From the Washington Post: “Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino certified by Miss. gaming commission, opens Tuesday”

Jimmy Buffett says creating jobs on the Gulf Coast is a rewarding part of his new Margaritaville Casino and Resort in Mississippi.

Buffet was in Jackson Thursday when the Mississippi Gaming Commission signed off the certification for the casino, set to open Tuesday in Biloxi.

The meeting was a formality. Gaming Commission Chairman Jerry St. Pe told Buffett and his business partner, John Cohlan, the casino had already been found suitable for certification.

Buffett told the board the casino will be fun but also will bring “a thousand new jobs to the Gulf Coast at a time they’re needed.”

After the meeting, Buffett wouldn’t say if he’ll perform at the opening, but pointed out that he’s “a shameless musician and coming home seems like a party to me.”

From the Clarion Ledger : “Singer Jimmy Buffett: ‘Proud to be coming back’ to Mississippi”

Buffett said he’ll be there for the opening and promises a big party.
And yes, he will perform.

“I don’t know,” Buffett said when asked what he will sing. “I haven’t written the set list. But, I want a dance floor. It will be uptempo.”

written by admin

Article source: http://www.buffettnews.com/2012/05/17/13094/

From a press release on Marketwatch.com: “Sun and Skin Care Research, LLC Announces Partnership With Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Enterprises LLC”

Today Margaritaville unveiled Parrot Head Advanced Sun Care, a totally new product line of advanced sun care for the tropical lifestyle. The Original Margaritaville store in Key West Florida became the first store in the world to display the new product line starting today, the rest of the world will follow over the coming weeks and months.

Margaritaville Parrot Head is more than advanced sun care. It nourishes and moisturizes skin the way that the best skin care products do, as it protects it from the sun.

All Margaritaville Parrot Head products contain a unique and proprietary moisturizing base called Aloe Hydrating Complex(tm). This moisturizing breakthrough is further infused with vitamins and other natural ingredients like Olive Squalane, Borage, Hemp, Brazil Nut, Avocado, Calendula, Chamomile, Comfrey and Carrot. Together, these ingredients work to enhance skin’s elasticity and moisture retention, protect against oxidative stress, and have anti-aging properties as well.

Margaritaville Parrot Head will be available in six product lines that are all PABA and Paraben free:

“Floridays” Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion
“Floridays” Face Ultra Light Moisturizing Sunscreen
“FINS UP!” Sport Sunscreen Lotion and Spray
“Parakeet Kids” Sunscreen Lotion and Spray
“License to Chill” Cooling Aloe Lotion and Gel
“Dedicated To Sunshine” Tanning Oil and Tan Enhancer

Now available at the Margaritaville Online Store

written by admin

Article source: http://www.buffettnews.com/2012/05/14/13089/

Key West Songwriter’s Festival 2012

What can one say about the Key West Songwriter’s Festival? Well, for starters it’s by far, the largest musical event held in Key West. Additionally, unlike other musical events, in addition to 130+ songwriters in attendance, there are also the top executives in the recording industry in from Nashville. Basically what happens is the recording industry moves to Key West for six days, or so to have fun and let their hair down. The festival is a joint production between Charlie Bauer, who started the festival 17 years ago and BMI Nashville. BMI, Charlie’s establishment Smokin’ Tuna, and Better Angels music publishing are the main sponsors of the event, which is held in about thirty different locations around the Island. The island was packed as well for the festival! Word on the street was that if you could actually find a room, they were running $400 a night and air fare from Nashville to Key West was $900 for a walk on.

One of the fun things for everyone here during the Songwriter’s Fest is the realization that so many songs we hear are not written by those who make the songs famous, but rather by songwriters whom many of us may have never heard of. Forgive the pun, but the un-sung heroes of music today. Here in Key West we always hear great musicians playing what’s known as “Covers”; Songs made famous by other artists. It’s a two way street, as no matter how good a musician or a band are, without good songs to work with, they’ll never have a foundation to work off of. Often I’ll hear a song myself that I always assumed was written by the artist who made it famous. This year I heard the song “I Ain’t Missin’ You At All”, of course made famous by John Waits. This year I learned he didn’t write it, but rather a guy in a cowboy hat playing at The Bottle Cap did. Regretfully, I missed his name. Likewise the beautiful song done by Jimmy Buffett and Martina McBride “Trip Around The Sun”. I always thought it was a Buffett song. Stupid me, huh? Then, there I was at a completely and utterly packed Smokin’ Tuna when Al Anderson started playing it. He co-wrote it with Steve Bruton and Sharon Vaughan. When I heard it, I had to hop up from my table and tunnel my way to the stage armed with my iPhone video rolling!

