
Louisiana Parrot Heads Rejoice – New Museum to Honor Jimmy Buffett
You'll see them popping up at the Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge, they certainly make their presence known at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and if you keep your eyes peeled for them you can spot them at watering holes and musical venues in places like Arnaudville, Houma, and Morgan City too. The "them" or "they" we are referring to are Louisiana Parrot Heads.
No, a Louisiana Parrot Head is not some sort of invasive species that wants to destroy our way of life. Instead, the Louisiana Parrot Head like all Parrot Heads is the final link in the legacy of the late songsmith Jimmy Buffett. In other words, they're the folks who are quietly preserving the sights, sounds, and legacy of life along the Gulf Coast through song, situation, and of course, food and drink, let's not forget the drinks.
Jimmy Buffett didn't set out to become an icon when he first picked up a guitar decades ago. All he wanted to do was make music and make enough money to buy a boat. And that seafaring legacy and love of life along the wetlands of Lower Alabama, Coastal Mississippi, and the marshes and bayous of Louisiana found its way into the hearts of millions of fans, who to this day proudly put on their Hawaiian floral print shirts, drink margaritas, and sing loudly about Cheeseburgers in Paradise and the pitfalls of "being God's own drunk and fearless man".
Buffett's legacy and Gulf-Western music and lifestyle will be the feature focus at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. The museum which is docked on the Mobile River will feature 5,000 square feet of exhibit space dedicated to Buffett, his music, his legacy, and the Parrot Head phenomenon that spawned an empire.
If all of the legalities and political paperwork can be settled quickly the exhibit could open to the public as early as Spring of 2026. Among the exhibits expected to be on display are his first signed music contract, photos of his family and childhood, and a paper the aspiring author and musician penned when he was just 8 years old.
The museum is still in the planning stages and there are a few legal hurdles yet to be cleared but it does look like this is going to happen. I think it will be a welcome trip down memory lane for a lot of us. It's a chance to recall and remember what life along the Gulf Coast was like in our "formative years" now if there was just some way to remember all of those things we did while we were raising a glass and singing along to Margaritaville.
Hmm, maybe that's not a good idea. It's better to keep some secrets safe and away from our kids, huh?
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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz