A pair of Pascagoula native Jimmy Buffett’s favorite co-writers over the past two decades are set to join forces together in the “Mayor of Margaritaville’s” hometown as Will Kimbrough will be the opening act for 10-time Country Music Academy Musician of the Year Mac McAnally.
The pairing of both Buffett’s right-hand man in the Corral Reefer Band McAnally and the Mobile, Ala., native and longtime Buffett collaborator Kimbrough at the same venue on the same night is a rare event indeed. It’s only happened a few times over the past 20 years.
The show is on Saturday, June 17th and is completely sold out. Showtime at the Grand Magnolia Ballroom in Pascagoula is set for 8 p.m.
But Kimbrough will also be featured as the headliner the night before on Friday, June 16th in yet another edition of the award-winning Grand Mag Music signature series “Jazz Fest Unplugged: Featuring Will Kimbrough with special guests…”. Tickets are now on sale for that show at www.grandmagmusic.com and at Scrantons restaurant in Pascagoula. Gautier’s Matt Hoggatt and Johnny Mire will open the show, and other special guests are expected to be on hand as well.
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 he is expected to have at least three co-writes with both McAnally and Buffett on the Pascagoula natives’ next release which is due out by the end of this year.
That makes well over 20 Kimbrough or Buffett/Kimbrough songs that Buffett has recorded on his past 10 albums.
He forged a friendship with the Gulf Coast’s favorite “Son of a Son of A Sailor” almost two decades ago, and he admittedly enjoys coming back home to play his music and sing his songs, especially in Pascagoula.
“I can’t wait to play the Grand Magnolia again. I’m always excited to play in Pascagoula,” Kimbrough said. “What a great room for music — especially the kind of music Mac and I play and sing. It’s going to be a great time, and I hope to see everyone there. Mac is such a special performer and friend; sharing a stage or studio with him is always an awesome experience.”
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, 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.”
Also, Crowell has played two sold-out shows at the Grand Magnolia over the past four years, with Kimbrough opening for him in Pascagoula in late 2019. The multi-Grammy Award-winning legend is such a big fan of Kimbrough that he recently asked him to play his birthday party.
