KEY WEST, Fla. -- Thousands of Florida Keys residents and visitors gathered on Key West’s Duval Street late Sunday afternoon for a second-line march paying tribute to internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, on the one-year anniversary of his Sept. 1 death.
The procession was a highlight of the “Just a Few Friends Key West” celebration on the island where Buffett lived during some of his most productive years -- developing the “tropical rock” style and laid-back persona that helped make him a world-renowned musical icon.
“I think the effect that Jimmy Buffett had on the world is absolutely amazing, because he took the Key West lifestyle, brought it out there in song, just so happened to have a couple billion people listen to it,” said festival co-founder Paul Menta.
Buffett discovered Key West in the early 1970s, and the island’s influence is widely credited with inspiring many of his most enduring songs, including his signature hit, “Margaritaville.”
Sunday’s march featured strolling musicians, people carrying large photos of Buffett, and participants sporting the flower leis and offbeat headgear favored by his “Parrot Head” fans.
Led by musician Will Kimbrough, a longtime Buffett collaborator and co-writer of his posthumous hit “Bubbles Up,” revelers traveled up Duval Street to stop beside the Margaritaville Store and Café launched by the singer in the 1980s. There, guided by Kimbrough and Keys troubadour Howard Livingston, they sang the anthemic “Margaritaville."
Buffett’s portrayal of Key West in song has made it a mecca for his fans, who flocked to the island this weekend for the “Just a Few Friends” festivities.
“It's incredible to be in Key West for this gathering. I mean, you can see and hear how many people there are, how much love there is, how much joy there is,” said Kimbrough. “And so, that's what Jimmy spread around — was joy and love."
Weekend events included the unveiling of a Florida Department of Transportation highway sign designating historic State Road A1A as the "A1A Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway."
The celebration concluded late Monday after four days of events including concerts by Buffett’s musical friends and tribute bands, beach parties and island tours, sailing excursions and other activities recalling the Key West lifestyle he chronicled in his music.