The Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American singer-songwriter

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...

. The band's name alludes to both

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

s (in line with Buffett's tropical-themed music) and "reefer" (slang for

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

Origins

Current line-up

, the band's line-up consists of: *

– vocals, rhythm guitar (1974–present) *

Michael Utley Michael Edward Utley is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. He is the musical director of the band. Born in Blytheville in Mississippi County, Arkansas, he graduated from the Univer ...

– keyboards (1975–present) *

Robert Greenidge Robert Greenidge (born 28 April 1950 in Success Village, Laventille, Trinidad) is a steelpan player. He is a member of popular music singer Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band and the instrumental group Club Trini. Greenidge has also collaborated ...

–

steel drums The steelpan (also known as a pan, steel drum, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. Descriptio ...

(1983–present) *Peter Mayer – lead guitar, vocals (1989–present) * Jim Mayer – bass, vocals (1989–present) *Roger Guth – drums (1989–present) *John Lovell – trumpet (1992–present) *

Mac McAnally Lyman Corbitt McAnally Jr. (; born July 15, 1957), known professionally as Mac McAnally, is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician, and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. ...

– vocals, rhythm and lead guitars, dobro, slide guitar (1994–present) *Tina Gullickson – guitar, vocals (1995–present) *

Nadirah Shakoor Nadirah Shakoor is an American singer, songwriter and recording artist. She is best known for her work as featured female vocalist in Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, in the hip hop group Arrested Development and for her solo albums. She has ...

– vocals (1995–present) *Doyle Grisham –

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

(1974–present) *

Eric Darken Eric A. Darken is an American percussionist, composer, and programmer. Biography Drawing inspiration from his grandfather, a band leader. Darken began playing drums at age 12, and played timpani and mallets in high school. Darken attended ...

– percussion (2011–present)

Former members

Other former members of the Coral Reefer Band include: * Philip Fajardo – Drums (1975–1976) * Tim Drummond – Bass Guitar (1986–1988) *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was a Trinidadian and Tobagonian American, Trinbagonian-American percussionist, songwriter, musical arranger, record producer, steelpan virtuoso and philanthropist. His compositions ...

– Percussion (1974–2011; died 2011) *

Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country music and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He was best ...

– Guitar, background vocals, composer *

Marshall Chapman Marshall Chapman (born January 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter and author. Biography Early life Marshall Chapman was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. She was the daughter of a cotton mill owner. After she attended ...

– guitar, background vocals (1987); co-writer "Last Mango in Paris," writer "The Perfect Partner" *Lanny Fiel – Guitar *Rick Fiel – Bass guitar *Dave Haney – Bass guitar *Paul Tabet – Drums *Bergen White – Trombone *Daniel "Stiles" Francisco – Trumpet *Bobby Thompson – Banjo *Hamilton Camp – Guitar *Doug Bartenfeld – Guitar *

Jay Oliver Jay Russell Oliver (born April 26, 1959) is an American jazz musician (piano, piano keyboard, keyboards and music synthesizer, synths), music composer, composer, record producer, programmer and engineer. He began his professional music career at t ...

– Keyboards *

Randy Goodrum Charles Randolph Goodrum (born July 7, 1947) is an American songwriter, pianist, and producer. Goodrum has written number one songs in each of the four decades since his first number one hit, 1978's "You Needed Me". Goodrum's songs have appeare ...

– Keyboards *

Buzz Cason James E. "Buzz" Cason (born November 27, 1939 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States) is an American rock singer, songwriter, record producer, and author. He was a founding member of The Casuals, Nashville's first rock and roll band. Together w ...

– Keyboards, background vocals *Don Kloetzke – Background vocals *Roger Bartlett – Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmony vocals (1974–1977) (the original guitarist; traveled with Jimmy as a duo in the early days) *Michael Jeffry – lead guitar, harmony vocals *

Josh Leo Josh Leo (born 1953 in Des Moines, Iowa) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer active in Nashville, Tennessee. Leo was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1976, he moved to Chicago, Illinois ...

– guitar *

Vince Melamed Vincent Edward "Vince" Melamed is an American keyboardist and songwriter who resides in Nashville, Tennessee. He was born in New York, and moved to Los Angeles at an early age. Melamed has appeared with many bands as a keyboardist (Bob Dylan, J.D ...

– keyboards *Tony Pace – Drums *

Timothy B. Schmit Timothy Bruce Schmit (born October 30, 1947) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He has performed as the bassist and vocalist for Poco and the Eagles (band), Eagles, having replaced bassist and vocalist Randy Meisner in both cases ...

– bass, vocals (Schmit coined the term

Parrotheads James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...

) *"Blind" Jay Spell – keyboards – (Died 2011) *

Greg "Fingers" Taylor Greg "Fingers" Taylor (born June 3, 1952) is an American harmonica player, best known for his work with Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. Career Greg Taylor was born in Wichita, Kansas, June 3, 1952 where he attended Wichita North High School. ...

– harmonica (1975–2000, 2007) *T.C. Mitchell – saxophones and flute (1994–2005) *

Amy Lee Amy Lynn Hartzler (; born December 13, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, and lead songwriter of the rock band Evanescence. Alongside her contributions with the band, Lee has also particip ...

– saxophone and writer of the Buffett hit – ''Fruitcakes'' (1991–2005) * Mary Harris – Background vocals and vocal arrangements. *Barry Chance – lead guitar background vocals. (Died 2010) * Hadley Hockensmith – Bass *Claudia Cummings – Background vocals *Andy McMahon – Organ, Fender Rhodes *Bob Naylor – Mouth Organ, backing vocals *Harry Dailey – Bass, background vocals. Co-writer "Volcano." (1975–1982; died 2003) *Matt Betton – Drums *M.L. Benoit – Congas and percussion, background vocals * David Briggs – Piano *Dr. Kino Bachellier – Shakers and French *

Norbert Putnam Norbert Auvin Putnam (born August 10, 1942) is an American musician, studio owner and record producer who was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019.Robert McFarland, Jr"Norbert Putnam."'' Delta Business Journal''. November 2004. Acce ...

– Upright bass *Dominic Cortese – Accordion * Deborah McColl – Background vocals *David "Cool" Persons – Guitars, Vocals *

Reggie Young Reggie Grimes Young Jr. (December 12, 1936 – January 17, 2019) was an American musician who was lead guitarist in the American Sound Studio house band, The Memphis Boys, and was a leading session musician. He played on various recordings with ...

– Electric lead guitar *Mike Gardner – Drums – (Died 1991) *Ed "Lump" Williams – Bass guitar *

Sammy Creason Sammy Lee Creason (27 November 1944 – 21 December 1995) was an American session drummer who played with Tony Joe White, Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan amongst others. Life and career Growing up in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States, he l ...

– Drums *Phil Royster – Congas *

Johnny Gimble John Paul Gimble (May 30, 1926 – May 9, 2015) was an American country musician associated with Western swing. Gimble was considered one of the most important fiddlers in the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 i ...

– Fiddle *

Shane Keister Shane Keister is an American musician. He is known for his work as a studio musician, writer, arranger and producer. He plays synthesizer, piano, Hammond B3, Synclavier, Fairlight CMI, Fender Rhodes, and others. History Keister was born in Hunti ...

– Moog synthesizer *

Kenny Buttrey Aaron Kenneth Buttrey (April 1, 1945 – September 12, 2004) was an American drummer and arranger. According to Country Music Television, CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history". Buttrey was born in Nashvi ...

– Drums and Percussion (1977–1978) *

Vassar Clements Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was an American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and ...

– Fiddle *Ferrell Morris – Percussion *

Sam Clayton Sam Clayton (born March 30, 1952) is an American singer and percussionist, primarily focusing on drums, conga and djembe, throughout his musical career. He is best known as a supporting vocalist and percussionist with the American rock band Lit ...

