RIP, Jimmy Buffett
Sep. 2nd, 2023 10:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
billroperGretchen got up before I did, so when I woke up, she was able to give me news that Jimmy Buffett had died the night before. This shouldn't have been entirely unexpected, given the fragmentary reports on his health that had gotten out, mostly that he wasn't healthy enough to be out touring, but it was a bit of a surprise to hear it just now.
There's a story about how Jimmy Buffett and Bob Collins, now both deceased, once managed to save my life from Gretchen. I had gone out to Conchord in L.A. many years ago and Gretchen -- who ended up starting a new job on that particular Monday morning! -- had agreed to pick me up from the airport as I came home on a red-eye in order to save money on the flight. Unfortunately, despite Gretchen's repeated requests to write down my flight information, I had managed to not do so. All that she knew was the time (Godawful early) and O'Hare Airport. And in those days long before the Internet, figuring out exactly what was flying into the airport was not as easy as it is today.
Gretchen was driving to the airport, pretty much fit to kill, when Bob Collins, who only occasionally played music during his morning show on WGN, decided to play Jimmy Buffett's "Come Monday". And Gretchen, listening to the lyrics of the song, realized (as she put it) that she had feelings for me. And happily for me, those feeling were no longer homicidal.
Eventually, Gretchen found me on one of the two incoming flights from L.A. at that Godawful hour and got me home. Alive. And I am thankful for all of this.
I'm also glad we went to see Jimmy at his last show at Wrigley Field a few years ago. I didn't know that would be our last chance to see him, but it was good that we didn't miss it.
I went out to do some grocery shopping this afternoon and flipped on Radio Margaritaville. They were playing one of his last shows from earlier this year down in Key West. And I turned to the station just in time to hear, "Where it all ends, I can't fathom, my friends. If I knew, I might toss out my anchor."
Anchor tossed.
Rest in peace.
There's a story about how Jimmy Buffett and Bob Collins, now both deceased, once managed to save my life from Gretchen. I had gone out to Conchord in L.A. many years ago and Gretchen -- who ended up starting a new job on that particular Monday morning! -- had agreed to pick me up from the airport as I came home on a red-eye in order to save money on the flight. Unfortunately, despite Gretchen's repeated requests to write down my flight information, I had managed to not do so. All that she knew was the time (Godawful early) and O'Hare Airport. And in those days long before the Internet, figuring out exactly what was flying into the airport was not as easy as it is today.
Gretchen was driving to the airport, pretty much fit to kill, when Bob Collins, who only occasionally played music during his morning show on WGN, decided to play Jimmy Buffett's "Come Monday". And Gretchen, listening to the lyrics of the song, realized (as she put it) that she had feelings for me. And happily for me, those feeling were no longer homicidal.
Eventually, Gretchen found me on one of the two incoming flights from L.A. at that Godawful hour and got me home. Alive. And I am thankful for all of this.
I'm also glad we went to see Jimmy at his last show at Wrigley Field a few years ago. I didn't know that would be our last chance to see him, but it was good that we didn't miss it.
I went out to do some grocery shopping this afternoon and flipped on Radio Margaritaville. They were playing one of his last shows from earlier this year down in Key West. And I turned to the station just in time to hear, "Where it all ends, I can't fathom, my friends. If I knew, I might toss out my anchor."
Anchor tossed.
Rest in peace.