Remembering Jimmy Buffett's 'Hawaii Five-0' Role as Frank Bama

Although Jimmy Buffett was known for his beach-themed hits, he had a recurring role on Hawaii Five-0. After the legendary musician passed away at 76 from lymphoma, Hawaii Five-0 boss Peter Lenkov shared his fondest memories with Buffett. He guest-starred in seven episodes of the CBS procedural as helicopter pilot Frank Bama. His first appearance came in Season 2 when he was enlisted by retired Navy SEAL Joe White to help in an unofficial operation in an attempt to rescue Commander McGarrett. 

Buffett would return as Frank Bama in Seasons 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 to help Five-0 in different ways. Every time, it was entertaining, and it was clear that if not for him, they would get nowhere. Even with his busy schedule, it's impressive that he was able to appear in as many episodes as he did despite it only being seven. Though, each time Frank came to help, it made the episode even better. While sometimes it would be to help with a mission like bringing back a Navy SEAL's body or getting to a drug storage depot, other times it was either random or for a very sweet reason.

In 2011, the late musician spoke to Hawaii News Now about being on the procedural. He says that it "just worked out perfectly that I was headed over here, anyway, for a little vacation, and I didn't mind doing two days of work like this in the middle of my vacation!" Jimmy Buffett also praised Hawaii Five-0 for honoring "the authenticity and the legacy of the great Hawaii cop show" in regards to the original series from 1986.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Buffett's character on Hawaii Five-0, Frank Bama wasn't random. He is actually from Buffett's 1992 novel Where is Joe Merchant? The singer said he "always thought he was a great character, so I was really pleased when Paul, the writer, contacted us about this character that they were looking for me to play." It seems that both Buffett and fans were pleased, considering he was brought back six more times. 

With all 10 seasons of Hawaii Five-0 streaming on Paramount+, fans will be able to go back and watch their favorite episodes. Especially the ones that include Jimmy Buffett. It would be perfect to do a Buffett marathon after his passing as a way to honor him, Frank Bama, and his memorable performance, which is just one of many throughout his successful career.