Thousands of Jimmy Buffett fans turned one of Key West’s most famous streets into a moving memorial Sunday. Marching. Singing. And raising a glass to the late singer-songwriter whose music continues to bring them together.
Wearing tropical shirts and parrot hats, Buffett’s devoted fan base, known as ‘Parrotheads’, carried posters, tossed beach balls and celebrated down Duval Street in the Second Line Memorial Walking Parade. The procession paused outside Sloppy Joe’s Bar to give Buffett another well-deserved toast. Then it was on to Margaritaville, where the crowd belted out Buffett’s signature hit by the same name as they searched for that proverbial lost shaker of salt.
The Second Line is the signature gathering of Just a Few Friends Key West, a five-day festival over Labor Day weekend that honors Buffett’s life and legacy. Now in its third year, the celebration brings fans, locals and musicians together in the city where Buffett found his voice and island-inspired sound.
“It’s really just a cultural way to get together, feel some good energy and express maybe some of that sadness that we have and group-hug it together and say, ‘Hey, man, thank you, Jimmy Buffett. You did a lot for us, and we’re going to keep the party going,'” said Menta.
Buffett arrived in Key West in the early 1970s. The island, its characters and its free-spirited way of life became part of his music and shaped his laid-back blend of country, folk, rockand Caribbean influences that became his signature sound known as Trop Rock.
For Key West, Buffett’s connection to the island went far beyond the music. He became part of its story and, through his songs, shared a little of its spirit with generations of fans around the world.
Buffett died Sept. 1, 2023. Within hours, Key West residents organized an impromptu Second Line in his honor. That spontaneous community tribute grew into Just a Few Friends Key West — five days of music, storytelling and gatherings at some of the places that shaped Buffett’s life and work.
“So, he is our heart, just like Key West is our soul. There are different things that work out, and it just all comes together. And when you say Jimmy Buffett, I haven’t met a person that doesn’t just get a big grin. So, I mean, that’s why we’re Key West. I think that’s why Jimmy Buffett was part of Key West,” said Menta.
Will Kimbrough, a longtime Buffett collaborator and co-writer of one of last songs Buffett recorded called “Bubbles Up,” shares Buffett’s Mobile, Alabama, roots. He said Key West felt like a homecoming for Buffett and recalled how the singer kept his humor through his final days.
“He had joy at the end, you know, and, and he was entertaining his friends at the end of his life instead of, you know, ‘Oh, poor me.’ He was making them laugh, and that’s what he did. So, yeah, he was the real deal,” said Kimbrough.
The procession ended at Truman Waterfront Park, with a free ‘Party in the Park’ Sunday evening featuring Kimbrough and longtime Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally.
The five-day celebration continues through Labor Day with a sold-out concert featuring Kimbrough inside the famed Chart Room, the tiny Key West bar is where Buffett first played after arriving on the island in 1971. The audience is limited to 40 people, including the bartender.
The festival’s final day also includes the last Tales from the Chartroom storytelling session. At 6 p.m., the Cayman & the Mango Men are scheduled to close the celebration with a free sunset concert at Sunset Pier.
For the full schedule, visit JustAFewFriendsKeyWest.com.
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