Be Honest, If You Were Jimmy.......

[Bfan53]

(Granted, imagining yourself as JB is a real stretch for most of us, but try for just a few minutes......)

I'm 61 years old, have managed to somehow survive and thrive in this crazy music business for 40 years or so, and along the way made myself into a pretty successful businessman who knows how to make a buck or two from my faithful fan base. And continue to have fun doing it.

My formula is to keep singing most of the same songs I've sung every year because, well, I keep selling out most venues year after year, and the vast majority of my fans seem to enjoy themselves at my concerts and they come back for more.

I don't need to keep playing music and touring, oh, I know I say "What else would I do?", but financially I think I could probably make ends meet for the balance of my natural life (even with $4/gallon gas).

Now, BNers, be brutally honest with yourself. If you were in Jimmy's place you'd most likely be doing the exact same thing..........

If you're that tired of the same old set lists, cover songs, and broken promises, then maybe you do need to "move on" in your musical world. There are plenty of other talented artists to listen to and follow. But, in the end, at this point in his life, Mr. Buffett has earned the right to simply "be Jimmy". And it's pretty obvious to all that he's the one still steering the Good Ship "Margaritaville" and I, for one, wouldn't want it any other way....

[LIPH]

If I were in Jimmy's place I'd be retired.

[Bfan53]

If I were in Jimmy's place I'd be retired.

As most of us would Larry.....

[Frank4]

If I were in Jimmy's place I'd be retired.

As most of us would Larry.....

I'd agree with you there....

[AlbatrossFlyer]

except your entire business model is predicated on having a fan base. in marketing parlance you're a brand selling a lifestyle image...

if you don't have the fan base let alone grow it, all of your businesses will fail.

even after 40 years in the business it's amazing the number of people who DON'T know who you are. while your loyal fan base will pretty much buy anything you slap your Margaritaville name on, what's your percentage of sales from outside of your fan base? p*** off the fan base or get sloppy with the quality, you'll be history. just look at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafes. And then there's the CIP's which basically was an Mville Cafe national chain..... oh and let's hope kenny c. doesn't start opening restaurants too...

[Bfan53]

except your entire business model is predicated on having a fan base. in marketing parlance you're a brand selling a lifestyle image...

if you don't have the fan base let alone grow it, all of your businesses will fail.

even after 40 years in the business it's amazing the number of people who DON'T know who you are. while your loyal fan base will pretty much buy anything you slap your Margaritaville name on, what's your percentage of sales from outside of your fan base? p*** off the fan base or get sloppy with the quality, you'll be history. just look at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafes. And then there's the CIP's which basically was an Mville Cafe national chain..... oh and let's hope kenny c. doesn't start opening restaurants too...

And how would you suggest things "be changed"? For now, the model is working far better than any of us can possibly imagine.......

[RinglingRingling]

except your entire business model is predicated on having a fan base. in marketing parlance you're a brand selling a lifestyle image...

if you don't have the fan base let alone grow it, all of your businesses will fail.

even after 40 years in the business it's amazing the number of people who DON'T know who you are. while your loyal fan base will pretty much buy anything you slap your Margaritaville name on, what's your percentage of sales from outside of your fan base? p*** off the fan base or get sloppy with the quality, you'll be history. just look at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafes. And then there's the CIP's which basically was an Mville Cafe national chain..... oh and let's hope kenny c. doesn't start opening restaurants too...

And how would you suggest things "be changed"? For now, the model is working far better than any of us can possibly imagine.......

You know.. that's what IBM said about their server business when desktop computing came along.

and what buggy makers said when Duryea and the boys starting thinking about IC vehicles...

[Bfan53]

except your entire business model is predicated on having a fan base. in marketing parlance you're a brand selling a lifestyle image...

if you don't have the fan base let alone grow it, all of your businesses will fail.

even after 40 years in the business it's amazing the number of people who DON'T know who you are. while your loyal fan base will pretty much buy anything you slap your Margaritaville name on, what's your percentage of sales from outside of your fan base? p*** off the fan base or get sloppy with the quality, you'll be history. just look at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafes. And then there's the CIP's which basically was an Mville Cafe national chain..... oh and let's hope kenny c. doesn't start opening restaurants too...

