Dr. Charles Steinberg, president of the Worcester Red Sox (WooSox), has a unique connection to musician Jimmy Buffett. During Buffett’s concerts at Fenway Park in 2004, Steinberg had the opportunity to play the organ for the “Margaritaville” singer and his fans. Despite being nervous, Steinberg embraced the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and played “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” as well as a selection of Beatles songs and other classics. To Steinberg’s surprise, Buffett asked him to play a 15-minute pre-show set, thinking he was the regular Fenway Park organist. Steinberg performed a variety of songs, including the theme from “Field of Dreams,” the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and “And I Love Her,” and John Fogerty’s “Centerfield.”
Buffett was so impressed with Steinberg’s performance that he signed Steinberg’s set list, declaring him an honorary member of the Coral Reefer Band. Steinberg praised Buffett’s positive and friendly spirit, both on and off stage, and believes his music will continue to perpetuate his memory for years to come. Sadly, Buffett passed away at the age of 76 from skin cancer.
Buffett’s appearances in Worcester were few but memorable. He headlined the Centrum (now the DCU Center) only once on January 30, 1988. Despite the winter weather, Buffett delivered two one-hour sets filled with his beloved hits, such as “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fins,” and “Margaritaville.” In a review, critics compared attending a Jimmy Buffett concert to going to Denny’s – consistently good but not necessarily great. He also performed briefly in Worcester in 1990 as part of a benefit organized Don Henley to preserve Walden Woods.
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette
