Whereas, James William Jimmy Buffett was born on Christmas Day, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the first of James Delaney Buffett, Jr., and Mary Lorraine Peets Buffett’s three children; Whereas, Mr. Buffett grew up in Mobile, Alabama, attending grade school at St. Ignatius Catholic School and the McGill Institute, an all-boys school, where he served as an altar boy; Whereas, Mr. Buffett acquired a love of music, sailing, and aviation, a child of the sights and sounds of south Mississippi; Whereas, in 1964, Mr. Buffett attended Auburn University for one year, was initiated into Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Epsilon-Nu Chapter, learned how to play the guitar from a fellow student, and then transferred to Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi; Whereas, in 1966, Mr. Buffett transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and, in 1969, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in history and journalism; Whereas, in 1970, Mr. Buffett moved to Nashville, Tennessee, carrying with him his dream to be a country singer and releasing his first album, Down to Earth ; Whereas, Mr. Buffett pioneered his own Gulf and Western genre of music, blending country, folk, and pop to celebrate life by the sea; Whereas, in 1975, Mr. Buffett formed his touring group of singers and songwriters, The Coral Reefer Band; Whereas, in 1977, Mr. Buffett released the hit song, Margaritaville, and his first platinum album, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes ; Whereas, in 2003, Mr. Buffett received his first Country Music Award for his song, It’s 5 o'clock Somewhere ; Whereas, Mr. Buffett contributed songs to the films Summer Rental, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Urban Cowboy, and FernGully: The Last Rainforest ; Whereas, Mr. Buffett appeared in films and television shows, including Repo Man, Hook, Sesame Street, Hawaii Five-O, Jurassic World, NCIS: New Orleans, and The Beach Bum