And how would you suggest things "be changed"? For now, the model is working far better than any of us can possibly imagine.......

You know.. that's what IBM said about their server business when desktop computing came along.

and what buggy makers said when Duryea and the boys starting thinking about IC vehicles...

When I own stock in Margaritaville, Inc. then I'll really care about future earnings....amazing how we get from JB's set list to IBM and buggies

[RinglingRingling]

except your entire business model is predicated on having a fan base. in marketing parlance you're a brand selling a lifestyle image...

if you don't have the fan base let alone grow it, all of your businesses will fail.

even after 40 years in the business it's amazing the number of people who DON'T know who you are. while your loyal fan base will pretty much buy anything you slap your Margaritaville name on, what's your percentage of sales from outside of your fan base? p*** off the fan base or get sloppy with the quality, you'll be history. just look at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafes. And then there's the CIP's which basically was an Mville Cafe national chain..... oh and let's hope kenny c. doesn't start opening restaurants too...

And how would you suggest things "be changed"? For now, the model is working far better than any of us can possibly imagine.......

You know.. that's what IBM said about their server business when desktop computing came along.

and what buggy makers said when Duryea and the boys starting thinking about IC vehicles...

When I own stock in Margaritaville, Inc. then I'll really care about future earnings....amazing how we get from JB's set list to IBM and buggies

if you want.. I can draw you a picture because you seemed to have missed the analogy, especially when tied into the statement by another poster about it being "a fan based business". There is no business that lasts by doing the same old crap year after year after year like your "it's good enough now and there's no need to fix it" statement.

clear enough now how we got from "set list" to "buggies and IBM"? you don't know me well enough for the to come off as anything other than an insult, so if this response comes off as harsh, oh well.

[SharkOnLand]

except your entire business model is predicated on having a fan base. in marketing parlance you're a brand selling a lifestyle image...

if you don't have the fan base let alone grow it, all of your businesses will fail.

even after 40 years in the business it's amazing the number of people who DON'T know who you are. while your loyal fan base will pretty much buy anything you slap your Margaritaville name on, what's your percentage of sales from outside of your fan base? p*** off the fan base or get sloppy with the quality, you'll be history. just look at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafes. And then there's the CIP's which basically was an Mville Cafe national chain..... oh and let's hope kenny c. doesn't start opening restaurants too...

And how would you suggest things "be changed"? For now, the model is working far better than any of us can possibly imagine.......

You know.. that's what IBM said about their server business when desktop computing came along.

and what buggy makers said when Duryea and the boys starting thinking about IC vehicles...

When I own stock in Margaritaville, Inc. then I'll really care about future earnings....amazing how we get from JB's set list to IBM and buggies

if you want.. I can draw you a picture because you seemed to have missed the analogy, especially when tied into the statement by another poster about it being "a fan based business". There is no business that lasts by doing the same old crap year after year after year like your "it's good enough now and there's no need to fix it" statement.

clear enough now how we got from "set list" to "buggies and IBM"?

But we get new "crap" all the time. Beer, rum, shoes, blenders, restaurants, casinos....

But back to the topic. I think Jimmy still does it because he likes it. I think he does the covers because he wants to do them and likes to do them, not to please the fans. Watching Jimmy on stage, he looks like he's having the time of his life, and it comes across, even listening on Radio Margaritaville.

So if I were Jimmy and I was having as much fun as he seems to be having, I'd keep on doing it.

[Bfan53]

I honestly hestitated to make my initial post, fearing more juvenile responses which I have now come flying my way. But quite frankly I have grown increasingly tired of all the "Jimmy bashing" on what is supposed to be a "fan site". Now R2, a BN regular, has taken that to another level.....a personal level......even questioning my intelligence. We've never met so that assessment is rather childlike.

I've felt for a while I've been spending too much time each day on BN and these responses have reinforced that feeling. I am a Buffett fan and will continue to enjoy his music for as long as he decides to play & tour. I will most likely exit this community and leave this site to all you "experts" out there who obviously know more about Buffett than Buffett and choose to spend the bulk of each day bi*ching about all things Buffett.....

