Do you enjoy biographies of popular musicians and songs? You may know Jimmy Buffett, the musician who sings breezy beach songs such as “Margaritaville.” His wife, Margie Washichek, is a part of his life story that is not very well-known. Long before she became famous, she did some things for him that few fans understand.
Jimmy Buffett married Margie Washichek in 1969 at St. Joseph’s Chapel, beginning a musical and hope-filled life together. It would be a stretching relationship with challenges, when Jimmy chases his big dreams in Nashville, just like any other couple. The story today is on lesser-known Margie Washichek life story, support from early days to after they broke up. Are you ready to learn some other secrets from this additional chapter? Read on!
Who is Margie Washichek
Margie Washichek was briefly known as the spouse of popular American musician Jimmy Buffett, who attained glory with a famous song called “Margaritaville.” In the late 1960s, Margie and Jimmy Buffett married and divorced soon after.
The journey of something beautiful
Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek were married in a humble yet lovely house of God. They quickly left town and took off for Nashville, hoping that Jimmy’s songs would become overnight hits in the country music scene.
A dream wedding
Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek chose an off-the-beaten-path venue for their wedding. She wedded him in 1969 in St. Joseph’s Chapel, situated on the campus of Spring Hill College, and they spent their honeymoon at Bon Secour Beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Image Credit: OrahAfter getting married in that very stunning chapel, amidst the majestic beauty of the stained glass windows and in general, the location itself, the newly wedded pair sat down to their first meal together in the faculty dining hall. The decision of this couple to get married in such an important location proved their regard for tradition and an excellent set-up for their future. Jimmy Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and the marriage ceremony at St. Joseph’s Chapel marked the start of what they both envisioned as a long voyage to be together.
Within weeks of getting married in 1969, Margie Washichek and her husband James William Buffett settled their belongings and left for Nashville. Nashville was the epicenter of the music world. Jimmy wanted his music to make some noise there. Anybody looking to do it big in country music was after his or her way into this city. Jimmy worked his way into being different in this overly populated and flooded Nashville music scene. He wrote songs day and night and performed in the local spot, hoping that one of them would get him into industry.
Margie Washichek was the Top supporter of Jimmy Buffett in his early career
Margie Washichek was more than the name floating around with Jimmy Buffett in the beginning years of his journey. When his uncertainties came to intervene in his moves, she stood out to stand beside him. She became the source of the faith in his aspirations, providing him with the will to compose and perform songs that would be able to win over millions of listeners in due time. She was always by his side when he played at small clubs as well as did much work so that his music gets noticed at the densely crowded concert halls of Nashville.
Jimmy and Margaret’s Marriage Problems
The issue of his obsession over other women caused immense problems for Jimmy and Margie’s marriage. The impossibility of such circumstances eventually drove them to opt for separation in September 1972.
Jimmy’s “Commitment” to Another Woman
It turned out Jimmy was actually in love with a girl named Edith. His marriage suffered through this infatuation. The more he kept his attention on Edith, the less attention he gave his wife, Margie Washichek. Edith worked at The Looking Glass, which was a clothes shop. Jimmy would often loiter outside the shop. To woo Edith, he wrote songs and strummed his guitar.
Split in 1972
Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek legally divorced each other in the month of September in 1972. Jimmy and Margie Washichek got married for a period of three years after which Jimmy Buffett decided to get himself divorced from Margie Washichek. The amount of closeness that Jimmy and Margie Washichek shared with their marriage is clearly seen through this act. Both the parties were experiencing the tough phases of life where they both had filed the case of divorce with each other. In addition to the end of her marriage, Margie had to come to terms with life without the man she had helped find his first foothold in Nashville as a musician. Jimmy, however, saw the end as a turning point when he continued to improve in his business and eventually married Steve Peck in 1977. What about Edith? There is nothing known about her. Do Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek still exchange Christmas cards?
Even after Jimmy Buffett and Margie Washichek broke up, they continued to respect each other
Jimmy ensured that he put an honest note of appreciation for Margie in his songs about life. Even after becoming Miss USS Alabama, Margie maintained silence after she got divorced. It is known, however, that she lived a reclusive life and started her married life with someone else. Jimmy made acknowledgement by gestures. After his divorce, Jimmy Buffett did a really nice thing to Margie Washichek. He just up and took a Mercedes from her. It wasn’t just any car; this was his means of showing thanks. He wanted her to know he truly appreciated all her kindness and encouragement, especially in the early going of his Nashville music career. This is such an act wherein Jimmy acknowledged his good times and life for the effort Margie had put in behind the scenes, even when they were separated.
sheer act of leaving Mercedes was a gift but more than that, it was a recognition of the presence of Margie. It only brought to light how heavily she must have been working behind the scenes to get him through the good times as well as the tough times. This came as a testament that when showing appreciation for someone who has supported you through difficult times, perhaps actions speak louder than words. Jimmy fought skin cancer before he died on 1 September 2023. But she also had important everyday tasks so that Jimmy could concentrate solely on his profession. Such tireless commitment laid the basis for the famous family legacy of Cameron Marley Buffett, from keeping little money to get through the trials of the music business.
Conclusion
Every step of their way, from their chapel wedding to their struggles and eventually breakup, had a different tale to tell. It depicts how true love can be tried by prosperity and leave signs of permanent scars. Even after they broke off, Jimmy proved how much he cared for Margie in his rise to fame by giving her a car. This historical fragment gives much more than just some hearsay; one learns there to be perseverance, encouragement, and the subtlety of social interaction in pursuit of a goal.
FAQs
1. Who was the first wife of Jimmy Buffett?
In 1969, before his first wedding, Buffett married Margie Washichek; the marriage lasted until 1972. Spring break of some year, Buffett met his second wife, Jane (née Slagsvol), at the Chart Room pub in Key West. Jane never went back to the University of South Carolina.
2. At the time of Jimmy Buffett’s death, was he married?
The wife of Jimmy Buffett, Jane Slagsvol, penned a heartfelt note on Saturday which has been posted on his website and Instagram. In the heartfelt note, she said thank you to his friends, family, and fans.
3. Has Jimmy Buffett been laid to rest?
A few days later, on September 9, Buffett was actually laid to rest by Kennebunk Funeral Home in Maine. Fans had gathered in Key West’s Margaritaville Resort, showering the surrounding grounds with memorabilia and personal items meant to represent for them Buffett’s laid-back, beach-intensive lifestyle.