Ravinia 2026 Issue 2

The Coral Reefer Band bubbles over with Jimmy Buffett’s service and sunshine “It’s such a moment of peace to hear the guy sing something that you haven’t heard yet,” says McAnally, who is cur- rently putting the nishing touches on a new album full of unreleased material from Bu ett and the Coral Reefer Band. “I can’t tell you how much better I feel because I’ve been listening to him sing for the last three or four months nish- ing this record.” Nevertheless, life is now very di er- ent for McAnally, as he and his fellow Parrotheads continue to wrap their mind around a world without Jimmy Bu ett in it. “Joy is not as easy to nd as it has been sometimes,” says McAnally, who rst o cially crossed paths with Bu ett back in . “Which means it’s worth more. We have a supply and there is certainly a demand.” Indeed, the demand for the joy and carefree vibes that the Coral Reefer Band has delivered since its inception back in has never wavered thanks to the music, from the eloquent escape provided by “Boat Drinks” to the inspir- ing “Bubbles Up” to the oh-so-famous “Margaritaville.” “Jimmy was always aware that the reason people congregate and tailgate and make a weekend to come out and see us is because they want to sing along,” McAnally says. “And they know we’re going to play the songs that they want to sing along with.” And that endless sing-along won’t be ending anytime soon. “ e goal of [Bu ett’s] life was to just spread joy and to enjoy every minute of life, and help anybody that he came in contact with to enjoy it as well,” says McAnally. “And he knew enough about what he had built to know that he’s got all this joyous music that he’s leaving, and that we could keep singing it. And then it would keep generating joy.” In fact, in one of their nal conver- sations together, McAnally and Bu ett discussed the importance of generating happiness through music—long a er one of them was gone. “He wanted it all to keep going,” says McAnally. “I don’t think he was so concerned about a personal legacy. I think he was more concerned about the world getting as much joy as it could get.” us, the Coral Reefer Band will bring that joy to Ravinia on July as part of their “Keep the Party Going” Tour. And there were few places Bu ett loved more than Chicago. “Jimmy made no secret about loving Chicago,” remembers McAnally, who was on hand when the massive Chicago Cubs fan and his beloved Coral Reefers performed the rst o cial concert at Wrigley Field, back in . “Every time I come to Chicago, I see somebody that comments about how much it meant for them to be there that day.” RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 15