Jimmy Buffett looks at 50 years after his 1st Key West gig

CHANGES IN LATITUDES, ATTITUDES

Key West, of course, was different in those days. Today, for instance, Buffett’s private studio in the Key West Historic Seaport area has turned out music for his own albums ever since “Hot Water” in 1988. And he’s opened the waterfront studio to pals like Coral Reefer Mac McAnally, country stars Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, Zac Brown, Kenny Chesney and George Strait, and Smashing Pumpkins’ rocker Billy Corgan.

The national Rams Head Presents, based in Maryland, with locations in New York, Maryland and Delaware, produces numerous concerts and theatrical performances in the Keys from contemporary and vintage artists and locals at venues like Key West Theater, Key West Amphitheater and Sunset Green. Coming shows include The Mavericks, Max Weinberg’s Jukebox, Livingston Taylor, David Sanborn, Rickie Lee Jones, The Four Tops, Colin Hay, Al Stewart and Chris Young.

“The music scene in Key West, let’s face it, when I got there in ’72, it wasn’t a music scene. If you got a job in a bar, that was a music scene,” Buffett said. “It’s changed a lot and I think most of it for the better.

“And I’m really kind of involved now with the people of Rams Head,” Buffett said. “They are there for the right reason. We made a deal with our studio to use it more and to connect Shrimp Boat to their existing other studios in Los Angeles and New York. Their ideas are to be able to teach and make it available to local kids who are interested and to local performers. But also to look at their already web of people that record in their studios who would want to come to Key West to record and adding that to the mix.