Florida unveils sign, dedicates State Road A1A for singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett
A highway named in honor of the chief Parrothead and son of a son of a sailor was dedicated Friday, Aug. 30 in Key West.
Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who died on Sept. 1, 2023, was honored during a ceremony with the unveiling of the official sign to mark A1A Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway, the new name of the state road that runs the entire length of Florida's east coast.
The Florida Legislature earlier this year voted to approve three ways to remember Buffett, a decades-long Sunshine State resident who had homes in Palm Beach and Key West:
Florida pays tribute to Jimmy Buffett
State Road A1A was renamed the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway.
A new license plate was created with Florida at the top and Margaritaville at the bottom, and fees from the sale of the plate will be distributed to the SFC Charitable Foundation Inc., also known as Singing for Change, which was founded by Buffett in 1995.
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Buffett named his fifth studio album "A1A," which was first released in 1974.
The highway renaming applies to all portions of S.R. A1A in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Brevard, Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, Duval and Nassau counties.
"When Jimmy was 25, his life forever changed as he drove down the A1A for the first time and found a home in Key West," said Lucy Buffett, Jimmy Buffett's sister, in a news release. "He would be humbled, yet sheepishly thrilled, in his 'school-boy heart' way, that the Florida Legislature unanimously honored his legacy designating A1A the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. Our family is very touched and deeply grateful by this incredible tribute."
The event was attended by state Sen. Lauren Book, Rep. Chuck Clemons and Rep. Jim Mooney; Lucy Buffett; Sunshine Smith, the original co-owner and concept creator of Margaritaville and a member of Singing for Change's board of directors; and Jeff Sharkey of Capitol Alliance Group, a close friend of Jimmy Buffett's and Margaritaville's longtime lobbyist.
Clemons and Book co-sponsored the bill to designate A1A in honor of Buffett, and Mooney's district includes Monroe County and A1A's famous Mile 0 in Key West.
The ceremony included a first look at an early rendering of a monument to Buffett: a massive flip-flop next to a bottle opener, atop a gold pedestal.
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"Renaming State Road A1A to honor Jimmy Buffett celebrates not only his iconic music but also his profound impact on our environment and culture," Book said in the news release. "As the road that runs alongside the coast he so loved, this tribute reflects his legacy of joy, adventure, and dedication to preserving Florida’s natural beauty. Jimmy named his fifth studio album after A1A — now, 50 years later, we’re helping return the favor."
Running through Labor Day weekend, all Margaritaville restaurants, resorts, hotels, communities and cruises will honor Buffett with special deals on food and drinks, room packages and "give-back moments," the company said in the news release.
"Jimmy Buffett’s music has the magic of transporting listeners to their happy place," Clemons said in the news release. "As a big fan, I felt strongly Florida owed a debt of gratitude to our adopted pirate by naming A1A the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway."
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida renames State Road A1A to Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway
