Margie Washichek: Jimmy Buffett’s Ex-Wife — Divorce After Three Years, Walks Away with a Mercedes
Jimmy Buffett was one of America’s most successful musicians, releasing multiple hits like Margaritaville, Come Monday, and A Pirate Looks at Forty throughout his legendary career.
While most fans know him to be married to Jane Slagsvol, his partner of 45 years and mother of his three children, there is one woman from Jimmy’s past who once held the key to his heart.
Margie Washichek is Jimmy Buffet’s first love and former wife. Their brief marriage began in 1969, when Jimmy was just starting his music career, and they divorced in 1972.
Read on to learn more about the mysterious woman who used to be Jimmy Buffet’s wife, Margie Washichek, and how she made her mark on the iconic singer and songwriter’s life.
All About Margie Washichek and Her Romance With Jimmy Buffet
Margie Washichek, famous for being the ex-wife of American musician, Jimmy Buffett, is from Mobile, Alabama, United States. She was an English student at Spring Hill College when she first met Jimmy, who was then studying history at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Interestingly, many students recall Jimmy playing music outside of the Spring Hill College dorms while he was courting Margie. In an interview with his daughter, Sarah, about his song “Love in the Library” he also recalls spending lots of time at Spring Hill College’s library.
Jimmy served as an altar boy in the college’s St. Joseph Chapel, where he married Margie in 1969. That same year, Margie graduated with a degree in English. She was also crowned Miss USS Alabama in 1967 and served as the famed battleship’s official hostess.
Margie’s father owned Marina Junk, which supplied the materials used to build Product Sound Studio. This is where Jimmy officially began his music career and recorded his very first songs.
Why Did Margie Washichek and Jimmy Buffett Break Up?
I had a third world girl in Buzios
With a pistol in each hand
She always kept me covered
As we moved from land to land pic.twitter.com/aVqUPuLAdy— Jimmy Buffett (@jimmybuffett) December 23, 2020
Unfortunately, the union between Margie and Jimmy didn’t last. After three years of marriage, Jimmy filed for divorce in September 1972, leaving Margie with a Mercedez.
According to Jimmy, the car was “the only thing of value” he recalled having with her. He also said, “She deserved it (the Mercedez) for putting up with my shallow and immature attempt at being a husband.”
Although the pair never disclosed the reason behind their separation, financial difficulties, irreconcilable differences, and Jimmy’s early struggles to launch his music career might have contributed to the breakdown of their relationship.
In Jimmy’s 1998 autobiography entitled A Pirate Looks At Fifty, he described his experience, saying, “I signed a record deal, got married, moved to Nashville, had my guitar stolen, bought a Mercedes, worked at Billboard magazine, put out my first album and went broke…got divorced and moved to Key West.”
Jimmy Buffet’s Life After Margie Washichek
Several years after his divorce from Margie Washichek, Jimmy Buffett tied the knot with Jane Slagsvol in 1977. That same year, Jimmy released his hit single, Margaritaville, which ranked number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is his highest-charting single of all time.
In an interview with TIME magazine, Jimmy recalled the first moment he met Jane when they were both in Key West. Jane was a student at the University of South Carolina at the time, and she was visiting Florida during her spring break vacation.
Jimmy and Jane are proud parents of three children: Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron Buffett. Meanwhile, Margie lived her life out of the public eye, and not much is known about her after her marriage with Jimmy Buffett ended.
Why Did Jimmy Buffett Pass Away?
Jimmy Buffett died on September 1, 2023, after four years of battling a rare form of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). He was 76 years old and passed away surrounded by his family, friends, music, and beloved dogs.
His wife, Jane Slagsvol shared a message on Jimmy’s official website, thanking his doctors, friends, and fans. She said, “Jimmy was love” and expressed how “Every cell in his body was filled with joy. He smiled all the time, even when he was deeply ill.”
Final Thoughts on Margie Washichek
So, there you have it! A glimpse into the mysterious life of Margie Washichek, an Alabama beauty queen with a love for the English language, and Jimmy Buffett’s former partner in life.
Although the pair’s relationship didn’t last, Margie played a significant role in Jimmy’s early years as a musician, providing warmth and companionship during their short time together, and serving as his muse and source of inspiration for some of the very first music he created.
