Zac Brown and Jimmy Buffett ended up being a match made in heaven… and their partnership got started because the “Margaritaville” singer was eating a piece of apple pie at the right place at the right time.
When you talk about tropical country music, or “island music” as some call it, Zac Brown and Jimmy Buffett’s names come up. After all, if you are sitting by the beach, or sipping a cocktail out of a coconut, either Jimmy or Zac’s music seems to always be playing somewhere in the vicinity.
They worked together on multiple occasions before Buffett’s passing in 2023. In 2010, the pair came together to create and release a beach anthem titled “Knee Deep.” Chances are you’ve heard that one before… it’s the one that goes “Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair.” Then in 2021, the two artists worked together again and gifted the world a song called “Same Boat.”
Needless to say, Brown and Buffett were often on the same wavelengths (ocean pun intended), and they definitely enjoyed each other’s company.
As to how their partnership began, the country music star recently revealed on FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends that their story of meeting is exactly what you would hope it would be. Zac Brown happened to walk past Buffett’s campsite, and saw the “Come Monday” singer chilling by a fire and working on a slice of apple pie:
“So I was — I was walking down this road where these campsites were, and Jimmy was just sitting there by a fire with a piece of apple pie. And me and my fiddle player and John Hopkins and my band – we just happened to be walking by.
I was, like, ‘There’s Jimmy.’ So then we sat down and started talking to Jimmy (as he was eating pie). And then we started trading songs and hanging out, and I had the best night ever — and that was the beginning.”
What an awesome, simple, American first impression.
That night eventually led to multiple collaborations and plenty of shared stages between the two artists. Zac Brown has even become intertwined with Buffett’s Margaritaville brand, and told FOX News in the same interview (prior to the give away happening) that he was happy to give away Margaritaville at Sea cruise tickets to everyone that was seeing him in Boston.
He considered it a way to help carry on Jimmy Buffett’s legacy:
“So we’re giving away a free — every ticket — every ticketholder that comes tonight gets a free cruise for two people to Margaritaville at Sea. So this is a gift to our fans and with our incredible partner, Margaritaville. So we’re working on carrying on Jimmy’s legacy and continue to building ours right behind it. So — but this is a chance for us to give back to Boston and to the people that support us and love us and let them get away — get away to some blue water.”
Every fan that was there at the sold-out Fenway Park show (around 37,000 people) got a pair of free cruise tickets. Margaritaville and Zac Brown covered the bill that is estimated to be around $40 million.
It was quite the exciting moment when the country star revealed to the fans in attendance that they were receiving a free trip on him. The give away actually set a record for the largest audience gift in the history of live entertainment:
“We’ve got a new music venue that’s on one of their cruise ships. It’s called ‘Same Boat.’ We’re gonna do something that even Jimmy Buffett would say is crazy. I’m buying every single person here a cruise for two people on the boat. Every single person here gets a cruise for themselves and a loved one to go on the (Margaritaville At Sea) boat.”
@bostonglobe The crowd erupted in cheers as Zac Brown Band@zacbrownbandsurprised over 35,000 fans at Fenway Park with a free cruise vacation giveaway. According to a press release, the giveaway is valued at almost $40 million and comes personally from Brown, thanking fans and celebrating the band’s 15th consecutive sold-out show at Fenway Park. Read the full story at globe.com Article by Celine Hijazi Video by Celine Hijazi and Danielle Dubois #zacbrownband #fenwaypark #cruiseship ♬ original sound – The Boston Globe
And who knows… that giveaway may have never happened if Jimmy Buffett didn’t happen to be eating a slice of pie when Zac Brown was walking by.