For me, this was my second year as a performer. Special thanks and tons of gratitude to BMI, Charlie, Dani Holiday, and McClure and Trowbridge Publishing Nashville for getting me involved in this fantastic event. Dani Holiday is the point woman for the festival here in Key West. Everything seems to go through Dani and she’s one very, very busy woman! She always kept a smile however, which in turn keeps everyone else smiling as well! As with last year, I was one of her poster deliverers. It’s a fun task and as I’m local with some time to burn, I’m always happy to contribute.

This year my gig was at the Best Western Key Ambassador, which is over by the airport. I was teamed up with my pal, Misty Loggins, whom I recorded Island Blue with earlier this year. Additionally, my old buddy Bobby D, who played a lot of the lead guitar on my CD “Shanghai’d and Marooned in Key West (things could be worse)” had just moved back into town the day before and was kind enough to video both Misty and my performances. Our gig went great, as well. We were poolside. What a great setting! Misty kicked ass on her songs too! What a performer and a great honor to share the stage with! She was just flat out fantastic! We also did the first solo acoustic version of Island Blue that we’ve ever done. With the song getting airplay from California all across the country… and across the Atlantic in Europe as well, wild horses couldn’t drag us from the stage to keep us from doing that one! The last time we were together doing it was when she recorded her vocals back five months ago at Danny Simpson’s Private Ear Studios. We never got to rehearse it, but Misty being the pro that she is, aced it!

In addition, I got to meet not one, but two Facebook friends Flip Flop and also, Kent McCoy! What fun and we also hung out here and there throughout the festival at additional events. My buddy Key Largo Joe also made it after automobile trouble on the way down the Keys Thanks Joe!!!

It being just the nature of the beast, there are so many events going on simultaneously, it’s just impossible to see them all. Two performers that I caught for the first time that left a big impression on me were Chuck Cannon and Lauren Lucas. This was Chuck’s seventeenth appearance, so he’s been in every event since the beginning as this was the seventeenth annual event. Chuck’s an amazing guitarist who plays in a very bazar tuning all of the time. At the same time, he’s also a marvelous wordsmith. It was a treat to meet and also hear him. As a matter of fact, he and Misty wrote a song and played it together on her set! Great stuff indeed!

I bumped into Lauren Lucas’ set at Island Dogs by chance and was very impressed. Great chord changes, not typical and wonderful lyrics to go along with them. It was a great surprise! Regretfully I didn’t get to meet her. I was at an outside table, so there was a bit of crowd noise and the camera was a good deal shaky, however her audio cuts through quite well.

Since Charlie Bauer started Smokin’ Tuna back last summer, it only made sense that Smokin’ Tuna was the central location for everything. It’s a great music venue as well. Local songwriter, by way of Texas, by way of Nashville, Clint Bullard had what had to be the best audience reaction of the entire festival. Everyone in the crowd was singing along with the choruses/bridges in all of his songs! I didn’t see this with any other performers on this magnitude. It was truly awe inspiring! Clint did a great set as well and having such fantastic support left me in amazement of both his great performance as well as his fans enthusiasm for him. It made me feel good all over!

Also at Smokin’ Tuna were sets from the writers at Better Angels. What a marvelous group of writers they are as well! In one forty five minute set, I heard three #1 hits. Amazing really! The head of Better Angels, Rob sat in on the Cajon on all of his players sets. I had a couple of nice short conversations with him both this year and last. What a positive guy! We’re all grateful for his support of the event!

