Basic Information
| Full Name | Margie Washichek |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 25, 1946 |
| Place of Birth | Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA |
| Spouse | Jimmy Buffett (1969–1972) |
| Children | None documented from her marriage to Jimmy Buffett |
| Occupation | Beauty Queen, Former Spouse of Jimmy Buffett |
| Known For | First wife of Jimmy Buffett, Miss USS Alabama |
The Story of Margie Washichek
When you hear the name Jimmy Buffett, you probably think of beachy tunes, margaritas, and island escapism. But before the Parrot Head movement, before the concerts that feel like a tropical vacation, there was Margie Washichek — the woman who was by his side during the early years of his journey. Margie is often a quiet name in the whirlwind of celebrity, her life largely spent out of the public eye, but it’s impossible to ignore her role as the first love of a cultural icon. And like many untold stories, hers has its own quiet, significant charm.
Margie’s story begins in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on December 25, 1946. She grew up in a coastal town that likely shaped her later persona — an easygoing beauty, graceful but with a quiet intensity. In her younger years, she earned a title that many would only dream of: Miss USS Alabama, a title she held during her time working as a hostess for the battleship museum in Mobile Bay. This isn’t just any random title, mind you — she was the face of a historic naval vessel. It’s the kind of detail that paints a picture of Margie as someone with both Southern charm and a sprinkle of star potential.
It wasn’t long before her path crossed with that of Jimmy Buffett. In 1969, just as Buffett’s music was beginning to ripple through the airwaves, he married Margie. For a brief moment, they lived in the delicate simplicity of the 1960s, with a young Jimmy setting out on a musical career that would take him to international fame. But just three years later, in 1972, their marriage ended. Though their relationship didn’t last, the memory of it would stay embedded in the tapestry of Buffett’s life.
Margie’s life after the divorce was spent largely out of the public eye. While her former husband would go on to become the face of escapist pop culture — with a career spanning decades and a following that would grow larger than life — Margie remained an enigma. Her later years are shrouded in privacy, with little known about whether she remarried, had children, or pursued any public career. What we do know is that she retreated from the spotlight, an intentional move to live out the rest of her life away from the gaze of fame.
Margie Washichek’s Family
Margie’s family and personal relationships are even more of a mystery than her public life. Her marriage to Jimmy Buffett is the most well-known relationship in her life, but it’s also where the details tend to blur.
The Family That Shaped Margie
Margie’s parents and siblings aren’t part of the public narrative. There is no fanfare about her upbringing, no glossy magazine features on her childhood home in Pascagoula. We can speculate she was raised in a traditional Southern family, the kind that makes you feel like every dinner table is steeped in both history and manners, but without any official documentation, it’s impossible to say for sure.
Her familial ties seem to stay firmly behind the curtain, with no public records offering a glimpse into her close circle. This kind of privacy is rare for someone whose life was briefly intertwined with someone as famous as Jimmy Buffett, but Margie appeared to have lived by a different set of rules — one that didn’t include fame, media attention, or even social media (where she’s been largely absent).
Jimmy Buffett: The Ex-Husband
As for Jimmy Buffett, the man who would go on to charm generations with his laid-back lifestyle and beloved tunes, their relationship seems to have been part of his early life before the “Cheeseburger in Paradise” years. Though he has since remarried — to his second wife, Jane Slagsvol, with whom he shares two children — his first marriage to Margie has remained a defining chapter in his journey, even if it was brief.
Buffett’s memoirs and interviews occasionally refer to his early life, sometimes acknowledging the role of his first wife, but the details remain vague. For all the attention that Jimmy has received over the years, it’s clear that Margie stayed far from the glare of the spotlight that would envelop him. This speaks to the unspoken boundaries she set around her personal life — a choice that makes her all the more intriguing.
While the world came to know Jimmy as the embodiment of tropical freedom, his first marriage was one that existed before his true fame arrived. They were young, with a life full of potential ahead of them. However, as Jimmy’s career took flight, Margie’s role in the public story quietly faded.
FAQ
1. Who is Margie Washichek?
Margie Washichek is known as the first wife of Jimmy Buffett. The two were married in 1969 but divorced in 1972, long before Buffett became the cultural icon he is today.
2. Did Margie Washichek and Jimmy Buffett have children together?
There are no documented children from Margie Washichek’s marriage to Jimmy Buffett.
3. What did Margie Washichek do before she married Jimmy Buffett?
Before marrying Jimmy, Margie was a beauty queen and held the title of Miss USS Alabama, where she worked as a hostess at the battleship museum in Mobile Bay.
4. What is Margie Washichek’s current net worth?
There is no publicly confirmed or reliable estimate of Margie Washichek’s net worth. Speculations vary, but she has largely stayed out of the public eye in recent years.
5. Does Margie Washichek have any other public relationships?
There is no verified information on any other major relationships or marriages following her divorce from Jimmy Buffett.
6. Why did Margie Washichek and Jimmy Buffett divorce?
While the specifics of their divorce are not widely publicized, it is believed that their marriage ended amicably and quietly, likely due to the pressures of Jimmy’s early career.
7. What is Margie Washichek doing now?
Margie Washichek seems to have chosen a private life after her marriage to Jimmy Buffett, with no major public appearances or media involvement in recent years.
8. How did Jimmy Buffett feel about Margie Washichek?
Jimmy Buffett occasionally speaks about his first wife in his interviews and writings, reflecting on their early years together, but has never gone into deep detail about their personal relationship.
