Key West Dedicates Famous A1A Highway To The Late Jimmy Buffett
(Main Photo) Erika Goldring / Getty Images / (Inlay) FloridaKeysTV / YouTube
Jimmy Buffett Released An Album Titled A1A In 1974 – The Real-Life Highway Is Now Named In His Honor
In 1974, Jimmy Buffett released his fifth studio album, A1A, named after the famous coastal highway that stretches from Fernandina Beach to his adopted home of Key West. The road runs alongside the Atlantic Ocean and passes through many oceanfront towns along the way.
The original back cover art for A1A showcased a photo of the highway. The road also receives a shout-out in one of the album’s tracks, “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season.”
A1A contains other iconic Buffett tunes, including “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Life Is Just a Tire Swing,” and “Migration.” The album peaked at #25 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.
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After a long and successful career, Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023. The day after his passing, thousands of people paraded down Key West’s Duval Street while wearing fun, tropical clothes and playing his music in tribute to him.
A1A Dedicated To Jimmy Buffett Near The One-Year Anniversary of His Death
On Friday (August 30), the A1A highway was dedicated in Buffett’s honor and now carries his name. The dedication ceremony occurred just two days before the one-year anniversary of his death.
“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,” Buffett’s sister, Lucy, said at the dedication ceremony, as quoted by ClickOrlando.“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.”
ClickOrlando reports, “The highway designation stretches through the entirety of A1A, including Flagler, Volusia and Brevard counties in Central Florida.” New signs now showcase Buffett’s name alongside the A1A marker.
You can learn more about the dedication by watching the video below. It was the perfect tribute to Buffett and his longstanding connection to the state of Florida.
Jimmy Buffett founded two charitable organizations, Singing for Change and Save the Manatee Club. He also had a company called Last Mango Boatworks that sells apparel and accessories. Items sold from Last Mango benefit Singing for Change and Freedom Fighter Outdoors. Learn more about Jimmy’s philanthropic efforts or donate to one of the above-mentioned organizations here.