I already can’t wait for next year’s Songwriter’s Fest! The Key West Songwriter’s Fest is a celebration of writers. No, you won’t hear any covers… but you may just know a lot of the songs you hear, done by the artists who are the ones who actually wrote them. (Additionally, I can promise you that you’ll hear a boatload of just incredible songs that you never heard before as well!) Without them, the artists who made them famous, or cover them in bars as solo, or as bands, would never have had them to play to begin with. This isn’t a matter of what came first, the chicken or the egg. The song is always born first. Everything else comes after that, the arrangements, the production, the musicianship, the performances, the recordings, everything. The song always comes first in music. The song is the nucleus of music.

Article source: http://keywestmusic.blogspot.com/2012/05/key-west-songwriters-festival-2012.html

May 13, 2012

Today is Mothers Day and I want to start by saying happy Mother’s Day
to moms everywhere.  This is a special day for you because you make
every day special for your families.

This was a great week to be in Saint Lucia.  Without knowing it I
landed here in the middle of the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival.  I didn’t
even know it was happening but happening it has been doing.  It has
been a great week of music here in this island paradise.  The line-up
of stars has been a great one. Since April 30th the island has been
celebrating the music of Toni Braxton, Fay Ann Lyons,  Bunji Garlin
and even Dianna Ross but my favorite of the bunch Ziggy Marley
performed the other night.  I have enjoyed the week of music and all
of the celebrations that surround this huge event on the small
tropical island.  The festival ends here today though I won’t be
going, but It has been a great experience and a real celebration.

My time here has been spent dodging rain showers, walking and biking
the roads that network the many small towns, villages and farms on
this island together like a spider’s web.  I have spent time on the
beaches north, south, east and west on this gem of an island and it is
difficult to claim a favorite.  Once you move away from the cruise
ship ports you find the real Saint Lucia experience.  One day, when
you come here, allow enough time to see the real island.  Meet the
people and experience the culture that has grown here through hundreds
of years on this small mountainous island.  Granted the “mountains
would be considered more like hills in parts of the world, but when
you find yourself a couple of hours down a trail, alone with nothing
but the birds singing as you walk aimlessly you will realize that
these are mountains enough to find yourself and discover a portion of
nature that few seldom see.

During this entire visit, the island has been under the threat of
rain, but that hasn’t dampened my visit to this paradise.  It has
probably made it more wonderful. I have been able to meet people in
small villages whom I would have n ever met, as they offered me
shelter and a meal when the showers were at times torrential.  But,
between the showers I walked in the tropical sun and enjoyed the
humidity that wraps you like “warm velvet”.  Those are not my words,
but the person who originally said them, and  I can’t remember who it
was, was absolutely right.  There is a comfort in the warmth that
surrounds you here.

I know I am bound to leave this paradise and move on to another port
and another island, but memories that I have made here, like those on
so many other islands, will stay with me as long as I am graced by
this life I live.  My thoughts today have taken me to thousands of
miles north of here and my childhood.  I think of how the wanderlust
that was a part of my mother’s unfulfilled dreams has been a huge part
of my drive to see and live as much of life as I can.  Thanks to my
mom, and my dad too for that matter, it is from them that I learned to
live with a purpose and enjoy every day for the special value it has.
A good friend of mine once said that this life is not a dress
rehearsal and he was right.  It is important to understand the time we
have is limited.  The people we meet should be cherished as friends
and, everyplace we travel is a paradise to someone.  My paradise
happens to fall in the islands, but from time to time, I have also
found paradise in the mountains of Tennessee and Idaho and Nevada and
even on the streets of San Francisco and New Orleans.  I try to make
the best of wherever I am and find wisdom in the people I come in
contact with.

Last week I was interviewed by Dennis King at WBWC in Cleveland, Ohio
and I really enjoyed talking with a kindred spirit.  They have made me
think a lot about how special my life really is.  I have done a lot of
thinking during my walks and my meditation on the beaches.  I have
thought about my earliest wanderings and decided that in the next few
weeks I will share my first solo adventure.  It was a trip to New
Orleans.  I hitch hiked there and stayed for a couple of days all
alone in a city that is as full of mystery and adventure as any in the
western hemisphere.  Anyway, I intend to share that journey with you
in upcoming blogs.

As I said earlier, I am bound to keep traveling and soon I will be
leaving this paradise for another one.  I am trying to decide whether
to head north to Martinique or Southwest to Barbados.  Bridgetown is
calling me but so is Fort-de-France.  I know I will be traveling
soon, but for now, I am enjoying this paradise, right here, right now.

