Jimmy's 2 CD collection "Meet Me in Margaritaville" was certified Platinum by the RIAA on May 20th, 2003 (album sales exceeding 1,000,000 units)
http://billboard.com/bb/riaa/platinum.jsp

Buffett's double-CD set "Meet Me in Margaritaville" is No. 25 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart while being marketed on late-night television. The 38-song compilation of Buffett classics recently went platinum. Older songs have been digitized, and new spins have been applied to other songs.

"The sales are a testament to the approach we took on this record," Buffett said. "Going back and redoing songs in Key West was a lot of fun. It was neat to do 'Son of a Son of a Sailor' while outside you could hear the boats going out in the harbor. Or doing 'He Went to Paris' with just Mac [McAnally] and I, playing these new guitars Martin had made us. We were shocked how good the guitars sounded. That was one take, live vocal. This album may surprise people, seeing how it was made as a 'TV classic package,' but when you dissect there are 11 or 12 approaches that are different."

"Meet Me in Margaritaville" also includes a cover of the Beach Boys' "Sail on Sailor" and a sweet Bossa Nova/lounge take of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'," popularized by Harry Nilsson in the 1969 movie "Midnight Cowboy." Neil also wrote the gritty "Candy Man" for Roy Orbison. Neil was a native Floridian who in 1970 founded the Dolphin Research Project to stop exploitation of dolphins. In 2000, he wrote the music for the video "The Dolphin Project." He died of natural causes on July 7, 2001, at his home in Summerland Key, Fla.

Neil was a recluse who hadn't released anything after a 1971 live album. He continued to play, but only for a close circle of friends.

"I knew Freddy a long time," Buffett said. "Jerry Jeff [Walker] introduced me to him when I first moved to Coconut Grove in 1972. Jerry Jeff and I stayed with him. I was the fifth or sixth opening act on a bill for Freddy. I was in awe of Fred Neil. [Author] Jim Harrison and I were driving around Florida doing some documentary that never got produced. We stopped for a beer at Alabama Jack's [in Key Largo], and as I was walking away this voice called out, 'JIMMY!'

"And there was Fred Neil crabbin' at the end of the pier, in a bathing suit and a pair of flip-flops. He really was what he was. It was sad to me in the end that none of us knew he was there. Jerry Jeff knew. At Jerry Jeff's 60th birthday party we were talking about getting together with Freddy and doing something. But Freddy got so reclusive I hadn't talked to him in years."

Jimmy is on the cover of the July issue of Men's Journal. In the article, he talks about his favorite beach bars. The July issue is the Beaches and Bars Issue.

PARDIS GRAS CRUISE

St MinneSomePlace now has a dedicated "listserv" pertaining specifically to the Pardis Gras Phlocking and Cruise taking place between Jan 15 and 25, 2004.  If you are interested in either one and want to keep up to date on all final details, please go to:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stminnesomeplace/ and join this group.  This is a voluntary service and only those who sign up for this listserv will continue to receive information pertaining to reservations and planning for this event.  In this way, the intention is not to continue sending messages to those who are not intending to go to New Orleans for this event or join us on the Pardis Gras cruise. General updates will still be added to the webpage.  Preliminary info of interest to the entire group will still be communicated through club emails, like this one.  Let me know if you have any questions or problems trying to sign on, etc.

There's an interview with Jimmy in Lattitudes Magazine this month.
http://www.eaglelatitudes.com/current/2.html?id=232

LuLu's Sunset Grill is on the Move
June 26, 2003 -- Due to a change in ownership of the property on which LuLu's leases space and after months of speculation about the fate of LuLu's Sunset Grill, owner Lucy Buffett, announces moving plans for the 5- year old restaurant she owns with brother and singer Jimmy Buffett. LuLu's Sunset Grill will be moving from Fairhope at the end of this year 18 miles south to Gulf Shores where it will reopen as LuLu's Landing. "So many people have worked so hard to make my little high-class dive a success," says Buffett. "While it is heartbreaking to be forced to leave the beauty of Weeks Bay, we are looking forward to this new venture and sharing our little treasure with Gulf Shores," says Buffett. LuLu's Landing will be located at the site of the old Southport Seafood business under the Highway 59 Bridge at marker 155 on the Intracoastal Waterway. "I didn't want a big fancy restaurant. That's not LuLu's," says Buffett. "The new place will have all of the same elements that make it so comfortable: colorful picnic tables, sand piles for the kids, and live music. "We're going to finish this year on Weeks Bay with a bang and hopefully all of our friends and neighbors will follow us to the beach," Buffett laughs.

Bill Wharton
On Monday June 16th, Bill Wharton will undergo bypass surgery.  After a grueling tour and a marathon recording session, Sauce Boss suffered a mild heart attack last Thursday as he was loading up the van to head out on the next tour.  Tests revealed that his heart was working great (but we all knew that already).  However three coronary arteries were severely blocked and surgery was immediately scheduled for Monday.  We are all very optimistic that everything will go very well.  And I will keep you posted on his progress as soon as I can.

Please realize that I will not have much time for calls or correspondence, but feel free to leave your thoughts on our guest book at http://sauceboss.com. What we need now is just your good vibes and prayers.

