What a year 2024 was, as we kicked off this new band. I would say the concept of a Jimmy Buffett tribute act came about in the fall of 2023. I lost my sailing buddy and best friend from grade school in August of that year to a massive heart attack at 58 years old. Then, on the first of September we lost Jimmy Buffett.
I'd grown up on the water and although many people told me I was too young to be a Buffett fan (Jimmy gained popularity in the early 70's when I was but a youngster), his music was the soundtrack of my young life as my family spent so much of its time boating and sailing with me in tow.
Mr. Buffett was a musical idol to me, and as I've said many times, mostly responsible for my living in Florida and my priorities being so out of whack at a young age. So, when he died, it was a big shock and a sad day.
Meanwhile, my mother had been diagnosed back in January of 2023 with Merkel Cell Carcinoma, a very rare, yet very aggressive form of skin cancer. Upon diagnosis, she underwent surgery to remove lymph-nodes in her neck and later a six-week bout of radiation that concluded in late July.
My wife and I made multiple trips to my home-state of Arkansas to care for, and be with my mother, I was her only child. It was a 30-hour round trip from Florida. As we were still saddened by the passing of Buffett, we took advantage of the driving time to go back and listen to all thirty-two of his albums in order, from start to finish. It took an entire trip up, and an entire trip back to get through them all. I had forgotten how much great music the man had made, as frankly, i had gotten out of the habit of listening to Jimmy in my later years.
Jimmy Buffett's cause of death was not immediately released, but it later turned out to be Merkel Cell Carcinoma, the same deadly skin cancer that my mother was battling. They were the same age. Jimmy fought it for four years. Mom lost her battle in 10 months.
Mom was a fan of Jimmy. I recall sitting on her back porch with her listening to Bubbles Up. Hospice had been called in, and she listened to the song as if it gave her a sense of hope. She passed on October 11, 2023 at age 76.
I'd now lost my best friend, my musical idol and my mother in the course of three months.
We had a band prior to LANDFALL that played the St. Augustine area for about five years. It was a “Saltwater Country” band and had a decent following. But, the guys in the band had gotten burned out, and sick of each other. Musicians tend to be an egotistical bunch. After an attempt to replace a couple guys and go in a new direction with little success, we put the “Southern Tide Band” to rest.
But, the losses of 2023 inspired me to call up some friends and suggest a tribute band to Jimmy Buffett. I enjoyed playing music, and missed it. If only for a handfull of gigs, I thought Buffett's passing had caused others to rediscover his music like it had me, and it certainly brought back many fond memories of good times in warm places.
So, we put together a group and started to work up songs. Couple guys didn't work out, but what we ended up with has become a tight-knit little family. Tony Cason took us to an entirely different level when he came aboard. Tony had just moved to town and had already been lead guitarist for another Buffett tribute in Georgia known as the “Sons of Sailors” band, so he was an immediate fit. Nicest guy you've ever met to boot.
Played our first gig in Palm Coast and our second show at the St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival. That's where most of the videos on this website came from. They're a little rough, but hey, we had just started!
Since then, we've played the Taste of the Fun Coast at Hammock Beach Resort, Outback Crabshack, Renegades on the River, Golden Lion Cafe, SABRAGE St. Augustine Party Boat, landed a monthly gig on the rooftop at PESCA by Michaels. We just signed a deal to play JimmyFest in Jacksonville in February and another deal for three shows this Summer in Clearwater and St. Pete Beach on the Gulf Coast.
We are very grateful to the folks that have come out and supported us at our shows. I really didn't think we'd be doing this in 2025. We are adding some non-Buffett tunes to the set list in an effort to keep things fresh, but at the heart of it, we want to keep Jimmy's spirit and music alive. It really is timeless.
Miss you, Mom. Miss you, Jimmy. Thanks for all the good times.
See everyone soon with the band!