New Jimmy Buffett course makes waves at University of Florida
Jimmy Buffet Day at the Florida Capitol
Did you know that January 25, 2024, is Jimmy Buffet Day at the Florida Capitol? Florida legislature will approve the new Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville plates and add "Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway" to AIA all the way to the Florida Keys. All Parrotheads have been invited to the Capitol building in Tallahassee at 12:30 p.m. for a press conference with a celebration to follow.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - It's 5 o'clock somewhere. Or, in this case, 5:10 p.m. every Tuesday.
A new Jimmy Buffett course is making waves at the University of Florida this fall. "Son of a Son of a Sailor" is a one-credit elective among the university's (Un)Common course offerings, an interdisciplinary approach for honors students, according to the university.
The 12-student class, taught by Melissa Johnson, is possibly the first course in Florida – and maybe the country – that honors the late "Margaritaville" singer, the university said. Buffett died Sept. 1, 2023 after a four-year battle with skin cancer.
First annual 'Jimmy Buffett Day' kicks off as Florida honors beloved music icon
"I hope that the students gain a larger appreciation of him, more than just his main songs," Johnson said. "I want them to appreciate the depth of the music as well as what a gifted storyteller and songwriter he was, but also look at his legacy and impact – including the recent renaming of State Road A1A to Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway."
GULF SHORES, AL - JULY 11: Musician Jimmy Buffett performs onstage at Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live from the Gulf Coast, a concert presented by CMT at on the beach on July 11, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images
In addition to studying the music catalog of the "Cheeseburger In Paradise" star, Johnson's class will also work to track down archives pertaining to Buffett's previous appearances in Gainesville.
"Buffett performed several times in Gainesville, starting in 1974 in the Great Southern Music Hall downtown for 400 people who were offered glasses of wine in the lobby. He also played in the Florida Gym and the O’Connell Center," UF said in a news release. "Johnson’s students are searching The Independent Florida Alligator archives and the University Archives at UF, interviewing people in town, and digging around the Matheson History Museum in hopes of making a timeline of when and where these concerts happened (and finding the setlists for each one)."
Jimmy Buffett's iconic career catapulted in this now tourist-friendly Florida city
This course isn't the first – and probably won't be the last – to focus on a celebrity. Last year, the University of Florida added a Taylor Swift course to its catalog, which allowed students to dive deep on the "Anti-Hero" singer's music catalog and influence.