THE MAGIC OF THE MUSIC: THE BIRTH OF A PARROT HEAD NATION (Part 3 of 4)A Four-Part Series on the Time After Island Time program
Produced by Paul Leslie and Jeff Pike, Creative Consultant Monte Tolar
On this four part series we are chronicling the history of the very first Jimmy Buffett fan club. The original club was established 20 years ago and called the Atlanta Parrot Head Club, which resulted in the birth of a Parrot Head Nation, an international network of Parrot Head Clubs with Buffett fans joining not only for recreation, but also to give back to their local communities, volunteer and raise money for charitable organizations.
On this episode, we will be exploring the third era—1999-2003, the formative years where the groundwork was laid for the current international Parrot Head movement. During this era, a new genre of music called “trop rock” was rising into the public consciousness. Inspired by not only the caribbean but also the work of Jimmy Buffett—artists like Jim Morris, Sunny Jim and St. Somewhere gained dedicated fans in large part due to the Parrot Head Nation and their gatherings called “Flockings.”
As the Parrot Head Nation continued to grow, Jimmy Buffett continued performing and recording and expanding his businesses with his own record label, Mailboat Records, more Margaritaville Cafes and stores and even an internet radio station.
The clubs that were formed over the previous era matured and grew and new clubs solidified around the world. The annual gathering of Parrot Heads known as Meeting of the Minds had moved from New Orleans to Key West and in 1999 attendance, fundraising, and community service hours reached an all-time high. As the Parrot Head madness continued flourishing and spreading, a craving for more flockings resulted in more regional events with names like Stars on the Water, Fins to the Left, Phlocking of the Phaithful, Stars Fell on Alabama and others. Back home in Atlanta, the Atlanta Parrot Head Club volunteers became a major factor in the success of the Atlanta 2-day Breast Cancer Walk, and an Atlanta Parrot Head cruise was established which continues to break records in attendance and raising money for Atlanta Breast Cancer Research. The Parrot Head nation was alive and well.
Our special guests on this episode of Time After Island Time are Wayne Myers longtime leader of the Atlanta Parrot Head Club and Brad Rogers, a longtime Atlanta Parrot Head Club member who has been described as the consummate Parrot Head, known for his entertainment of crowds both in the parking lot but also inside concert venues. We invite you to listen into the music and the stories from anywhere in the world on the Time After Island Time show on Radio JimmyDreamz at www.radio.jimmydreamz.com
Monday - 3:00 PM – March 23, 2009
Wednesday - 9:00 AM – March 25, 2009
Thursday - MIDNIGHT – March 26, 2009
Saturday - 8:00 PM – March 28, 2009
*All Broadcasts are Eastern Time*
The zenith of this series as well as 20 years of Parrot Head Madness will be celebrated with music and festivities at Wild Bill's in Duluth, Georgia. The headline act is A1A with special guest Coral Reefer Nadirah Shakoor. www.atlantaparrotheadclub.org/party.htm and www.wildbillsatlanta.com The event benefits the Atlanta Food Bank.
