Who We Are
Many people may think of parrot heads as laid back slackers who do nothing but dream of living in the islands and who pass out on the lawn at Buffett concerts. And we are! But we’re also so much more: We’re people from all walks of life who enjoy the music, lifestyle (whether real or imagined) and attitude toward living of Jimmy Buffett. We’re a non-profit organization that sponsors or participates in numerous community service and charitable events throughout the year. We’re a Jimmy Buffett fan club with a community service problem. This madness started with one club in Atlanta (founder, Scott Nickerson*) and has blossomed to a network of over 200 clubs around the U.S. plus international clubs based in Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Australia.
Origin of the term
From Wikipedia….The term “Parrot Head” was coined in 1985 at a Jimmy Buffett concert at the Timberwolf Amphitheater in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the show, Buffett commented about everyone wearing Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats and how they kept coming back to see his shows, just like Deadheads. Timothy B. Schmit (from the Eagles era), then a member of the Coral Reefer Band, coined the term “Parrot Head” to describe them. “Parakeets” or “Keets” is the term used for younger fans of Buffett, or children of Parrotheads.
*In early 1989, Scott Nickerson, then of Atlanta, GA, decided he had met so many great people “tailgating” before Buffett concerts that he should create a social environment to get those pholks together more than once a year. His idea was to form a Parrot Head Club (a non-traditional fan club) that would provide volunteer support for community and environmental concerns.