Jimmy Buffett Doc Takes Fans Back to the Coral Reefers’ Key West Origins

A new documentary is pulling back the curtain on the musicians who helped create Jimmy Buffett’s signature sound.

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: The First Coral Reefers hits theaters in New York and drops digitally across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand this Friday, October 30. The film dives into the 1970s and early 1980s to tell the origin story of Buffett’s original Coral Reefer Band, the group that laid the foundation for what became a Parrot Head empire.

Set against the backdrop of Key West, the doc features never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with founding band members, tour managers, producers, and music legends including Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally. Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges narrates.

Director John H. Cunningham’s film captures the chaos and camaraderie of an era that ran on creative freedom. The documentary premiered at Santa Barbara International Film Festival earlier this year and has picked up awards on the festival circuit.

For Buffett fans, it’s a chance to meet the people behind the hits and understand the volatile, magical moment that shaped one of music’s most distinctive sounds. The film runs 92 minutes and opens with Q&As in New York at Village East.

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