[changingchannels]

if i was still enjoying what i was doing i wouldnt retire.if i can still sing and still perform then i would do it.its not like he is barnstorming the world playing 100 shows a year.its the most casual touring schedule of any artist and he plays where and when he wants to.nobody has it better than that.

i would hope that if i was in that position and been through all the changes including the peaks and lows i would begin to start to return to my roots and start doing more positive things with my money.alot of artists have done that and have produced better material because of it. a sort of enlightenment of my career.

i would also hope, and i do say hope, that i wasnt becoming a parody of myself. this is all assuming i had the career and life of jimmy buffett. if i was just some wealthy businessman that didnt sing and if the world didnt know my name i would retire. but i dont have jimmy buffetts life.i have mine and i love it!@!

[aeroparrot]

I will answer it this way, if I can get paid millions of dollars a year for "mailing it in", why wouldn't I consider it? Would I do it is another question.

[Tarheel Tail-Gator]

I honestly hestitated to make my initial post, fearing more juvenile responses which I have now come flying my way. But quite frankly I have grown increasingly tired of all the "Jimmy bashing" on what is supposed to be a "fan site". Now R2, a BN regular, has taken that to another level.....a personal level......even questioning my intelligence. We've never met so that assessment is rather childlike.

I've felt for a while I've been spending too much time each day on BN and these responses have reinforced that feeling. I am a Buffett fan and will continue to enjoy his music for as long as he decides to play & tour. I will most likely exit this community and leave this site to all you "experts" out there who obviously know more about Buffett than Buffett and choose to spend the bulk of each day bi*ching about all things Buffett.....

Bfan53---First, I applaud you for the attempt to put a positive spin on some of the negativity circulating through here lately. And, I agree with you that Jimmy's performing because he still enjoys it. I've seen great energy and a sense of actual enjoyment at the last three shows I've attended (Tinley Park last year and Charlotte and Raleigh this year).

However, I think R2 made a valid point that business plans need to continue to develop to meet market needs. And, when he made that point, you are the one who reacted negatively towards that.

I agree with LIPH (paraphrasing most of his posts) about the Margaritaville brand and what it stands for. Instead of a full line of mediocre products, I'd much rather see it be a Margaritaville Rum that represents the best the islands have to offer, a Margaritaville Salsa that is unique and outstanding (it doesn't even have to be expensive, Trader Joe's pulls off a great salsa for under $3.00 a jar), a restaurant that features outstanding food and drinks,etc. Why not make Landshark an elite beer instead of a mass produced product (or make a Fins Up Elite Lager and a mainstream product)?

With the exception of the concoction maker (I don't own one, but I've heard good reviews from those who do), it seems like the brand is more geared for Wal-Mart than Tommy Bahama.

Jimmy may also be enjoying the fact that he has become more mainstream over the last 5 years (from 5 O'Clock Somewhere to the Today Show to Anheiser-Busch backing). While he is enjoying that fame, he may be more handcuffed by the sponsorships, partnerships, and his team of advisers.

It's the same as the NFL, which is now issuing dress codes, fan behavior codes, etc. Some of the uniqueness and rowdiness that made the NFL what it is, has been lost, but at the same time the "franchise" has become too valuable and litigation has become too prevalent in today's world.

Things change, life goes forward and we all have to decide if we want to keep riding the train we are on, or hop the tracks.

I'd hate to see you leave BN over a thread or a comment. Those BNers who I've had the pleasure of meeting are "good people" and we've had good times together and I've seen great acts of kindness and support for other BNers. Hope you can Breath In, Breath Out, and hang around.

[pema]

Bfan53, I would have to agree with you about the b*tching and whining!!! There's an awful lot of that going on around here! And besides, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Just ask Randall (BigR-KyParrothead).

It’s not like JB has to wait another five years to start drawing social security in order to feed his family. Only he knows this for sure, but I would guess that he still tours because he enjoys it.

If the band asked me to write the set-list, it would look a lot different than the average set-lists. But if given the choice between the current set-list and JB retiring, I would definitely pick the current set-lists.

If you enjoy going to shows, then go. If you don’t, then don’t go. It’s that easy.

[Randy1278]

It should not be about either us making up the set list or him retiring. I just wish that he would respect the real fans a bit more.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

It should not be about either us making up the set list or him retiring. I just wish that he would respect the real fans a bit more.