Thanks so much,
Ruth Wharton

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" was recorded at Buffett's Shrimp Boat Sound Studios in Key West, Fla., and will appear on Jackson's upcoming greatest hits album. Jackson dropped in on Buffett's show Thursday in Indianapolis.  The duet "is screaming up the country charts," Buffett chuckled in a conversation before his Pine Knob, Mich., show. (The song debuted at No. 31 on Billboard's country charts three weeks ago and is currently No. 14.) "I figured I hadn't been there in a while and I'd take a ride. Alan called me. He had this song [written by Jim 'Moose' Brown and Don Rollins], and if you look, country has been mimicking me and I get mentioned in a lot of songs. I appreciate it, and the singers are really nice guys."

JUPITER -- Two bartenders juggled rum bottles and mixed fruit-flavored drinks as men in tropical print shirts mingled and danced with women decked out in sundresses and bikinis at the small tiki-style bar on the shore of the Jupiter Inlet. At the center of it all, country music superstar Alan Jackson, barefoot and wearing his signature cowboy hat, strummed his guitar while his latest single It's Five O'clock Somewhere played in the background. Listen to the lyrics, and the scene makes sense: "Oh, pour me something tall and strong. Make it a hurricane before I go insane," Jackson sings. "It's only half past 12, but I don't care. It's 5 o'clock somewhere." Jackson spent the morning Saturday on the water in northern Palm Beach County and later at the outdoor bar at the Castaways Marina just across the water from Jupiter's famous lighthouse filming the music video for his latest single -- which is partly a duet with Florida favorite Jimmy Buffett. Castaways owner Jimmy Burg said he knows Jackson, who has a home on Jupiter Island, through an acquaintance and suggested the spot for the video."It's an incredible location right here on the inlet. The views are spectacular," Burg said. "It's incredibly exciting." Buffett wasn't in attendance Saturday, but will make an appearance in the video. In the song, Buffett sings a verse after Jackson asks, "I wonder what Jimmy Buffett would do?"  In the video, Jackson will step though a "magical door" at the bar and onto a stage with Buffett. That concert footage will be shot Thursday in Indianapolis, production officials said. The video will be ready to air by mid-July.
Enduring long waits and rain showers, a handful of Jupiter officials who watched the filming Saturday said they're excited about the international exposure the video will bring to their city. "We're absolutely thrilled. This is going to put Jupiter on the map," said Jupiter Vice Mayor Babs Henderson, who also is a board member of the North Palm Beach County Entertainment Council.
As Jackson filmed part of the video with a band aboard a yacht on the water, spectators on the closed set were left to speculate about what footage will end up in the final video.  "I can't imagine they would shoot in Jupiter without getting the lighthouse," said John DuBois, who is also a member of the entertainment council.  A group of Dwyer High School students who have been studying film production hung out at the scene all day to get a glimpse of the "real world."  "I'm here to see how it's really done because this is what I want to do," said Meghan Mussell, 18, who just graduated from Dwyer and will attend Palm Beach Community College. "For me, this is a learning experience."

Fingers' new album released
Original Coral Reefer Band member Greg "Fingers" Taylor new album, Hi Fi Baby, has been released.
http://www.warehousecreek.com/hifi/

Join Greg Fingers Taylor on a Caribbean Cruise! February 2........From $517.36 (USD)
ENJOY 5 DAYS IN THE CARIBBEAN VISITING EXOTIC PORTS OF BELIZE CITY, BELIZE AND KEY WEST  Enjoy the Fan Cruise of a lifetime with Greg "Fingers" Taylor on Carnival Cruise Lines beautiful "Imagination".
There will be performances by Greg "Fingers" Taylor & Special Guests with a Walking Tour of Key West, pointing out places of interest and hangouts of the original "Coral Reefers". Cruise package includes Commemorative T-Shirt, Contests, Prizes and much more. Greg "Fingers" Taylor performed with Jimmy Buffett & the "Coral Reefer Band" for over a quarter of a century to the delight of millions of fans in venues around the world. Details at:  http://content.onlineagency.com/c/5/5238/1392794_5238.htm

The Demise of the Hemisphere Dancer
The Hemisphere Dancer has been retired and is being taken apart.  Apparently, Universal Studios had bought the plane and is making a  display out of it for the Orlando park (Margaritaville Orlando). The 
dancer is now at New Smyrna Beach Airport being dismantled.

Tully Mars Day at the Canterbury Park brought together about 50 of us Parrot Heads and friends who wanted to have some fun with the ponies.  It turned out to be a great day with great weather as you can see from the photo at left. Thanks to David Appelbaum for making all the arrangements.  The St MSP Canterbury Crawl was the 6th race in which all of us contributed our winnings to the Alzheimers Foundation. It was a tough race to parlay but we did reach a tidy sum of $50 for this event.  Judging from the fun, we were all winners that day!  Plus, it was the day of the Belmont Stakes so we had something special in Funny Cide failing to win the third leg of the Triple Crown.  Next year, we will plan for another great day at the races.

Marilyn Listvan presenting the $5000 check to People First President Kris Miller, second from right.  On far left is Mark Olson and on far right is Lori Sedlesky, ARC director of programs and advocacy. 

"We're getting ready to put a Margaritaville [store] in Honolulu," Buffett said. "They've got bonefishing and surfing. Its another reason to go over there."

CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE IN CHICAGO
Buffett currently has a Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant located at 4670 South-port Crossings Dr., in Indianapolis (317-883-4386), a joint venture with Outback Steakhouse. Later this year Buffett is opening a Cheeseburger in Paradise in the Oak Brook-Downers Grove area.

THE GULP, p 1