III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 401 

Honoring the life, legacy, and contributions of James William Buffett. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 4, 2023 

Mr. WICKER (for himself and Mrs. HYDE-SMITH) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life, legacy, and contributions of James William 

Buffett. 

Whereas, James William ‘‘Jimmy’’ Buffett was born on 

Christmas Day, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the 

first of James Delaney Buffett, Jr., and Mary Lorraine 

Peets Buffett’s three children; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett grew up in Mobile, Alabama, attending 

grade school at St. Ignatius Catholic School and the 

McGill Institute, an all-boys school, where he served as 

an altar boy; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett acquired a love of music, sailing, and 

aviation, a child of the sights and sounds of south Mississippi; 

Whereas, in 1964, Mr. Buffett attended Auburn University 

for one year, was initiated into Kappa Sigma Fraternity, 


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•SRES 401 ATS 

Epsilon-Nu Chapter, learned how to play the guitar from 

a fellow student, and then transferred to Pearl River 

Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi; 

Whereas, in 1966, Mr. Buffett transferred to the University 

of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and, 

in 1969, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 

history and journalism; 

Whereas, in 1970, Mr. Buffett moved to Nashville, Tennessee, carrying with him his dream to be a country singer and releasing his first album, ‘‘Down to Earth’’; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett pioneered his own ‘‘Gulf and Western’’ 

genre of music, blending country, folk, and pop to celebrate life by the sea; 

Whereas, in 1975, Mr. Buffett formed his touring group of 

singers and songwriters, The Coral Reefer Band; 

Whereas, in 1977, Mr. Buffett released the hit song, 

‘‘Margaritaville,’’ and his first platinum album, ‘‘Changes 

in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’’; 

Whereas, in 2003, Mr. Buffett received his first Country 

Music Award for his song, ‘‘It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere’’; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett contributed songs to the films ‘‘Summer Rental,’’ ‘‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High,’’ ‘‘Urban 

Cowboy,’’ and ‘‘FernGully: The Last Rainforest’’; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett appeared in films and television shows, 

including ‘‘Repo Man,’’ ‘‘Hook,’’ ‘‘Sesame Street,’’ ‘‘Hawaii Five-O,’’ ‘‘Jurassic World,’’ ‘‘NCIS: New Orleans,’’ 

and ‘‘The Beach Bum’’; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett’s commercial success brought ‘‘Gulf 

and Western’’ into mainstream country music, shaping 


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•SRES 401 ATS 

the styles of stars like Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, 

and Zac Brown; 

Whereas, along the way, Mr. Buffett opened the first 

Margaritaville Cafe ́ on Duval Street in Key West, Florida, which was so successful it led to 23 Margaritavilles, 

one JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, and seven 5 o’clock 

Somewhere Bar and Grills; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett extended his business activity, investing 

in beer brands, partnering with casino companies, owning 

sports teams, releasing a video game, and building retirement communities, among other endeavors; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett had a third career as a writer, authoring best-selling books, including— 

(1) ‘‘Tales from Margaritaville’’; 

(2) ‘‘Where is Joe Merchant’’; and 

(3) ‘‘A Pirate Looks at Fifty’’; 

Whereas, over the course of his 50-year recording career, Mr. 

Buffett gave life to over 30 studio albums that sold over 

20,000,000 copies worldwide; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett was nominated twice for Grammy 

Awards by the Recording Academy of the United States; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett’s entrepreneurial spirit created thousands of jobs and led to levels of financial success rare 

among musicians; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett’s songs, restaurants, and stories resonated with generations of grateful fans, ‘‘Parrotheads,’’ 

and casual listeners alike; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett offered escapist experiences that helped 

fans worldwide delight in life’s simple pleasures; 


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•SRES 401 ATS 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett was philanthropic, giving his time, finances, and music to support the troops of the United 

States, disaster relief efforts, conservation activities, and 

more; 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett died on September 1, 2023, and is preceded in death by his parents, Mary Lorraine Peets 

Buffett and James Delaney Buffett, Jr.; and 

Whereas, Mr. Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane Slagsvol 

Buffett, and three children, Cameron Marley Buffett, 

Sarah Delaney Buffett, and Savannah Jane Buffett: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, that the Senate— 

2 (1) honors the life and legacy of James William 

3 ‘‘Jimmy’’ Buffett for his contributions to music, his 

4 State, and his country; 

5 (2) extends its heartfelt condolences to the fam6 ily and friends of Mr. Buffett; and 

7 (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 

8 the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the 

9 family of Mr. Buffett as a token of the United State 

10 Senate’s respect and admiration for his life’s work. 

Æ 


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