– Congas and Percussion (1982–1988) * Larry Lee – Guitar, Drums, Keyboards *

Tim Krekel Tim Krekel (October 10, 1950 – June 24, 2009) was an American rock musician and country music songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky. Early life Krekel was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1950. He became interested in music early and his firs ...

– lead guitar, backing vocala *

Brie Howard Brie Howard-Darling (also known and credited as Brie Darling, Brie Howard, Brie Brandt, and Brie Berry) is an American drummer, singer, percussionist, songwriter, artist, cake designer, and actress of Filipino and European descent. She has recor ...

– Percussion, Vocals *

Russ Kunkel Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Da ...

– Drums * Keith Sykes – Guitar

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:105 bottom:110 top:0 right:50 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1974 till:05/25/2018 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lead value:green legend:Lead_guitar id:guitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:pedal value:teal legend:Pedal_steel_guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:album value:black legend:Studio_album id:perc value:claret legend:Percussion id:harmonica value:gray(0.5) legend:Harmonica id:horns value:yellow legend:Woodwinds_/_Horns id:steel value:redorange legend:Steel_drums Legend = position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1974 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1974 LineData = layer:back color:album BarData = bar:Jimmy text:"Jimmy Buffett" bar:Roger text:"Roger Bartlett" bar:BarryChance text:"Barry Chance" bar:JoshLeo text:"Josh Leo" bar:Krekel text:"Tim Krekel" bar:PeterM text:"Peter Mayer" bar:Utley text:"Michael Utley" bar:Dailey text:"Harry Dailey" bar:Schmit text:"Timothy B. Schmit" bar:Drummond text:"Tim Drummond" bar:JimM text:"Jim Mayer" bar:Fajardo text:"Phillip Fajardo" bar:Buttrey text:"Kenneth Buttrey" bar:Creason text:"Sammy Creason" bar:Betton text:"Matt Betton" bar:RogerG text:"Roger Guth" bar:Taylor text:"Greg 'Fingers' Taylor" bar:Ralph text:"Ralph MacDonald" bar:Darken text:"Eric Darken" bar:Clayton text:"Sam Clayton" bar:Greenidge text:"Robert Greenidge" bar:AmyLee text:"Amy Lee" bar:Lovell text:"John Lovell" bar:Mitchell text:"T. C. Mitchell" bar:Cummings text:"Claudia Cummings" bar:Tina text:"Tina Gullickson" bar:Nadirah text:"Nadirah Shakoor" bar:Mac text:"Mac McAnally" bar:Doyle text:"Doyle Grisham" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Jimmy from:01/01/1974 till:end color:guitar bar:Jimmy from:01/01/1974 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:Roger from:01/01/1974 till:01/01/1978 color:lead bar:Roger from:01/01/1974 till:01/01/1978 color:vocals width:3 bar:BarryChance from:01/01/1978 till:01/01/1983 color:lead bar:BarryChance from:01/01/1978 till:01/01/1983 color:vocals width:3 bar:PeterM from:01/01/1989 till:end color:lead bar:Utley from:01/01/1975 till:end color:keys bar:Taylor from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/2000 color:harmonica bar:Taylor from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/2000 color:keys width:3 bar:Taylor from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/2000 color:vocals width:7 bar:JimM from:01/01/1989 till:end color:bass bar:RogerG from:01/01/1989 till:end color:drums bar:Greenidge from:01/01/1983 till:end color:steel bar:Mac from:01/01/1994 till:end color:guitar bar:Mac from:01/01/1994 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:Tina from:01/01/1995 till:end color:vocals bar:Tina from:01/01/1995 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Nadirah from:01/01/1995 till:end color:vocals bar:Doyle from:01/01/1974 till:end color:pedal bar:Lovell from:01/01/1992 till:end color:horns bar:Mitchell from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/2006 color:horns bar:Darken from:01/01/2012 till:end color:perc bar:Schmit from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1986 color:bass bar:Schmit from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1986 color:vocals width:3 bar:Buttrey from:01/01/1977 till:01/01/1979 color:drums bar:Creason from:01/01/1979 till:01/01/1981 color:drums bar:Fajardo from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/1977 color:drums bar:Clayton from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1989 color:perc bar:Drummond from:01/01/1986 till:01/01/1989 color:bass bar:Dailey from:01/01/1975 till:01/01/1983 color:bass bar:AmyLee from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/2006 color:horns bar:Betton from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1989 color:drums bar:Cummings from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/1997 color:vocals bar:JoshLeo from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/1983 color:guitar bar:JoshLeo from:01/01/1983 till:01/01/1987 color:lead bar:Krekel from:01/01/1977 till:01/01/1979 color:guitar bar:Krekel from:08/01/1986 till:08/01/1987 color:guitar bar:Krekel from:08/01/1987 till:01/01/1989 color:lead bar:Ralph from:01/01/1974 till:01/01/2012 color:perc

