Changes in latitudes will bring the spirit of the Florida keys to the Hollywood Bowl next month, as the late Jimmy Buffett will get an all-star salute from a lineup of musical heavyweights that includes Paul McCartney, the Eagles, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Jon Bon Jovi and Kenny Chesney.
The one-night-only concert, dubbed “Keep The Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett,” will take place at the Bowl in one month, on April 11.
Other stars on board for the memorial bash include Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Zac Browne, Jackson Browne and Pitbull. Packing the lineup further still are longtime Buffett cohorts Mac McAnally and the Coral Reefer Band, along with Scotty Emerick, Caroline Jones, Jake Owen and Jake Shimabukuro.
Ticket pre-sale offers begin Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. PT, followed by a general on-sale through Ticketmaster Friday at the same time.
McCartney is undoubtedly the biggest score for the tribute’s producers, as the former Beatles has rarely participated in any sort of all-star tribute, although the Eagles are not exactly regulars on that circuit, either.
McCartney played on a song on Buffett’s final, posthumously released album, contributing to the number “My Gummy Just Kicked In.” He posted a lengthy tribute to his friend on Instagram soon after Buffett’s Sept. 1 death, writing in part, “He had a most amazing lust for life and a beautiful sense of humor. When we swapped tales about the past, his were so exotic and lush and involved sailing trips and surfing and so many exciting stories that it was hard for me to keep up with him,. Right up to the last minute his eyes still twinkled with a humor that said, ‘I love this world and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it’. So many of us will miss Jimmy and his tremendous personality. His love for us all, and for mankind as a whole.”
The Eagles have been doing their part to celebrate Buffett by dedicating “The Boys of Summer” to the late singer at stops on their tour this year.
Chesney honored Buffett at the CMA Awards in November by singing “A Pirate Looks at Forty” with McAnally, while Zac Brown did “Pirates and Parrots” and “Margaritaville” on the same show with Alan Jackson.
Carlile does not have a long history of performing Buffett covers, but posted about her friendship with the singer last fall. “My relationship with the great Jimmy Buffett consisted mostly of exchanging fishing spots… advice about where, how and with whom to catch fish all over the world,” Carlile wrote. “Sometimes we’d bitch about how nobody cares enough about the crowd to be a proper entertainer anymore lol… but that’s as heavy as it got. He just lived light. Just wanted people to have fun and love life… and in my case, catch fish.”
Jackson Browne may have the longest history of sharing bills with Buffett, who opened for a number of Browne shows circa 1978, with the roles being reversed when Browne was invited to open several major Buffett shows in 2013.
The Hollywood Bowl salute is being produced by Live Nation and Hewitt Silva.
