What is a ParrotHead?
Parrotheads: (par-it-heds) n. Unique creatures found in colonies worldwide. Not particularly dangerous, they do occasionally engage in “Feeding Frenzies” that can be somewhat disconcerting to other, less social creatures. While they frequently wear very colorful and unorthodox clothing, Parrotheads have the innate ability to blend in with their environment when required and are sometimes hard to detect. The trained spotter should look for subtle clues like a parrot tattoo, loud, bright Hawaiian shirts (even a coconut bra) &/or an email address @ParrotHead.com or a buffett song title or Buffett quote @xxx.com.
Parrot Head: 1. noun: A rare specimen of non-conformists that is an apparently normal person that in reality is a restless dreamer and wild wanderer. Possessing a creative imagination and pure gypsy soul, their dress consists of delightful yet creative and comfortable clothing mainly of Colorful Caribbean design. Diet consist of Cheeseburgers and Margaritas. 2. noun: A devotee of the music and life style of Jimmy Buffett. Mr. Jimmy Buffett is the originator of “Caribbean rock-n-roll”, also known as “Trop-rock”. It’s a true sound of his own. You can visit his website to learn more about him, his music and all his adventures at www.margaritaville.com.
Tropical rock (or Trop-Rock) is a genre of popular music that incorporates elements and influences of rock and roll, reggae, country music, caribbean and zydeco, with themes and musical compositions inspired by an island style that represent a way of life that is relaxing and exotic. Trop-Rock should not be confused with the format of Radio Tropical, which is a generic term for Latin and Caribbean music formats, usually in Spanish.
Although today tropical rock is usually associated with southern Florida and the Gulf Coast of the United States, the roots of tropical rock are in the Southern California beach music of the 1960s with artists like Jan and Dean and The Beach Boys.
No one knows where the term Trop Rock originated, many relate it to the musical sound of Jimmy Buffett. In the early to mid 80’s,Jimmy Buffett, Bertie Higgins, The original Key Lime Pie Band out of Big Pine Key,and E.C.Davis out of Islamorada, were instrumental in the development of Trop Rock Music. They were all recording artists of this type of music. Also at that time was the Barefootman in the Cayman Islands. It is also called California Beach Sound. There are now many singers and composers within the genre of Trop-Rock throughout the United States. Some of the most popular bands in Trop-Rock genre include: A1A, The Barefoot Man, Blind Manifest, Boat Drunks, Captain Quint, E.C. Davis, Gary PhilipS, Michael Sea and Island Fever, Jimmy Parrish and the Ocean Waves Band, Jerry Diaz & Hanna’s Reef, Conch Republic, Jake and the Half Conched Band, Jim Morris, Jack Mosley, Jimmy & The Parrots, John Friday, The Landsharks, Latitude, Northern Harbor, Danny Taddei, Mile Marker 24 Band, Leo Dean, Sunny Jim (James White), Troy Allan, PHINS, Jimi Pappas, Joe Bennett, Swampabbean, Calypso Nuts, Jim Lanier, The Tsunami Wave Riders, Pirate Dreams, Harbor Knights and Young Rebel Goombas. Mainstream artists like Jack Johnson and Kenny Chesney have songs in the trop rock genre.
In the year 2000, Cleveland, Ohio DJ Dennis King started Island Time Radio, featuring island style music. In 2006, Lewis University’s radio station, WLRA-FM, began programming this format on the air in Chicago and streaming it world wide. All day Saturday Conch Republic Radio streams Trop Rock music from The Florida Keys and Key West. Radio Margaritaville, available on Sirius XM Radio, also plays much of the genre, with a particular focus on Buffett. The Trop Rock Music Association gives out the Trop Rock Music Awards at the annual Meeting of the Minds Parrothead convention in Key West Florida every November.
