songwriter, and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett.”
Starting at $300,000, you can find your island-style home reminiscent of the tropics, and be part of a community with year-round activities, events, and entertainment.
And it’s not just Hilton Head.
There are Margaritaville communities in Daytona Beach and Panama City, Florida as well.
But how did this all begin?
Put on your flip flops and travel back with me to the early 1970s, when Jimmy Buffett was a musician struggling to find a niche.
He released his fourth studio album in 1974, and his song Come Monday reached No. 30 on the Billboard charts – but he was hardly a household name.
He continued writing music and touring with his Coral Reefer Band, and released a second album in 1974, followed by another in 1976.
Neither album produced a hit.
But then, after sampling his first margaritas in Austin, Texas, Buffett started penning a new song.
He took inspiration from a traumatic day in Key West, Florida, where he lost a flip flop, and cut his foot after stepping on a beer top.
He tried to ease his pain by making a margarita, but couldn’t find any salt.
Buffett recounted the story to music producer Norbert Putnam, and said he was going to write a song about it.
Putnam responded:
“That’s a terrible idea for a song.”
But a few days later, Buffett played the song in the recording studio, and Putnam knew it was a hit.
Margaritaville was released on Valentine’s Day in 1977, and climbed up the charts, reaching the number eight spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the top spot on the Easy Listening Chart.
Following the release of Margaritaville, Buffett was opening for The Eagles’ Hotel California tour, and noticed how crowds responded to his easy going vibe.
His music was an escape for his fans, who came to his shows wearing Hawaiian shirts and silly hats, and were affectionately called “Parrotheads.”
Buffett continued touring in the 1980s, earning more from his tours than from his records – and he noticed the power Margaritaville had on audiences.
The picture of peace and tranquility that Buffett painted for his listeners had them in a trance.
The images of the sun and oiled up tourists on the beach, and the smell of shrimp conjured a place and time that audiences wanted to revisit.
So in 1985, Buffett opened a Margaritaville store to capitalize.
He sold shirts and hats, and his newsletter, The Coconut Telegraph.
But fans wanted more.
So two years later, Buffett opened a Margaritaville cafe next to the store – and in the next decade, Margaritavilles were popping up in tourist destinations like New Orleans and Las Vegas.
And fans STILL wanted more.
Buffett continued expanding the Margaritaville empire with branded tequila, retail food items, footwear, and even furniture.
“I love that as successful as we've become, the basic principle that I learned on Bourbon Street, of having fun and engaging with fans, has always been a focus.”
-Jimmy Buffett
And in 2005, Radio Margaritaville, a national radio station on Sirius XM Radio, was launched, followed by the first Margaritaville Hotel in 2010 in Pensacola Beach, Florida. The first Margaritaville Casino opened the next year in Las Vegas.
The demand for the Margaritaville state of mind led to opening dozens of Margaritaville resorts, from Florida to California to Tennessee (!) as well as abroad, in countries including Belize, Costa Rica, and Mexico.
Parrotheads can also enjoy the laid-back vibes on the high seas, aboard a Margaritaville at Sea cruise through the Bahamas.
And at age 76, Jimmy Buffett is still building his billion-dollar empire.
In 2023 Margaritaville will introduce more vacation offerings, and Parrotheads will flock to see Buffett return to the stage when he goes on tour.
Who would have thought that a song could lead to all of this?
“Since I wrote the song 40 years ago, Margaritaville has affected just about everything we’ve done,” Buffett said in 2017.
“From getting me on the radio first, to the evolution of the brand in so many areas that we couldn’t possibly conceive of in the beginning.”
“I love Margaritaville, the entire idea of it.”
Over his career, Jimmy Buffett has released 27 studio albums, written bestselling books, and won various musical awards, but Margaritaville may be his most enduring legacy.
Even if you’re not a Parrothead, you may still enjoy Jimmy’s vibe:
*Did you know the Margaritaville empire was this huge? Please tell me in the comments.
Jimmy has not brought the Margaritaville vibe to Europe, so I had no idea how big this was.
Recent Work and Writing
Work with Women? — Here’s something you should know.
Prince Andrew Is Still in Hot Water — And a new photo has me wondering if journalistic integrity has gone down the drain.
Google Employees Deserved Better — Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Go Hug Yourself — We can do more to reach gender equity than this.
Take Responsibility: Words are great. But they aren’t enough.
How Can I Help?
I’ll keep saying it: Communication matters.
This week a college student sent an email to a professor asking for the next day’s class to be cancelled for a “once-in-a-lifetime event” and “for the good of humanity.”
The professor called campus security.
Turns out, the email was a joke. The student was talking about a Nintendo event.
It’s a reminder that when you’re communicating you have to read the room, know your audience, and choose your words carefully!
And if you want to improve your communication (and get all the good things that come with that), I’m your gal.
So many companies could reap significant benefits – from performance and culture to retention and engagement – by improving their communication.
So, if you know someone who could benefit from some help (as even the most seasoned leaders do), please get in touch and check out my website for more information.
You can also see my Top 10 list of what I can (and can’t) do for you here.
And if you see any communication examples (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that you think are worth analyzing or sharing, please send them my way!
Until next time, stay curious!
-Beth
It’s a funny thing about this song. I perform it at nursing homes quite often and people who are in their 90s like it as well as aides in their 20s. It’s just got a groove and melody that anyone can connect to.
I ate lunch on my 21st birthday with my parents in a Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant near campus. Suprisingly, no margaritas we consumed at that lunch. I don't think my parents identify as parrotheads, but his music was familiar in the college scene.