Stingray’s Ocean 100 (CHTN-FM) Charlottetown, PEI will premiere two new songs Wednesday morning co-written by the late Jimmy Buffett and PEI singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant.
“Johnny’s Rhum” and “Portugal or PEI” were recorded last April in Buffett’s Shrimp Boat Studios in Key West, Florida. Both appear on the late “tropical rock” icon’s forthcoming album Equal Strain On All Parts, set to be released Nov. 3. Buffett had hoped to come to PEI in person this past summer, prior to his health deteriorating. He entered hospice care in late August, just days before passing away from a rare form of skin cancer on Sept. 1. He was 76.
“We knew that Jimmy loved Atlantic Canada and PEI,” said Steve Jones, Stingray Radio’s Senior Vice President/Brands & Content. “He reached out to us last summer to visit PEI and share these songs in person, but sadly he left us too soon. We are honoured to share how much these songs and this place meant to him.”
Buffett’s relationship with Gallant dates back to 2001 when the late musician recorded the PEI singer-songwriter’s tune “Mademoiselle,” the beginning of a friendship that saw them perform together onstage and Buffett travel to Nova Scotia to visit Gallant and surf.
The lyrics of “Portugal or PEI” promise to resonate with Prince Edward Islanders, with mentions of local landmarks like Malpeque Bay and Cavendish, as well as the traditional Mi’kmaq language. It references the historical link between Portugal and PEI, created by hundreds of years of Portuguese fishermen frequenting the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “Parrotheads” will also recognize call-backs to Buffett tunes like “Volcano” and “Come Monday.” “Johnny’s Rum” was more personal to Buffett, a tribute to late French rock star Johnny Hallyday, whom he befriended on the island of St. Barts where they both lived.
From 8 – 9 a.m. AT, Gallant will join the Ocean 100 morning show to share the stories behind the songs. Listeners can tune into Ocean 100 locally or stream the station at ocean100.com or on the Radioplayer Canada app, iHeartRadio app, or Stingray Music app.
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