PASCAGOULA — One of Pascagoula native Jimmy Buffett’s favorite co-writers over the past two decades is set to pay tribute to his mentor in the “Mayor of Margaritaville’s” hometown as Will Kimbrough is headlining “Bubbles Up for Buffett”.
Kimbrough is the featured guest for the event that takes place on Sat., Oct. 7th in Pascagoula at Resurrection Catholic High School. The school calls Buffett one of its most famous alumni, as Jimmy attended the school system then known as Our Lady of Victory as a young child.
Buffett died earlier this month on Sept., 1st.
The Mobile, Ala., native and longtime Buffett collaborator Kimbrough was happy to be able to return to Buffett’s hometown for a show. Tickets are already on sale at www.grandmagmusic.com and in person at the RCS school office. The show, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is a Grand Magnolia Music production.
“I always enjoy coming back to the Gulf Coast and playing especially in Pascagoula because of my relationship with Jimmy,” Kimbrough said. “I considered him a friend and I always enjoyed our songwriting sessions together. He really was one of a kind. I like coming home and seeing old friends and playing music for people who enjoy it.”
The now Nashville-based singer/songwriter Kimbrough had four co-songwriting credits with Buffett on Jimmy’s latest release “Life on the Flip Side” and will have as many as seven co-writes with both Mac McAnally and Buffett on the Pascagoula natives’ posthumous release next month “Equal Strain on all Parts”.
Buffett was fond of Kimbrough as well, once stating in an interview “Will is a wonderful throwback to the now bygone era of singer, songwriter, musician and entertainer,” he said. “Instead of substituting technology for talent, he has a unique ability to use modern-day tools to produce lasting lyrics and melodies. On stage, he can charm a crowd whether fronting a band or playing solo. That is why you see his songs on my albums and his face on our stage.”
That makes well over 20 Kimbrough or Buffett/Kimbrough songs that Buffett has recorded on his past 10 albums. The featured song on Buffett’s latest album “Bubbles Up”, is a Kimbrough co-write that just debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart with 8,000 downloads sold in the U.S. Sept. 8-14, according to Luminate.
“Bubbles Up” additionally begins at No. 2 on Country Digital Song Sales and No. 4 on the all-format Digital Song Sales chart.
Kimbrough forged a friendship with the Gulf Coast’s favorite “Son of a Son of A Sailor” over two decades ago, and he admittedly enjoys coming back home to play his music and sing his songs, especially in Pascagoula.
Buffett has recorded versions of Kimbrough’s songs “Nobody from Nowhere,” “Piece of Work,” “Wings,” and “Soulfully” over the past two decades as well as “Mailbox Money” and”Slow Lane” among others. Little Feat and Buffett recorded Kimbrough’s song “Champion of the World.”
The multi-talented Kimbrough has written, recorded, performed and produced for and with the likes of Buffett, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Mac McAnally, Mavis Staples, John Prine, Todd Snider, and Little Feat, just to name a few.
Kimbrough is currently a key member of Emmylou’s band the “Red Dirt Boys”.
“Will is a tremendous songwriter, a great guitarist and just an inspirational person.” the legendary Harris said. “There’s nobody out there like him. No wonder everybody wants to work with him.”
The multi-Grammy Award-winning legend is such a big fan of Kimbrough that he recently asked him to play at his birthday party.
