bostonrandy wrote:I never thought I'd say this, but Jimmy has become a sellout to the almighty dollar.
Not only does he have his restaurants, he spurns traditional venues to play baseball stadiums to satisfy a "lifelong dream" and now takes Radio Margaritaville to Sirius Satellite Radio.
He's sold out - and expects us, his fans, to continue to pay his freight.
Jimmy: how many 57' vessels can you fish from? How many aircraft do you need to buy to head to the islands?
I'm sure my utter disappointment will lead to my post being deleted by administration, but as a life-long radio broadcaster, it angers me that Jimmy is following individuals such as Howard Stern to satellite radio and effectively "dropping trou" and uriniating on terrestrial radio - the media outlet that introduced the world to his music.
If you disagree with me, fine. Jimmy could care less that I refuse to spend one more dollar in his restaurants or other licensed items.
I'm even considering cancelling my two Buffett specialty programs on my radio station - because he'll make money from that in royalties (albeit a small amount).
I never thought I'd say this, but he can burn in Hell.
Ok let me respond to that one paragraph at a time:
1. Wanting to make more money while you are still able to is simply capitalism not selling out, this is America if he wants to charge more for his concerts or cheese burgers at his resteraunt that is his business and if you don't want to pay for it, simply don't there are many others behind you (including myself) who will. Jimmy has a very specific nitch that noone else has ever really be able to fill as successfully as he does (selling escapeism) some people including me who have stressful lives need that day at the concert or even the three minutes when I listen to Margaritaville in the car to relax and slow down from a long day.
2. The resteraunts are a good thing, for two reasons, 1) it gives parrotheads a place to stop while they are on vacation that they know they will be with like minded people and 2) it exposed a whole new crowd to Jimmys music. Jimmy is legitimatly a baseball fan and if he wants to play a stadium like wrigley or fenway thats his business, people will come, we should all just be happy he is still playing music and hasnt dissapeared to one of those islands yet, as far as Sirius I will adress that one in a minute.
3. Again he didn't sell out, but if you insist that he did you can be right I don't feel like argueing with you on this one, as far as paying his freight, he is a A List Musician in 2005, all of the comparable artists are making the same money (Elton John, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, and even new artists like Eminem and Kenny Chesney are charging about the same for shows)
4. "Jimmy: how many 57' vessels can you fish from? How many aircraft do you need to buy to head to the islands?" Lets be serious for a second, if you enjoyed fishing and flying as much as Jimmy obviously does and you had the oppertunities he does (the ability to buy as many boats and planes as he wants) are you honestly telling me you wouldnt take them? it's nice to have nice things, and he who dies with the most toys win.
5. Now to what i suspect that this is really about. the Sirius Radio thing, Jimmy is not like Howard Stern who is pulling his programs from radio all together, regular radio can still play his songs, when Howard leaves the channels won't have his progarming, but to be honest I can count the number of times I have heard Jimmy on the radio, on my two hands, he just honestly doesnt get airtime so if he wants to go to a place where his music will be on more often and probably introduced to a whole new crowd, why not? as far as "dropping trou and uriniating on terrestrial radio" how is he doing that, like I said before you can still play his music if you want to, its not like he is going to Sirius and saying noone can play my music on FM radio anymore its just him using new technology to bring his music to more/different people and if he makes a few bucks along the way thats cool with me. I personally love the idea since now I can listen to Radiomargaritaville on the car, in the boat, by the pool and a whole list of other places I dont have an internet connection for my laptop.
6 and 7. If youre upset with Jimmy, thats cool, don't go to his resteraunts, or his shows, don't buy his CD's or t-shirts, its an extra seat for someone who wants to be there, whether they be a parrothead or a frat boy at least they will enjoy the show, if you wanna stop playing him on your show because of the four or five cents he gets every time you play one of his songs, thats cool but it wont even make a dent in his pocketbook, I personally think you should leave it on there for the people who do like his music and either don't want to or can't afford to get Sirius, if you stop playing him wont you basically go against most of what you said because you will make it so the only place you can hear his music is if you buy the CD's or the Sirius system? if you ask me that would be the equivalent of dropping trou and p*** on regular AM/FM radio.
8. not really a response just my conclusion, first sorry about all the spelling errors I was typing quickly and it was a bit longer than I origionally intended, but hold no illusions, Jimmy is a businessman who happens to have a band, you can call it whatever you want but I call it smart, he was able to use his image and music to secure his family and future Buffett's finances being pretty secure, and I'm cool with that, stop whining, stop b itching, stop complaining, if you don't like it move on, Jimmy Buffett/Margaritaville shrimp, radio, bars ect are a huge business now with lots of people making money from them, even in everyone on this board banded together to boycot them which wont happen we would barely make a dent.
