I'm a Parrot Head for Gore

Photograph of Al Gore with a red macaw parrot on his shoulder.  Yellow text with black drop-shadow on a background photograph of a beach and palm trees.

“Parrot Head” is a nickname for fans of Jimmy Buffet, an American musician who, with his Coral Reefer Band, is known for playing songs that celebrate a tropical island lifestyle. The term “Parrot Head” was coined in 1985, by Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band-mate Timothy B. Schmit, during a concert at the Timberwolf Amphitheater in Cincinnati, Ohio. Schmit came up with the term “Parrot Head” after Buffett made comments during the show about his fans being “just like Dead Heads”, a reference to the community of fans devoted to American rock band The Grateful Dead.

The first Parrot Head club formed in Atlanta in 1989. Parrot Head clubs often get together for live concerts, happy hours, and events supporting various charitable organizations. Many Parrot Heads saw Jimmy Buffett perform at fundraisers held in New York City and Miami, Florida supporting the Democratic National Committee and Al Gore’s 2000 presidential run.