Come Monday … it will be alright
Come Monday it will be alright
At his free concert on Duval Street on November 4, 2011 Jimmy reminisced about 40 years earlier coming to Key West with Jerry Jeff Walker.
I was raised in the Midwest but escaped at a young age. I moved to Miami in 1969 and have called it my home town ever since. I attended George Baker Aviation, located across from Miami International Airport, for two years. I had a girlfriend that attended the University of Miami so I spent a good deal of time in the Coconut Grove area. I probably frequented some of the same clubs that Jerry Jeff Walker (“Mr. Bojangles”) and Jimmy Buffett, an unknown young folk singer, hung out. Walker drove a cool 47’ Packard. I don’t ever remember seeing it – that certainly would have stood out in the Grove.
Over 5000 excited fans listened to Jimmy Buffett perform on Duval Street.
The Grove was the coolest place to unwind in a fast pace city that grew from 1 million to an amazing 2 million in less than five years with two Super Bowl Championships along the way. The Grove had the best music, the best 60s hippie hangouts, coffee shops, and even a comedy club which hosted another unknown, Gabe Kaplan, of “Welcome Back Kotter” fame.
As fate would have it, Walker took this ‘down on his luck’ musician on a 135-mile road trip in his ancient Packard to Key West in November 1971. He bragged all the way about this now run down depressed town (the Navy had just closed the Sub base) would be full of musical inspiration. He told Jimmy about the 100-year-old houses, with wrap around porches, built by ship carpenters that did not resemble Miami in the slightest. 
After crossing Cow Key Bridge, Jimmy saw a couple of somewhat neglected shopping centers on North Roosevelt that looked exactly like a Miami suburb. He was not overly impressed.
They continued to Duval Street where he was taken to the Chart Room Bar, a non-descript hole in the wall bar, and was introduced to a few locals. Jimmy was served his first beer by the late famous author-photographer Tom Corcoran, and then quickly abandoned by Jerry Jeff. Jimmy fell in love with the local color and the counter culture motif. More importantly, one night in the Spring of 1972, while hanging out with Tom and others at the Chart Room, Buffett met Jane Slagsvol, a gorgeous young Spring Breaker in a red dress who didn’t know it then, but she was destined to become Mrs. Jane Buffett.
Key West Police estimate over 5000. fans packed the corner of Duval and Flemming Streets.
In the 70s, Jimmy worked hard to make a living in Key West. There were only a handful of clubs for performing. Tourism and the cruise ships didn’t take root until the late 70s. One of his new friends was a fellow musician Gary Zimmerman who lived downstairs from Jimmy, near Louie’s Backyard, for about a year in 1972. They played music together at John Young’s coffee house, Crazy Ophelia’s (now Antonia’s). They would often play for tips at a sailors’ bar called the Bamboo Room (now Mary Ellen’s) and also had a group that would play at what is now the Bull and Whistle.
Harmonica player Greg “Fingers” Taylor arrived in town and joined the group. They practiced at Gary’s apartment. One day, Jimmy had them help with a new song called, “They Don’t Dance Like Carmen No More” and other cool new music that would be later featured on his 1973 album, “White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean”. Jimmy soon landed a recording contract with ABC Dunhill for that album. Jerry Jeff Walker was right about one thing – Key West was very inspirational.
Buffett’s new contract also required two albums per year – that’s a lot of new music. He found himself almost constantly putting together new ideas for music. Later that year ABC Dunhill funded a six-night run on the West coast in then smog filled Los Angeles. He finished on Labor Day weekend in San Francisco, actually across the Golden Gate bridge in Marin County opening for Country Joe McDonald of Woodstock fame (Country Joe and the Fish).
During the week, Jimmy found himself staying in depressing motel rooms, eating bad food, and staying up late – a common scourge for touring musicians. He was despondent and missed Jane terribly. He planned to join her on Labor Day after his gig. During this most uncomfortable week, he penned the lyrics and the melody about his “four lonely days in a brown LA haze” of what would become one of his biggest hits, “Come Monday”. It was recorded a month later and became the song promotion for Jimmy’s next album, “Living and Dying In ¾ Time”.
Fast forward 52 years to another Labor Day Weekend when the Just A Few Friends Festival 2025 (thousands of Jimmy’s friends) will celebrate the life and music of Key West’s favorite son. This annual celebration continues to grow exponentially simply evoking the indomitable spirit of the former altar boy, James William Buffett.
https://www.justafewfriendskeywest.com/2025-events/book-signing
There are four days of planned events, music tributes, and a parade. No one will be lonely and there will be no smog, and yes Jimmy, we all want you back by our side.
One of my favorite photographs of Jimmy from that Duval Street concert.
There are no comments yet, add one below.
Leave a Reply