Jimmy Buffett Dead at 76

Jimmy Buffett Dead at 76,The music legend was behind hits like 'Margaritaville' and 'Cheeseburger in Paradise.'

Jimmy Buffett Dead at 76

Jimmy Buffett, the legendary singer-songwriter, has died. Buffett’s team announced his death early Saturday morning via his official social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X (f.k.a. Twitter). The “Margaritaville” singer died on Friday night. He was 76.

“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by family, friends, music and dogs,” the official statement read. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jimmy Buffett (@jimmybuffett)

No cause of death was declared in the death announcement. However, Buffett has faced health setbacks over the past year. In September 2022, he was hospitalized and forced to cancel all remaining tour dates for the remainder of that year. Back in May, the “Cheeseburger in Paradise” singer had to cancel concerts after another unexpected hospitalization. He never disclosed the issue at that time, only that the hospitalization was “to address some issues that needed immediate attention.” (UPDATE, Sept. 2, 1:10 p.m. ET — TMZ, speaking with friends, reports that Jimmy Buffett died from lymphoma. Our full story on Buffett’s cause of death can be read here.)

“Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you,” Buffett wrote at the time, telling his fans, “You all make my life more meaningful and fulfilled than I would have ever imagined as a toe headed little boy sitting on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts, your amazing years of loyalty, and just remember, ‘NOT YET!'”

Jimmy Buffett was widely known for his decades of live touring with the Coral Reefer Band, cultivating a devoted following known as “Parrotheads” along the way. He leveraged that following into a massively successful restaurant and hotel empire under the “Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville” name. There are currently 23 Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville locations, in addition to several spinoffs (5 o’clock Somewhere Bar & Grill, JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, and the now-defunct Cheeseburger in Paradise.)

According to Setlist.fm users, Buffett’s final live performance came on June 11 at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York. He played a surprise three-song set consisting of a cover of Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin'” followed by “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” and “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” His final full performance was on May 6 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. It was a 19-song concert, filled with hits like “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor” and his 2003 Alan Jackson collaboration “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”

Buffett’s final studio album of original recordings was 2020’s Life on the Flip Side. He followed up that release with Songs You Don’t Know by Heart, a series of re-recordings of fan-favorite deep cuts from his catalog. During an April 2023 concert in Nashville, the legendary musician told fans that he had already recorded another album, titled Equal Strain on all Parts, but release plans were not shared before his death.

Buffett is survived by wife Jane Slagsvol and their three children, Savannah Buffett, Delaney Buffett and Cameron Marley Buffett. No memorial or funeral plans have been made public as of press time.

0comments

Kenny Chesney Joins Jimmy Buffett on Stage During Nashville Show
Caroline Jones on What She’s Learned From Mentors Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown
‘Blue Bloods’ Hits Season Milestone With Latest Episode Featuring Jimmy Buffett