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Tributes pour in for Jimmy Buffett as Parrotheads remember the joy

By KCAL News Staff

/ KCAL News

CBS News Los Angeles

Tributes to Jimmy Buffett on social media poured in from all walks of life Saturday, as news of his death broke.

Dedicated fans have long been known as "Parrotheads."  The moniker supposedly came about at an Ohio, Timberwolf Amphitheater concert in 1985 where the big carnival booth giveaway that night was giant inflatable parrots.

People in the crowd at the concert were wearing Hawaiian shirts and carrying the parrots. As one of Buffett's bandmates looked out at the crowd, he called them Parrotheads. That name stuck, perfectly aligning with Buffett's songs and vibe of escapism to "Margaritaville," and "Cheeseburger in Paradise."

"It's pure escapism is all it is," Buffett told the Arizona Republic in 2021. "I'm not the first one to do it, nor shall I probably be the last. But I think it's really a part of the human condition that you've got to have some fun. You've got to get away from whatever you do to make a living or other parts of life that stress you out. I try to make it at least 50/50 fun to work and so far it's worked out."

So many brokenhearted fans thanked Buffett for sharing paradise with them.

"You could always count on Jimmy to be somewhere, spreading joy and searching for that lost shaker of salt. There's a little bit of #ParrotHead in all of us," @MarthaQuinn.

KCAL News Staff

The KCAL News Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on KCALNews.com.

First published on September 2, 2023 / 8:59 AM PDT

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