Jimmy Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on December 25, 1946, and he grew up primarily in Mobile, Alabama. He spent much of his childhood in Mobile and Fairhope, Alabama, where he developed a love for the Gulf Coast's boating and beach culture. His upbringing near the Gulf of Mexico and exposure to sailing through his family deeply influenced his music and persona. Buffett attended Catholic schools in Mobile and graduated from McGill Institute (now McGill-Toolen Catholic High School) there before going on to college