Okay But Where Did Jimmy Buffett Get That Georgia Swimming T-Shirt Then?

Shortly after we posted about the postcard photograph of Jimmy Buffett wearing a University of Alabama swimming t-shirt, another image of Buffett in collegiate garb appeared: this time in the form of a Georgia swimming shirt.

Turns out that this photo was probably sold way more times than the postcard of the Alabama swimming shirt – albeit in a much different format.

The image is from the inside cover of Buffett’s 9th studio album, Volcano. Released in 1979, it rose to #14 on the charts in the US. The songs on the album are not among his best-known, but includes the songs “Fins” (#35 on the Billboard Hot 100), Volcano (#666), and “Survive” (#77). The album also included a Christmas song, “Chanson pour less petits enfants,” which has become one of his most successful songs in the United Kingdom.

The inner features a number of candid photos of Buffett and friends, including a group picture with him wearing the Georgia Swimming shirt.

Alex Braunfeld, who has been a fixture of Georgia swimming for decades, called up long-time assistant and program alum Harvey Humphries to get the story:

The year was 1979 and Harvey was still in school. The coach sent them on a run to the weight room.
They heard Jimmy Buffett rehearsing for a concert that night (or the next) so 10 of the guys went in and sat in first 3 rows and listened to them practicing. They were welcomed and not chased away. JB was wearing a Florida baseball shirt and so the swimmers started chanting “Florida sucks.” JB said he would wear a UGA shirt but didn’t have one. So one of the swimmers took his off and threw it up to him!

Yet another example of Buffett just vibing with the people, making friends, making memories, letting people be, and not taking those moments for granted – incorporating them into his aesthetic.

Here are two more pictures of Buffett wearing a Georgia shirt while he was recording his album, Volcano, in 1979. Former Bulldog Mark Nezda says he was given the UGA shirt and wore it multiple times while performing in Atlanta.

There’s also word that he wore a University of Florida swimming shirt when he was rehearsing in Atlanta before switching over to the local team, though the Florida picture has yet to be located.

Since Buffett’s death, a flood of stories about grand gestures, and small moments like these, have come out, highlighting Buffett’s common decency and connection to the world in spite of his fame and success.

(1/?) A quick story about Jimmy Buffett.

I worked at the New Orleans Margaritaville in college, up until I graduated in 2006. It was a good job. Busy, and with generally good tips, especially on festival weekends – and New Orleans has a lot of those.

— John Veron (@IBetterBeFunny) September 2, 2023