William Fair Roberts…on island time in paradise

From the Sun Sentinel.com: “Margaritaville hits financing skids”

The fate of the long-anticipated Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort is in peril because of problems obtaining financing, but the city and the developer say they’re optimistic the money will come through.

Developer Lon Tabatchnik is supposed to have financing in place by Tuesday but has yet to raise the $126 million needed for the 17-story, 349-room Jimmy Buffett-themed resort.

But Tabatchnik, city officals say, has received commitments to date from only 26 Chinese investors, which would raise $13 million, far too little to meet Tuesday’s deadline.

To get the project going, he’s now talking to banks for loans and he’s asking the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency to kick in up to $25 million.

written by admin

Article source: http://www.buffettnews.com/2012/05/11/13086/

From MarketWatch.com: “Margaritaville Casino Restaurant Biloxi Set to Open May 22”

“I am thrilled,” Jimmy answered, when asked about the opening of Margaritaville Biloxi. “Biloxi has been on my songline for a long, long time. I made my professional singing debut here back in the late 60′s, when I used to drive my Ford Falcon ‘down around Biloxi’ from the school in Hattiesburg, to play weekends at Trader Jons. Before that, I spent many a weekend, as a child of the Gulf Coast, with my family at the Sun ‘n Sand. I have been fortunate to do many things in my career, but coming full circle to Biloxi with Margaritaville, surely is one of the highlights. It is not only fun, to be coming home and bringing our brand of fun to the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Buffett added, “It is also very gratifying to be able to provide nearly 1,000 new jobs for Mississippians these days. I would just like to personally thank everyone who has had a hand in this adventure, so, let’s let the fin begin.”

From The Sun Herald: “Jimmy Buffett plans to attend”

Five o’clock somewhere will be in Biloxi on May 22 when the ribbon is cut to start the party and open Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant.

Once the VIP celebration gets under way at 5 p.m., the resort opens to the public at 8 p.m. Buffett says he will be in Biloxi that day, said casino president Tom Brosig, but he’s saving some surprises for the opening.

written by admin

Article source: http://www.buffettnews.com/2012/05/10/13083/

Did you miss the news? I know. How could you, since I can’t keep anything quiet? Yes, TropiGal has finally been released! It’s been a couple of weeks now and things couldn’t be better! The CD is getting some great reviews so far. Now that TropiGal is finished, my work has really just begun.

Have you gotten your CD? If not, you can order it from CD Baby which is on the main page of my website, where you can also hear clips of each song. TropiGal is avaiable on the Beachfront Radio Music Hut as a dowload as well. Soon the CD will also be on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and more!

Once you have your CD, I ask you, request you, beg you on bended knee, to add a review here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/danihoy . It doesn’t have to be a long review. Anything you write will help out a lot! Thanks!

A recent event, Spring PHling in Wildwood, NJ, was a great party and a wonderful way to introduce TropiGal to some new and old fans.I have new gigs in new venues throughout the summer, so check out the schedule below for where you can catch me! Some highlights of my upcoming adventure-filled summer:

• Olivia’s Mediterranean Restaurant in Gettysburg – I’ll be playing out on the Parrot Island deck quite a few times this summer, some Thursdays and a bunch of Sundays. This is a great deck and Harry and the gang have some great Greek and American cuisine. http://www.olivias.biz/

• Meet Me in the Keys- I will be in Key West June 14-17 for this event that benefits the KOA Kids Care Camp. Find out more here:http://www.southernmostcoconutcastaways.com/

• Trop Starz & Tiki Barz- This new and bound-to-be-cool event in Binghamton, NY takes place July 6 & 7! Benefits the Wounded Warrior Project, Magic Paintbrush Project and Binghamton Humane Society. http://tropstarztikibarz.com

• Six String Music Invitational- I’ll be heading to N’awlins Aug. 9-12 for this wonderful event that benefits the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic. http://www.sixstringmusicnola.com/2012.html

I hope this wasn’t too much info but I wanted to catch you up on all the stuff that’s going down for the TropiGal this summer. I’m always open to your ideas and suggestion so e-mail me back if you have any thoughts. I really appreciate it! Keep an eye out for future e-mail reports and details from the weekend tours I’m doing. I’m trying to come up with some exclusive stuff, just for you, because I value you as a fan and a friend.

