Jimmy Buffett Surprises Oil-Soaked Gulf Shores With Impromptu Show
It's hard not to be depressed about the tragedy of the BP oil spill that continues to rage in the Gulf of Mexico, but Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band brightened the local mood Wednesday night, June 30, when they put on an impromptu show in Gulf Shores, Ala., which lies on the edge of the endangered coast. The crowd that came out to Lulu's, a restaurant owned by Jimmy's sister Lucy Buffett, was made up of mostly local fans that have been affected in some way by the spill. The challenges of dealing with the crisis were temporarily forgotten as Jimmy entertained for more than two hours with favorites like 'Volcano,' 'Pascagoula Run' and 'Fins.' A uproarious cheer, which might have been taken as a battle cry , went up during 'Margaritaville,' when the well-known lyrics were changed from "I know it's nobody's fault" to "I think it's all BP's fault!"
Jimmy was already in town because of a previously-scheduled free concert to bring tourists back to the beaches of the area, as local business has dropped by 50% since the spill began in April. That concert, originally scheduled for July 1 and co-starring Kenny Chesney, had to be moved to July 11 because of the imminent dangers of Hurricane Alex, which was attacking the Mexican border and sending high waters and more oil to Alabama and other U.S. areas. The July 11 show will air live on CMT beginning at 7PM ET/6PM CT.
Gulf Shores' mayor, Robert Craft, was jubilant by the turn-out and grateful for Jimmy's generosity to his community.
"This is great," he smiled. "We have needed a boost so badly, and this really helps."
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