The Cincinnati Enquirer has a couple of articles leading up to the show at Riverbend on Thursday: “Jump on the Buffett bandwagon – Examining the origins of the Parrothead species” and “Margaritaville makes money”
Some excerpts from the articles:
Jimmy Buffett brings his “The Year of Still Here” tour to Riverbend Thursday, representing the 20th anniversary of his first performance at the venue in 1988. This show is his 41st consecutive sell-out at Riverbend. This one sold all of the 20,000 tickets in 10 minutes. Make it his 47th consecutive sell-out in this market, if you count the six shows he did at Kings Island from 1984-87.
Buffett managed to turn a fantasy lifestyle into a marketable product, selling escapism for a night or so and he was on his way to being the Margaritaville mogul. Given his current sold-out summer tour, it is a “product” that never goes out of fashion. As Buffett sings, “I’m growing older, but not up.”
From beer to sneakers, it’s usually all about selling a lifestyle these days when it comes to marketing any consumer product. Jimmy Buffett practically wrote the book on that kind of marketing, or at least he wrote the song. Buffett has managed to turn a mythical beach bum lifestyle into a financial empire that reminds one of another financier named Buffett. That would be Warren, no relation.
Buffett has turned his musical fantasies into what is estimated to be a $400 million brand, making him one of the richest musicians in the world. Rolling Stone magazine estimated in 2006 Buffett was the seventh richest rock star, earning $44 million that year.