Jimmy Buffett has announced his first shows of 2012 with his Coral Reefer band. A trio of shows on the East Coast is set to begin in Miami on January 28 and will continue the singer’s 2011 tour, “Welcome to Fin Land.” After that, Buffett will hit Jacksonville, Fla. and Charleston, S.C. on January 31 and February 2, respectively.

“Welcome to Fin Land” began in April and has logged over 25 dates around the United States, Canada, and a one-off stop in Paris last September. Buffett, who tours regularly due to the demand of his fans known as “Parrottheads,” released his last studio album, Buffett Hotel, in December 2009, and “Welcome to Fin Land” is his second tour since that release.

Parrottheads not able to make it to the shows also have the option of tuning into Radio Margaritaville on Sirius XM Channel 24. In addition to playing Jimmy Buffett songs and those of other like-minded artists like the Beach Boys, Bob Marley and Jack Johnson, the station also often broadcasts archived Buffett Concerts.

Buffett fans attending these shows can expect to be entertained for hours, as Buffett typically plays somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 songs with an additional encore or two. Though the setlists change, there have been a few songs that are always performed, including “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” Most recently, Buffett’s hit with country superstar Alan Jackson, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” has become a live staple, as well. That song was released in 2003 and became a number one country hit.

In additional Buffett news, he is set to guest star in an episode of Hawaii 5-0 later this month. He also voiced the Huck Finn character in a double CD tribute to Mark Twain called Mark Twain: Words & Music. The CD tells the story of Twain through spoken word pieces, and Buffett is joined in the project by such high profile artists as Sheryl Crow, Clint Eastwood, Emmylou Harris and Garrison Keillor.

Following his fall from the stage in the closing minutes of his
concert in Sydney, Australia last Wednesday, Jimmy Buffett has been
released from the hospital and is reportedly “doing well”.

An announcement on Buffett’s website said, “As you probably already
know, Jimmy had an accident while performing in Sydney last night and
was taken to the hospital. The doctors say he is doing well and will
be released tomorrow. More info as we get it, and thank you for all of
your well-wishes!”

The website recently posted an update that Buffett was released from
the hospital. The new information was posted late Thursday morning,
Sydney time.

Buffett, who is 64 years old, stumbled from the stage head first on
Wednesday night following his repeat “Lovely Cruise” performance.

According to eye witnesses, Buffett knocked himself out for
approximately 10 minutes and was bleeding on the face and head. His
staff members and security guards were present with him as they waited
for medical personnel to arrive. The Sydney Morning Herald also had
video of the singer’s fall and of the announcement that the concert
had ended. TMZ stated that the CAT scan returned normal results.

Buffett had given two previous concerts on Sunday and Monday to full
houses at Sydney’s Opera House. He then travelled to the Hordern
Pavilion on Wednesday for an extra concert that had been added due to
overwhelming ticket demand.

One person made a funny remark about Buffett’s fall alluding to his
song “Margaritaville”: “Maybe he blew out a flip-flop”. It might not
have been funny if he’d been seriously hurt, but it’s okay to laugh
now that it’s clear that he’s fine.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2011 lineup will be bringing together country, jazz, pop and international rock headliners, including Jeff Beck, Kid Rock, Robert Plant, Bon Jovi, Arcade Fire, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson and Sonny Rollins. Scores of local acts from Louisiana and nearby will also be included as part of the impressive roster, as well as many Haitian performers.

Other artists scheduled to appear on the festival’s 12 stages this year over two weekends, April 29 – May 8, are Lauryn Hill, Tom Jones, Cyndi Lauper, the Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Jimmy Buffett, Jamey Johnson and Louisiana blues, rock, zydeco, Cajun, folk and gospel musicians such as Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, the Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Trombone Shorty, and Galactic.

Due to the strong cultural and historical connection between Haiti and New Orleans, festival organizers have focused much of their attention on performers from the Caribbean nation, including Tabou Combo Wyclef Jean, Emeline Michele and Boukman Eksperyans. Information on tickets is posted at the Jazz & Heritage Festival website.

Margaritaville Casino, which is backed by Jimmy Buffett, is getting a new lease on life.

The location has been changed.  Motorists on U.S. Highway 90 will not see the casino from the beach.

Planners say it’s being relocated to Biloxi’s Back Bay.  They are hoping to have all license approvals and paperwork in so that the proposed $48 million, 68,000 square foot Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant of Jimmy Buffett’s can open by the end of the year.

Mike Cavanaugh, the developer’s attorney said, we anticipate it will be ninth months for the construction and that will take us into the last part of the year.

