Legendary Musician Jimmy Buffett Dead at 76
Image Source: CBS News
Jimmy Buffett, the singer-songwriter who turned his easy and carefree beach lifestyle into a business empire, passed away on the night of September 1st from skin cancer turned lymphoma at the age of 76. The Gulf and Western singer was wildly beloved for his easygoing music and his chain of restaurants and resorts named after his song, “Margaritaville.” He was especially popular among his legions of fans called “Parrotheads.”
James William Buffett was born on Christmas Day, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He grew up in Mobile, Alabama, where he developed a love of sailing from his grandfather. Buffett played guitar while attending Auburn University and moved to Nashville, Tennessee to record and release his first album, Down to Earth, in 1970. Initially he was a country artist, but on a trip to Key West in 1971 with fellow songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker (better known as “Mr. Bojangles”), he changed his musical direction from country to Calypso folk-pop. When Buffett’s friend and mentor, Jim Croce, died in a plane crash in 1973, Jimmy Buffett was signed and promoted by ABC/Dunhill Records as a replacement. His first release on the label and second overall was A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean, which featured hit singles such as “Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit” and “Why Don’t We Get Drunk.” He continued to have a decent amount of success throughout the 70s, but it was his 1977 Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes album featuring his breakout hit “Margaritaville” that truly put him on the map. Buffett remained a popular concert draw throughout his career, but he slowed down his concert schedule to 20-30 concerts a year in the 90s, preferring to only play on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, which became the title of his 1999 live album.
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Jimmy also dabbled in film and television. He wrote the soundtrack, co-produced, and played a role in the 2006 film Hoot. Buffett also composed music for other productions, such as the 1993 CBS show Johnny Bago, “Turning Around” for the 1995 film Summer Rental, "I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)" for the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, "Hello, Texas" for the 1980 John Travolta film Urban Cowboy, and "If I Have To Eat Someone (It Might As Well Be You)" for the animated film FernGully: The Last Rainforest. As an actor, he mostly made cameos as himself, including in the film Jurassic World, where he is seen running with the other guests, holding two margaritas.
Besides his music, Jimmy Buffet was also famous for his various business ventures, using these to give his fans a taste of his tropical escapism lifestyle. Buffett opened Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville in Key West Florida in 1987. He also opened the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chain in 2002, but sold it in 2012 for $11 million. Buffett partnered with Anheuser-Busch in 2006 to create the Landshark beer brand. Out of all of these ventures, the Margaritaville brand was the most successful, expanding to casinos, resorts, and even retirement communities. Buffett had this to say to Forbes in 1994 when talking about his transition from artist to businessman:
“If you’re an artist, if you want to have control of your life . . . then you gotta be a businessman, like it or not…So the businessman evolved out of being an artist.”
Jimmy was dealing with health issues for quite some time, causing him to cancel several of his tour dates. In August of this year, the singer entered hospice care, where he was visited by music legend and ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. McCartney sang to Buffett and his family. McCartney enjoyed a long friendship with Buffett and played bass on the song “My Gummy Kicked In” on Buffett’s final album, Equal Strain On All Parts, which has yet to be released. The musician paid tribute to Jimmy Buffett on his various social media pages, including his X (formerly Twitter) page, recounting a time Jimmy lent a guitar to him on holiday:
Jimmy Buffett is survived by his wife Jane, his daughters Savannah and Sarah, and his son Cameron. Buffett passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and his dogs. His legacy, music, and beach bum lifestyle will live on in the hearts of many. Today, we are all Parrotheads. Raise your “Tin Cup Chalice” and sip your favorite margarita this weekend in honor of the easy-living icon.
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