Classic Island Colors Made Famous By Mississippi-Born Musician Jimmy Buffett Travel to Oxford

By Jim Roberts
hottytoddy.com contributor

When Rachel DePaolo recently purchased her bike at Wal-Mart she had no clue she was riding into musical and Mississippi history, Jimmy Buffett style.

DePaolo purchased the brightly colored Margaritaville-designed bike to “tool around campus and Oxford.”

Margaritaville is the global brand of musician and businessman extraordinaire, Jimmy Buffett, a Pascagoula, Mississippi native. Wikipedia describes Buffett as a “musician, songwriter, author, actor and businessman,” deeming him an entrepreneurial jack-of-all trades. Buffett is best known for his music, with hits that often portray an island escapism lifestyle like “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.”
DePaolo went to Wal-Mart to buy a bike and said she was struck by the color of the Margaritaville one. Unbeknownst to her was the influence the Mississippi legacy and his retail establishments have on the state, including the Margaritaville Resort & Hotel in Biloxi.
“It’s my favorite color, and it has a cute yellow basket on the front,” she said about the bike. “I just wanted a neat bike without spending a ton of money.”

DePaolo is a senior integrated marketing communications major in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media and was an Ole Miss cheerleader her freshman, sophomore and junior years.
“I decided that it was time to concentrate on preparing for my career this year,” she added.
Buffett never forgot his roots and recalls the Mississippi Gulf Coast in performances and interviews. His business ventures have done well in hotels, restaurants, casinos, retail, vacation clubs and Margaritaville-inspired adventures all over the world. His Carol Reefer Band has many hits ranging from “Margaritaville”, “Come Monday”, to “Parrotheads.” His music and performances are established on a wide range of labels, including ABC, Barnaby, MCA and RCA.

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