In 1989, Clint Black revealed to Jimmy Buffett “Parrot Head.” Buffett responded by inviting Black to open up for him during a show at Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, along with Little Feat. That night, Buffett also brought Black on stage to perform “He Went to Paris” and “A Pirate Looks at Forty.”
“It was a very special moment for this fan, to say the least,” said Black, following Buffett’s death in 2023. “As time went on, he would spend time on the phone with me, helping me understand this crazy new world of the record business I broke into. … What a guy. These are not a part of the big dreams we have of ‘making it in showbiz.’ These are the things we couldn’t have possibly imagined.”
During the summer of 1998, Black toured with Buffett, filling in for his harmonica player, Greg “Fingers” Taylor. “He ran a fine ship, and it was a most fun and relaxing voyage,” said Black. “I imagine only the circus could compare with a Jimmy Buffett tour. And beyond the controlled chaos of his show, there was a depth to his lyrics that defied the carnival nature of his concert experience.”
Black continued, “As I watched the crowds, I wondered if they knew. ‘Margaritaville’ defined him to many, but to me, you could’ve set that aside and still have too many masterpieces to name; ‘West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown,’ ‘Pencil Thin Mustache,’ ‘I’m Growing Older But Not Up,’ ‘Miss You So Badly,’ ‘Wonder Why We Ever Go Home.’”
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“Happiness Alone”
Several years after that first show in Alabama, the two co-wrote “Happiness Alone” for Black’s 1993 album, No Time to Kill.
I think I’ll go back down to New Orleans
Try to bury my travelin’ bone
Unpredictable me, like I swore I would be
Nothing’s ever written in stone
There’s a knock on her door
Is she here anymore
I guess me and the neighbors will see
If the one thing that I couldn’t do without her
She couldn’t do without me
Could I leave her behind, go on losin’ my mind
While the good times continue to roll
With this time on my hands, I can change all my plans
And it really wouldn’t bother a soul
I can make all the rounds, paint all the towns
Do all that and more on my own
But a man can’t survive on happiness alone
The album went to No. 2 on the country chart and also features Wynonna Judd on the song “A Bad Goodbye.” A year after its release, the two also covered Buffett’s 1978 song, “Come Monday.”
“Jimmy Buffett was one of my biggest influences, and I got to work with him many times and discover firsthand that he was exactly who we all thought he was,” said Black. “He was a modern-day Mark Twain, who turned his many adventures into songs and books and transported us to those exotic places he loved.”
Photo: Jean-Philippe Piter
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