Take care and see you down the road,

Dani

I’m going to be a bit busy with travel the next few months. Well, actually with travel *and* working on my upcoming album *and* the 97 other things that make up a Life. But I’m really excited today about my upcoming trips.

May 17-20: Phins to the West, Laughlin NV

This just in: I’m performing on the Horizon stage (at Registration) on Friday 5/18 at 2:30 PM. If you’re out at PTTW, I hope you’ll stop by. It’s a short set, so it’ll be all-originals, and I’m thinking of weighing it a bit heavily on new material.

PTTW is one of the big West Coast Phlockings that happens every year. It attracts some extremely talented musicians and a whole lot of fun people. It’s at the AVI Casino and resort, right on the Colorado River at the pointy end of Nevada. I’m looking forward to a good time.

June 13-18: Meet Me in the Keys mini-tour, Key Largo to Key West

This is part of what I love about my weekend job. I get to go to the Florida Keys twice a year on business.

The Coconut Castaways, Howard Livingston’s fan club, has an annual weekend-long party in Key West. This year, they’ve invited me to join them and make some music. Being no fool, I accepted. I’ll be playing for them on Wednesday night, and then wandering around town doing my usual two-songs-here, three there thing the rest of the time if I can find friends who’ll share their stage. I’m still hoping for a house concert or some such in the Upper Keys on Sunday; if you want to help make that happen, give me a call.

This will be the first time I’ll be in Key West with some actual time to kick back. If you’re going to be there, let’s get together and have drinks somewhere.

July 4-8: Upstate NY – Trop Starz Tiki Barz mini-tour

The third trip of my summer touring trifecta comes to my old stomping grounds of upstate NY on the Fourth of July. Anchoring this trip will be my appearance at Trop Starz Tiki Barz, a Phlocking in Binghamton, NY. This will be another fun, fine event with lots of excellent live music. I’m still available for other shows on July 5 and July 8, anywhere within a couple of hours of Binghamton and preferably not more than a half-dozen hours out of my likely flight hub of Buffalo.

Three trips, time spent with friends and fun people listening to excellent music, and making a bit of it myself. All of it coming up in the next couple of months!

I hope to see you somewhere on the road!

Article source: http://lorendavidson.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/taking-it-on-the-road/

Yesterday was a bit cloudy but I went and walked around the approximately 1/2 square mile Pigeon Island National Park. The views were awesome even on a cloudy day. I carried a baguette, some fruit and a cheap bottle of wine and enjoyed a picnic and the wonderful view of the Caribbean. There were scores of sailboats sailing their seemingly choreographed paths through the bright blue and green water. My only complaint was that the day was not long enough. Today is a beautiful day and I am out enjoying nature. I rented a bicycle and am headed across the island. I was able to get a WiFi signal en route so I decided to send this brief post. I hope everyone is enjoying their little bit of paradise as much as I am mine.

On Island Time in Paradise

Friends often kid me about the amount of lyrical content that deals with food in my songs.  Well, here I am where that first began, New Orleans.  Back in 1983, I wrote a song about The Camellia Grill on South Carrollton inspired by my first visit to that great diner then known mostly to locals.  Ever since, culinary and restaurant references have crept into my music quite naturally.  I have never set out to “write a food song,” but occasionally, references to what I enjoy eating seem relevant to what I am writing.

Such is the case with “Smile Upon Your Soul,” a tune that occurred to me in 2008 when I sat down to write before lunch one day.  I got to thinking about what I’d like for lunch and the lyrics occurred to me.  This week, I’m on a mission to eat my way through the lyrics of the song.  Here are the song lyrics annotated with the places that can be accomplished.  You can listen to it here while you read.

Bon appetite and may you always have a Smile Upon Your Soul!

Got a “muffalotta” with this at Napoleon House

Text and photos copyright 2012 Les Kerr

Learn More about Les, sign up for mailing list free song downloads at www.leskerr.com

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Article source: http://leskerr.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/new-orleans-smile-upon-your-soul/