Honorary members and special guests

Many artists have recorded and/or appeared on stage with Buffett, earning them status as honorary Coral Reefers. Some of the more notable names are listed here. *

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

– vocals *

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

– vocals *

Grover Washington Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

– saxophone *

The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet originating in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was change ...

– vocals *

Sean Payton Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...

– bongos *

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...

– vocals, harmonica *

Ed Bradley Edward Rudolph Bradley Jr. (June 22, 1941 – November 9, 2006) was an American broadcast journalist and news anchor. He was best known for his reporting on ''60 Minutes'' and CBS News. Bradley began his journalism career as a radio news repo ...

– vocals, tambourine *

Rita Coolidge Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945) is an American recording artist. During the 1970s and 1980s, her songs were on '' Billboard'' magazine's pop, country, adult contemporary, and jazz charts, and she won two Grammy Awards with fellow musician and t ...

– vocals *

Steve Cropper Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Ot ...

– guitar *

Huey Lewis Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known professionally as Huey Lewis, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many o ...

– vocals, harmonica *

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...

– vocals *

Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his disti ...

– vocals, organ *

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...

– whip cracks *

Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don ...

– guitar, background vocals *

Steve Goodman Steven Benjamin Goodman (July 25, 1948 – September 20, 1984) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter from Chicago. He wrote the song "City of New Orleans", which was recorded by Arlo Guthrie and many others including John Denver, ...

– guitar *

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...

– guitar * J. J. Watt – percussion *

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many o ...

– vocals *

Earl Klugh Earl Klugh ( ; born September 16, 1953) is an American acoustic guitarist and composer. He has won one Grammy award and thirteen nominations. Klugh was awarded the “1977” Best Recording Award For Performance and Sound” for his album “Fi ...

– guitar * Nicolette Larsen – vocals *

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

– vocals *

Bill Payne William H. Payne (born March 12, 1949) is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano roc ...

– Keyboard *

J.D. Souther John David "J. D." Souther (born November 2, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles (band), Eagles. Souther is probably best known for his songwriting ab ...

– backing vocals *

Sonny Landreth Clide Vernon "Sonny" Landreth (born February 1, 1951) is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lives in Bre ...

– slide guitar *Freedie Buffett – background vocals *Ilo Ferreira – vocals, guitar *

Jake Shimabukuro Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976) is a Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso and composer known for his fast and complex finger work. His music combines elements of jazz, blues, funk, rock, bluegrass, classical, folk, and flamenco. Shimabukuro has writt ...

– Ukulele (2005–2009) *

Zac Brown Zachry Alexander Brown (born July 31, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and co-founder and lead singer of the country–rock Zac Brown Band, as well as electronic dance music group Sir Rosevelt. In 2019, Brown released a pop su ...

– guitar and vocals *

Bill Kreutzmann William Kreutzmann Jr. ( ; born May 7, 1946) is an American drummer and founding member of the rock band Grateful Dead. He played with the band for its entire thirty-year career, usually alongside fellow drummer Mickey Hart, and has continued ...

– drums *

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...

– drums and background "woo's" *

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

– vocals

References

{{Authority control American country rock groups Gulf and Western groups Jimmy Buffett Musical backing groups Musical groups established in 1974