Locals mourn passing of Jimmy Buffett who died Friday at the age of 76

Jimmy Buffett, who died Friday at age 76, was remembered by locals as a man who truly "lived his life like a song until his very last breath" as the online epitaph on his website read.

Ruben "Lounge Lizard" Morgan of Ormond Beach, a local musician, met Buffett at a folk music club in Atlanta called The Bistro when Buffett was first making a name for himself. He knew the guy had something special going on.

“He was coming up with so many ideas for songs,” Morgan said. "He was a literary scholar. I could see that he was going to accelerate in his career in the near future.”

Did he ever. At that time, Buffett only had one album out, Down to Earth. But by the end of his career, Buffett recorded 29 studio albums.

Margaritaville and beyond

While best known for his music, Buffett has created a business empire with a tropical theme.

Locally, the singer-songwriter is known for a master-planned housing development named after his signature tune from 1977, "Margaritaville" about laidback living in the tropics. Located at 2400 LPGA Blvd., the project is a partnership between Margaritaville Holdings and developer Minto Communities.

Buffett bought a house in the development and according to a 2018 News-Journal story, even dropped by to say hello to some residents. Kelley and Bill Sarantis were told to expect a visit from "some people from corporate."

The couple assumed that meant the developers of the Jimmy Buffett-inspired 55-and-older community.

They were surprised to find out the guest knocking on their front door was none other than the singer-songwriter himself.

"I walked from the kitchen and saw out the window that it was Jimmy Buffett," recalled Kelley Sarantis. "He said, 'Hey, neighbor!'"

'Chill lifestyle'

Julie Rinehart, a Daytona Beach musician and music lover who lives in Margaritaville, had the opportunities to experience a Buffett concert from backstage.

“My husband and I were friends with Peter Mayer, his guitarists, and to that extent, we were often privileged enough to go backstage and meet Jimmy’s whole family, his kids, and all the musicians,” she said.

Rinehart has been a Buffett fan since she was in college. She recalled saving her serving tips to buy his albums. Over the years, she has attended roughly 20 of Buffett’s concerts.

“I will remember him from all the wonderful concerts that he gave [and] the great influence I think he’s had on my kids,” she said. “And I will always keep some of his song lyrics dear to my heart. His music was creative. It lets people think out of the box. It validates some of their wildest dreams about living a relaxed, chill lifestyle.”

A special connection

Many locals feel connected to Buffett and his music.

Mike Toole, owner of Atlantic Sounds Record Store in Daytona Beach, said artists like Buffett gave him the enthusiasm he needed to kickstart a career and open his first store. As he was first getting started, Toole would come home from work, put on Buffett’s live album, and “crank it.”

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“If my neighbors would’ve heard it one more time, I think they were going to call the police because I was playing it over and over again,” he said.

Toole was inspired by Buffett’s ability to take life lightly, and he commended the artist for making music enjoyable, uplifting, and honest.

Savoring life

Buffett taught his audience to savor the good times, according to former WESH-TV reporter Bob Kealing who lives in Longwood.

“There’s nothing wrong with kicking back and having a good time,” Kealing said. “And I think Jimmy really encapsulated the lifestyle that many of us find so seductive about the keys in Key West. It’s a magical place, and I think he put it into words and music better than anybody I’ve ever heard.”

As a longtime fan, Kealing bought his wife tenth-row tickets and backstage passes to see Buffett in Orlando in the nineties as one of his “initial attempts to impress" her.

“That was a really memorable night,” Kealing said. “One of many that have to do with Jimmy Buffett.”

Clayton Park and Jim Abbott contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Locals mourn passing of Jimmy Buffett