Thanks for sharing that Max. School is different for everyone, but I grew up in the same small town from K to 12, and the people in it were a big part my world and shaped who I became. I think of them as “historical figures”, maybe especially since when I left I never really went back home. The reunions we have had (26, 50) were out of body experiences. We have been losing them for a while, and I’m often blindsided by how strongly I’m affected when one passes. It is similar to losing a cherished artist/inspiration like the Trio.
And thanks for reminding us about Jimmy Buffet. He hasn’t been talked about much on this board over the years, I think you are the main exception to that. That’s kind of interesting because in some ways he carried on the tradition of the KT as much as anyone. Whether he has said so or not, I can’t imagine he wasn’t inspired by the Trio in a similar way to Tom Paxton, who makes no bones about it. It is clear he was widely respected by his peers and was a serious songwriter. Maureen Dowd wrote a loving column about him that outed him as a liberal environmentalist, which I thought was kind of unfair since he spent so much effort to be nonpolitical and inclusive. I wasn’t really aware of his music in those years, and since then haven’t heard much but may dig in more. As I’ve said before, I played “Margaritaville” on the uke in my class, billing it as the “second greatest environmental song”. I played it for the topic of “whose fault is this?” and enjoyed making the point that this is a widely misunderstood song that actually argues for waking up to your personal responsibility (if you’re skeptical, read the last line of each successive chorus). It seems like everyone wants to defend him as a serious artist, but actually, maybe the parrotheads do get him after all? They are the ones who actually listen to his songs.
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