Beloved Margaritaville singer and one of the greatest musicians to have ever walked this Earth, Jimmy Buffett, died aged 76 following a battle with skin cancer he was diagnosed with four years ago but kept under wraps.
A statement shared on his social media read: “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.
“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
Rest in Peace Jimmy Buffett.
A legendary musician and mogul. pic.twitter.com/mOxfdcLqCA
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 2, 2023
The Cheeseburger in Paradise hitmaker started receiving hospice care a few weeks ago and he was reportedly visited by Paul McCartney, who sang for him.
According to people close to the singer, his condition developed into lymphoma, which has been the exact cause of death.
Buffett was born December 25, 1946. He started his career when he was in his twenties and had his musical breakthrough with his 1977 album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, which included the song Margaritaville.
The song enjoyed 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Over the course of his career, which spanned over 50 years, Buffett released 29 studio albums, 9 compilation albums, 14 live albums, 8 specialty albums, and 67 singles.
His last ever public performance took place in May 2022 at the Jazz Fest in New Orleans. He was scheduled to perform in South Carolina in May 2023, but was hospitalized last minute.
"Shores distant shores,
There's where I'm headed for,
I got the stars to guide my way,
Sail into the light of day…" #BoatsToBuildRIP my friend, @jimmybuffett. pic.twitter.com/6j6NrPSRXJ
— Alan Jackson (@OfficialJackson) September 2, 2023
Buffett’s friends and fellow musicians paid tribute to him over posts on social media.
Alan Jackson quoted the lyrics of the song Boats to Build, which he and late Buffett recorded together in 2004. “Shores distant shores / There’s where I’m headed for / I got the stars to guide my way / Sail into the light of day…” the lyric read.
Sunday Morning Passage
Jimmy Buffett, the singer and songwriter of "Margaritaville" has died. He was 76 years old. @thattracysmith caught up with the singer back in 2020 about making music and whether he thinks about his own mortality. https://t.co/nFfbqemmu7 pic.twitter.com/gJLL0MI1tT
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) September 2, 2023
Elton John wrote, “Jimmy Buffett was a unique and treasured entertainer. His fans adored him and he never let them down. This is the saddest of news. A lovely man gone way too soon. Condolences to (his wife) Jane and the family from (my husband) David (Furnish) and me,” while Toby Keith described the late singer as a ‘tremendous influence on so many of us.’
Tributes came pouring from fans as well.
“So many great memories at Jimmy’s shows. This is a hard one,” one person tweeted.
Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist song “Margaritaville” and turned that celebration into an empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions, has died. He was 76. https://t.co/CMuZbT2gi6 pic.twitter.com/LQjyvKIEgz
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 2, 2023
Buffett is survived by wife Jane Slagsvol, daughters Savannah and Sarah, and son Cameron.
Rest in peace, Jimmy Buffett.
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