Mississippi’s Gaming Commission and Biloxi’s city government will also need to approve Margaritaville.

On Wednesday Cavanaugh said this means the developer’s applications and deadlines are on a tight time line.  Over the next couple of weeks they will need to meet if they are to have any chance of getting started by March.  Cavanaugh said state and local officials have agreed they will move quickly.  Tentative plans are for getting everything into the Game Commission no later than February 24.

Margaritaville’s master plan includes restaurants with outdoor dining area, a marina and events center.

Buffett, who is a Pascagoula native, and Harrah’s Entertainment in 2007 announced plans for building a  $700 million on the beach casino.  The resort had scheduled for a 2010 opening.  However Harrah’s stopped the construction process in 2008 and it is sitting unfinished.

On Wednesday John Payne, central division president of Caesars Entertainment said, we are disappointed our Margaritaville project is not going to proceed.  We will continue exploring opportunities that will enable us to enhance the resort.  Our commitment with the Gulf Coast still stands.

Currently Buffett is working with Tom Brosig, a casino veteran, along with other investors for building a less costly and more casual resort.

According to Cavanaugh, the Margaritaville Casino will be operated by MVB Holdings.  The property will be leased from Brosig and the other investors.

Jimmy Buffet is starting the new year off slowly.  First he is rolling out a brief Australian leg.  He will follow that up with a few coastal shows back in the U.S.

The laid back songwriter/singer along with the Coral Reefers, his backup band, will be Down Under for a week.  The outing of four gigs will kick off with a stand of two nights at Sydney Opera House on January 23 and 24.  Two shows in Florida scheduled for mid April are on the books as well along with a Paris, France concert in late September.

In late 2009 Buffett released “Buffett Hotel,” his newest album on his own label Mailboat Records.  “Buffett Hotel” is a follow up to his 2006 set “Take the Weather With You” and is his 28th album.

The native of Mississippi last summer hosted a Gulf Shores, AL concert to help draw tourists back after the area was hit with an oil spill.  The event sold over 35,000 tickets.

Jimmy Buffet is headed to Australia.  In January he will be performing two concerts at Sydney Opera House.  The two shows will be the only ones he will be performing in Australia.

Buffet is not only one of the best-loved and best-known entertainers in America, but is a successful businessman also.  Buffet established a restaurant chain called Margaritaville after his song.  In addition, in conjunction with Outback Steakhouse he developed the chain Cheeseburger In Paradise, which is also named after a Buffet song.

In addition, Buffet produces Land Shark Lager, his own beer, and has licensed a Tequila called Margaritaville as well.

The best-known songs of Buffet’s include “Why Don’t We Get Drunk And Screw,” “Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes,” “Cheeseburger In Paradise,” “A Pirate Looks At Forty,” “Volcano,” “Fins,” “Come Monday” and “Margaritaville.”

Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band will be performing at the Opera House Concert Hall in Sydney on January 23 and January 24.

A Margaritaville Jimmy Buffet restaurant will open on Navy Pier.  The owner is hoping the lease deal doesn’t result in the “wasting away” of valuable commercial space.

Today the owner of Navy Pier, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, approved a lease of 10 years for the restaurant.  It is expected that it will open next spring and will be taking over the space that Charlie’s Ale House is currently using.

Pier officials are hoping the restaurant with nightly entertainment and Caribbean-themed restaurant will draw diners year around who are looking to have their vicarious island getaway.

A statement was issued by Buffet who expressed his enthusiasm regarding the new location.

From my early days playing on Belmont at Quiet Night in the city to the pinnacle for me of live performances, singing at Wrigly Field in front of that ivy wall, I have had such a wonderful and long history and great affection for the food art, muisc and people of Chicago, the Windy City.

Chicago has always seems like a beach town to me.  A big one but a beach town nonetheless.

Jimmy Buffett’s free concert in the gulf area was not only a success but may also be the catalyst to help local businesses survive amidst the massive and unresolved BP oil spill.

In a survey done by the Knowland Group on July 19-20, it was determined that the Jimmy Buffett concert on July 11 was the key factor in almost a 90% increase in hotel bookings in the area.  Other establishments also benefited from the concert since 60% of the guests did not immediately leave town after the concert but stayed on for a night or two to experience what the coastal area has to offer.

Gulf Shores, the company who brought the legendary musician to their home turf in Alabama a couple of weeks ago for a free concert, are now planning to continue the successful concert trail in the area to help local businesses like resorts, hotels, restaurants and other tourist stopovers thrive despite the huge economical setback brought upon by the oil spill.  From the $15 million tourism grant they received from BP, Gulf Shores has just been granted permission to allocate $2 million from it for a second concert that will take place tentatively on August 21 and 22.

