Jimmy Buffett was referenced in the season finale of the new TNT drama “Memphis Beat” that aired earlier this week:

Dwight and Whitehead pay a visit to Drake’s wife Noreen. She divulges that she hardly knows her husband anymore — three years ago, something happened and he changed overnight, stopped sleeping, stopped eating, and he said he “buried the old me.” The only person he hangs out with is Martin Matthews, the man to whom she sold his old Nissan.

Over at Martin’s house, we see he’s a Parrothead, an uber-fan of Jimmy Buffett. Though he has an alibi, a quick background check shows that Drake has been making weekly payouts to “Pencil Thin Mustache LLC.” Aha! Not only have we unearthed a blackmail scheme, but now that song is going ’round and ’round inside my head!

It’s not uncommon for Jimmy to be referenced in television shows. He’s been mentioned on 30 Rock, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, David Letterman’s Top 10 List, and was even lampooned by South Park in 2008.

(hat tip to Wes for passing this along)

A Jimmy Buffett concert was the topic for an entire week of the ‘Dustin’ comic strip in late July:

(hat tip songbird1329 and Don)

Do you have a parrothead story to tell? Submit your story in lyrics and it could become part of a song! Vicki at the Examiner has more:

Are you living your life like a tale from Margaritaville? Have you met Jimmy Buffett or do you have a Parrot Head story that could be the verse of a tropical song? If so, here’s your chance to add a few verses to the “ParrotHead Story” song.

Drummer/songwriter and author (check out his book here), Mark Nemcek came up with the idea for the “ParrotHead Story” song about a year ago while reminiscing with his wife about a vacation they had a few years back in Key West. It was a cold and dreary day and they decided to go to the original Sloppy Joes. They were greeted by Captain Tony Tarracino himself. The place was empty and their entertainment for the day was free drinks and the privilege to hear the Captain’s stories (true or not) about Jimmy Buffett. If you’re a Buffett fan, you’ll know this was (almost) as magical as spending a day with Jimmy himself.

”The song popped into my head “I have a ParrotHead Story, I’m sure you have one too…” says Nemcek. When he hooked up with guitar buddy, Dave Rubinstein and vocal master and recent acquaintance, Marcel Rasa, he came up with the idea to create a song and give Buffett fans and songwriters the chance to come up with their own lyrics. The joined together to bring this project to reality and are now taking contest submissions for the “fan verse”. “Yes, I have a Parrothead Story,” said Nemcek. “But you have some great ones, too.”

So, here’s your chance Parrot Heads… turn your memorable concert, tailgating or Parrot Head party memory into a song verse and submit it (free of charge of course) to the “ParrotHead Story” song contest. Three winners will be selected by September 30, 2010 and the best verse will be used in the final studio recording. Here is your chance to be like Jimmy Buffett and have your life and words become music. The winner will be announced at “Meeting of the Minds”, the Annual Parrot Head Convention, this November in Key West. The winners will also be rewarded some cool Margaritaville loot.

Visit ParrotheadStory.com to submit your lyrics.

Plan to arrive early and consider carpooling, biking, or walking to Sunday’s Jimmy Buffett concert in Gulf Shores, event organizers say.

A free park and ride shuttle system will be implemented for the event. Shuttles will begin running at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 11th from satellite lots stationed in area shopping centers and parks. The primary satellite parking lot is at The Wharf at the Route 2/Foley Express intersection. An event ticket is needed to board the shuttle.

Park and Ride locations are denoted with a P on the map. Auxiliary Shuttle Stops with no parking available are denoted by a bus on the map. Bring a copy of the map with you in case you need to travel to a nearby parking lot.

(click to enlarge map)

Please remember that shuttles have assigned pick-up and drop-off locations. Don’t forget where you are dropped off! Return to this location for a shuttle ride back to the satellite parking lot where you originally started.

Handicap accessible shuttles will run on the red and yellow bus routes. There is also a handicap accessible parking lot located near the event site at the northeast corner of Highway 59 and East Beach Boulevard, in the Surf Style parking lot. Appropriate tags are necessary to enter this lot.

Additional parking lots may be added or changed. For the latest information, please visit the official “Concerts For The Coast” website before you travel. Traveler information will also be broadcast periodically on Sunny 105 FM and displayed on variable message signs in the area on the day of the event.

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band return to New England this week for two Boston area shows. We’ve heard from a few Mansfield area parrotheads that the parking lot at the Comcast Center at Great Woods will not open until 3:00 pm this Thursday and noon on Saturday.

From the Parrothead Club of Eastern Massachusetts (via urlcenter):

We have been working to confirm the parking lot details and were hoping to actually have them bend the rules and let us in earlier than the posted times. That is NOT going to happen. They are serious about the 3pm Thursday and noon Saturday opening times. In addition, we understand that Mansfield and surrounding Police will be patrolling local parking lots and hotels and disbanding any groups they find loitering there.

Read more in a discussion on our forum.

(H/T urlcenter)

Jimmy Buffett’s half-billion dollar business empire includes restaurants, beer, tequila, frozen foods, footwear, clothing, soon hotels, and yes even frozen concoction makers. And for the next two days you can save big on any frozen concoction maker from Margaritaville.

Go to MargaritavilleCargo.com and use promo code MGVMAYFB at checkout for a $75 discount. This is for two days only and expires 5/22.

Margaritaville has several different concoction makers ranging in price from $199 to $499, including a portable model that runs off a rechargeable battery (pictured right).

Here is parking and tailgating information for Jimmy Buffett’s concert at the Woodlands Pavilion in Houston on May 20th:

Official Jimmy Buffett Tailgating Lot

The parking lot located on the northeast corner of the Six Pines Drive and Lake Robbins Drive intersection has been designated as the Official Jimmy Buffett Tailgating Lot. This parking lot opens at 10 a.m. on May 20 and closes at midnight. Overnight parking is not permitted.

Tickets for this parking lot will be available at 10 a.m. May 20 at the parking lot entrance. There will not be an opportunity to purchase tickets in advance. With limited availability, parking tickets for this lot will be sold on a space-available basis. Parking tickets for this lot are $30 per vehicle or $100 for a bus, RV or other vehicle that occupies more than one space. Ticket sellers will not be equipped to accept checks or credit cards. Only cash will be accepted.

In the Official Jimmy Buffett Tailgating Lot, restrooms will be provided, along with trash cans, recycling containers and security. Guests are asked to be “user friendly” by leaving glass containers and pets at home. Guests also are encouraged to drink responsibly.

TownCenterGarage at The Pavilion

Concertgoers also can purchase parking tickets for the Town Center Garage, located at The Pavilion and accessed via Six Pines Drive. The garage opens at 3 p.m. Parking is $15 per vehicle based on availability. Please visit The Pavilion’s web site (www.woodlandscenter.org) the day of the show for the latest parking information.

Free Parking in Designated Lots

Concertgoers also can park in any of the five free parking lots on the southwest side of The Pavilion. The free, color-coded lots are connected to The Pavilion by corresponding pathways with signs leading across The Waterway. These parking lots open at 6 p.m.

Please visit www.woodlandscenter.org for more information about parking, including a map showing all of the parking areas. Information about parking availability will be frequently updated on the web site the day of the show.