On Friday, Aug. 30, journalist and Jimmy Buffett biographer Ryan White will discuss the legacy of the famed trop rock singer-songwriter, as part of the Key West Art & Historical Society’s Distinguished Speaker Series.
White’s talk, “Some Things Never Change (But Most Do): The Enduring Magic of Margaritaville,” takes place from 2 to 3 p.m. at Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton St. A book signing of his biography “Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way” will immediately follow the presentation.
Billboard’s 14th biggest hit of 1977 was a happy-sounding sad song that arrived from a specific time in a specific space. Five decades later, “Margaritaville” was included in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress and Jimmy Buffett is being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
But Buffett wasn’t always the pied piper of beaches, bars and laid-back living. Born on the Gulf Coast, the son of a son of a sailing ship captain, Buffett scuffed around New Orleans in the late ’60s, flunked out of Nashville in 1971 and found refuge among the artists, dopers, shrimpers and genuine characters who had collected at the end of the road in Key West. And it was there, in those waning outlaw days at the last American exit, where Buffett found his voice and eventually brought to life the song that would launch a lifestyle.
“The society is thrilled that Ryan White has agreed to present on Key West’s favorite son, Jimmy Buffett, during the inaugural ‘Just a Few Friends’ festival this Labor Day weekend,” said Cori Convertito, curator for the society. “His talk will emphasize the romanticism and optimism associated with ‘Margaritaville’ and why the idea of swaying palm trees, fruity frozen drinks and minimal responsibilities is more popular than ever.”
White was twice named one of the top writers in the country by the Society for Features Journalism. He spent nearly 16 years at the Oregonian newspaper, covering sports, music and culture. He’s appeared on the public radio show “Live Wire,” as both an essayist and an interviewer. Also the author of “Springsteen: Album by Album,” he lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan and currently spends his days at the same Detroit ad agency that once employed Elmore Leonard.
Tickets are available at kwahs.org/dss-buffett. Cost is $12 for KWAHS members and $15 for non-members.