No names and other details have been disclosed yet except that the concert will still be free of charge but tickets will be distributed to ensure order.  According to Grant Brown, Director of Recreation and Cultural Affairs for Gulf Shores in Alabama, they are waiting for responses from three family-friendly and wholesome acts since Wednesday but they haven’t got any replies as of Thursday afternoon.  Contracts were sent to all three artists who are yet to be named on Wednesday and they are only given 48 hours to respond.

If the series of concerts push through as planned, it could help lessen the economic damage the oil spill has resulted to by $7.5 billion, according to a study conducted by Oxford Economics released by the US Travel Association.  This is based on a projected estimate of damages to coastal businesses of about $22.7 billion in the course of three years.

Since the disastrous oil spill in the gulf area may take years before it can be fully cleaned and definitely resolved, small but significant efforts such as free concerts to attract tourists are just one of the branches where local businesses can cling to during these times.   Brown added, “If we can continue to hold these concerts through the summer, maybe we can help the local businesses get through the summer”.

Gulf Shores officials on Friday hinted that some big names were coming to a summer series of concerts intended for promoting beach tourism for the area affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

On Sunday, Jimmy Buffet, the chart topping bard of the beach, revealed that he will be playing on the beach on Thursday July 1 and will bringing some friends along.

An announcement on www.margaritaville.com stated that “Jimmy Buffet & Friends Live from the Gulf Coast” will be broadcast by CMT cable channel that day from 7-8:30 pm. Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band are being joined by Allen Toussaint, New Orleans musician, Jesse Winchester songwriter, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and guitarist Sonny Landreth.

On Sunday, other details were still sketchy. The site of Buffet’s described the show as being free. However a similar posting at www.cmt.com seemed to suggest that information on ticketing will soon be available. Last week, Robert Craft, Gulf Shores Mayor, said the beach shows may have a small admission fee that would go towards charities that were wildlife-related.

Last week, Craft said the city was planning to install the stage on the public beach’s west end, similar to one that was used for the Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival recently.

Organizers are hoping to have five shows presented this summer, according to Craft, with all to be held at mid-week. The bands will be donating their time. Other costs will paid for from BP PLC money, given to the state for promoting tourism.

According to a report from the Associated Press Bob Riley, governor of Alabama, applauded the idea, agreeing to let Alabama’s tourism department help out with the cost of production.

In a statement, Riley said, this will start the turnaround of bringing tourists back to our beaches and help save our summer season, despite the occasional tarballs. Jimmy Buffet fans by the millions will see how beautiful and clean our Gulf beaches are. Many will make the decision to visit. This couldn’t come at any better time, with the July Fourth weekend starting.

On Friday, Craft said, Gulf Shores City Council will be discussing the plan on Monday evening with an official announcement coming on Tuesday.

The last Mobile show for Buffet was in December 1998. The concert held at Mobile Civic Center, a hurricane relief fundraiser, according to organizers raised about $450,000.

On Saturday, with cleanup crews in the background wearing hazardous material suits as they scooped up tar patties, Jimmy Buffett, Florida music icon, and Governor Charlie Crist stopped at the Panhandle beach, offering comfort to leery tourists and despondent residents.

Buffett said, in life we go through hardships. People from the Panhandle are very tough. It’s sad that everyone in the world tends to get overly afraid of things so quickly. We clean things up and then get on with life. That is what we need to do.

Recently, Buffett sold his home in Palm Beach for $18.5 million. He was in town to attend a job fair for Margaritaville Beach Hotel, his new hotel which will open on July 1.

Buffett and Crist went in front of the television cameras while beach goers stopped to get autographs from the singer-songwriter. Crist was also thanked by a few for him bringing the region some attention.

According to Crist, the presence of Buffett and his opening a new hotel there would help provide local business owners with a boost, who have been disheartened with tar balls appearing, apparently stemming from the oil rig Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Crist said, Buffett really cares about the environment. He cares a lot about Florida. God bless him that he is here and in business and helping to promote Pensacola today. There’s nothing more important than that and helping clean up.

Navarre resident Kirk Darby, sitting at a Pensacola Beach picnic table on the fishing pier to watch Buffet and Crist, said that the frequent visits of Crist’s to the coast were in direct contrast to the absence of President Obama.

Darby said, it presents leadership just being here. Right now that’s important. He is taking control and standing up. We haven’t see much of that, in my opinion, from Washington.