Remember when Stone Cold Steven Austin and The Rock sang âMargaritavilleâ?
The global phenomenon of “Margaritaville” reached many historic heights, perhaps none greater than a legendary duet sung between pro wrestling icons “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock during an episode of “WWE Monday RAW” in the early 21st century.
During the Nov. 12, 2001 episode of the flagship weekly show, the company’s biggest stars and rivals entered the squared-circle to promote the upcoming main event at “Survivor Series” in a rather lighthearted segment that unexpectedly broke out into song before, of course, fists started flying.
Another in-ring battle of the microphones saw the entertainers dust off the singing pipes to “ease the tension” heading to the big pay-per-view weekend, starting with Austin’s gravelly rendition of Tanya Tucker’s “Delta Dawn,” followed by The Rock’s humorous take on Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.”
With the crowd eating it up, The Rock then suggested the two try a duet, offering Austin any song he wanted. “If you wanna hear The Rock and Stone Cold sing a duet together, gimme a hell yeah!” Austin prompted the crowd, who obliged him.
“Maybe this’ll bring back a few memories,” Austin told The Rock. “I’ll catch it about midway through. Anybody who’s anybody knows who Jimmy Buffett is. It goes a little like this…”
Austin then slipped into Jimmy Buffett’s classic song, belting the verse starting with “I blew out my flip flop…” before the two shared the mic for the chorus. But Austin changed up a lyric or two: “Some people claim that there’s a Rocky to blame, but I know…” as The Rock interrupted to say “It’s old Stone Cold’s fault” and then delivered his thunderous Rock Bottom finishing move and about a million punches to close out the segment with pure in-ring pandemonium.
It wasn’t the first or last time these two showed off their modest singing talent (or amazing comedic chops), but the duet remains a favorite moment among fans who witnessed the majesty of WWE’s glorious Attitude Era that saw these two at the peak of their respective powers. Toss in some Jimmy Buffett, and you’ve got yourself an iconic television moment.
Jimmy Buffett, the Mississippi-born singer/songwriter who popularized beach bum soft rock with hits like “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” died Friday at the age of 76.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” said a statement posted to Buffett’s official website and social media pages, posted early on Saturday. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
Born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in 1946, Buffett and his family settled in Mobile. His parents, Mary Loraine Peets Buffett and James Delaney Buffett Jr, were employees of the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company. Buffett’s grandfather, James Delaney Buffett, was a steamship captain and his father J.D. had traveled to India and Africa with the Army Corps of Engineers.
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Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’ singer and Gulf Coast music legend, dead at 76