What's a "real" fan? A relatively new "real" fan probably likes hearing the standards, and that's no less viable than a fan who's been around a while.

[RinglingRingling]

except your entire business model is predicated on having a fan base. in marketing parlance you're a brand selling a lifestyle image...

if you don't have the fan base let alone grow it, all of your businesses will fail.

even after 40 years in the business it's amazing the number of people who DON'T know who you are. while your loyal fan base will pretty much buy anything you slap your Margaritaville name on, what's your percentage of sales from outside of your fan base? p*** off the fan base or get sloppy with the quality, you'll be history. just look at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafes. And then there's the CIP's which basically was an Mville Cafe national chain..... oh and let's hope kenny c. doesn't start opening restaurants too...

And how would you suggest things "be changed"? For now, the model is working far better than any of us can possibly imagine.......

You know.. that's what IBM said about their server business when desktop computing came along.

and what buggy makers said when Duryea and the boys starting thinking about IC vehicles...

When I own stock in Margaritaville, Inc. then I'll really care about future earnings....amazing how we get from JB's set list to IBM and buggies

if you want.. I can draw you a picture because you seemed to have missed the analogy, especially when tied into the statement by another poster about it being "a fan based business". There is no business that lasts by doing the same old crap year after year after year like your "it's good enough now and there's no need to fix it" statement.

clear enough now how we got from "set list" to "buggies and IBM"?

But we get new "crap" all the time. Beer, rum, shoes, blenders, restaurants, casinos....

But back to the topic. I think Jimmy still does it because he likes it. I think he does the covers because he wants to do them and likes to do them, not to please the fans. Watching Jimmy on stage, he looks like he's having the time of his life, and it comes across, even listening on Radio Margaritaville.

So if I were Jimmy and I was having as much fun as he seems to be having, I'd keep on doing it.

we do, and I wish, like others, that it wasn't kitschy crap and low-grade liquor/beer. Sammy Hagar did it right with Cabo Wabo and his tequila. Jimmy and he are about the same age, it just seems that Sammy goes for the quality, and Jimmy tends toward the LCD and ends up cheapening the brand.

Crappy tequila.. ok. it's good for blender drinks, but it's not Cabo Wabo. The rum is probably going to the same thing. Corona, then Landshark (basically A-B taking a subsidiary's spokesman and bringing him to the next level but not really improving the brand being hawked)... Tshirts and the like, those are decent and last a while (tho I do regret the end of the close affiliation with Caribbean Soul). As others said, it's "slap my name on it, or the M'ville logo and let the cash roll in for something that might be worth half what the fans pay for." Reduce the band's depth and skill, and keep the setlist catering to the LCD bucket listers and yellow album fans.

I see him often enough during the year that I enable him to put a couple tanks of gas in the car, or pay for the security fees on his airfares, so I am guilty of encouraging him. A couple times I have gotten a payback: the 2004 show at MOTM, and the setlist in Cinci this year. I also get to see some of the best folks I have had the good fortune to meet (not meat) and see parts of the country I would never have thought I would have had it not been for him.

all that said, some days it's easy to be a level 9, some days it's easier to be a level 8, although the latter doesn't last long.

[Y-NO-9-O]

Bfan53, I would have to agree with you about the b*tching and whining!!! There's an awful lot of that going on around here! And besides, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Just ask Randall (BigR-KyParrothead).

It’s not like JB has to wait another five years to start drawing social security in order to feed his family. Only he knows this for sure, but I would guess that he still tours because he enjoys it.

If the band asked me to write the set-list, it would look a lot different than the average set-lists. But if given the choice between the current set-list and JB retiring, I would definitely pick the current set-lists.

If you enjoy going to shows, then go. If you don’t, then don’t go. It’s that easy.

Well put. This happens every year around this time. Those who have seen the show cannot believe the set list. However, every show is played on RM and each set list for each venue is updated on BN - AS THE SONG IS BEING PLAYED!! Surprise, surprise.

And speaking of paybacks, how about "God's Own Drunk" in Charlotte? Golden nuggett right there. Last time I saw that was in the early 80's.

Thank you Jimmy!

[AlbatrossFlyer]

in a nutshell...

when jimmy stops touring, the fans will move on, and the business ventures fold.

the business ventures just aren't sustainable without the face of JB...