A Christmas Miracle
James William Buffett was born on Christmas Day in 1946 in Mississippi and spent most of his childhood in Alabama. During his school years, he found an interest in music by playing the trombone in his school band. He also spent a lot of time on the water with his sailor father, which greatly influenced his music.
Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM/Getty Images
During his first year of college at Auburn University, Buffett started playing the guitar. Following college, he spent years working as a first mate on a yacht and perfecting the “Caribbean rock n’ roll” genre. He found a love for the easy-going lifestyle, but his life could have turned out differently if he had chosen a different career path.