Legendary singer Jimmy Buffett, who is best known for songs like Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise, has died.
The singer-songwriter, whose new album Equal Strain on All Parts was due to be released later this year, passed away peacefully on the night of September 1 .
Jimmy Buffet cause of death
An announcement was made on his official Twitter account late Friday night confirming that Jimmy Buffet had passed away that night surrounded by his loved ones.
The statement 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’.
The statement did not say where Buffett died or give a cause of death.
Who was Jimmy Buffet?
James William Buffett was an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman.
He was best known for his music, which often portrays an “island escapism” lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett recorded hit songs including “Margaritaville” (ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America’s list of “Songs of the Century”) and “Come Monday”.
He has a devoted base of fans known as “Parrotheads”.
Aside from his career in music, Jimmy Buffett was also a bestselling author and was involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best-known songs; he owned the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain and co-developed the now defunct Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chain.
Jimmy Buffett was one of the world’s richest musicians, with a net worth of $1 billion as of 2023.
Early and personal life
Jimmy Buffett was born on December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and spent part of his childhood in Mobile and Fairhope, Alabama. He was the son of Mary Lorraine (née Peets) and James Delaney Buffett Jr.
During his grade school years, he attended St. Ignatius School, where he played the trombone in the school band. As a child he was exposed to sailing through his grandfather and these experiences would go on to influence his later music.
He graduated from McGill Institute for Boys, a catholic high school in Mobile, in 1964. He began playing guitar during his first year at Auburn University before continuing his college years at Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history in 1969.
Jimmy Buffett married Margie Washichek in 1969; they divorced in 1971. Buffett spent years working as the first mate on the yacht of industrialist Foster Talge on the Petticoat III in Key West while perfecting the “Caribbean Rock n’ Roll” genre.
Buffett and his second wife, Jane (née Slagsvol) had two daughters, radio personality Savannah Jane and filmmaker , Sarah Delaney (Sarah was almost named Sara Loraine, after her grandmother but was, instead, named Sarah Delaney after her grandfather), and an adopted son, Cameron Marley, and resided in Sag Harbor, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida.
They separated in the early 1980s, but reconciled in 1991. Buffett also owned a home in Saint Barts, a Caribbean island where he lived on and off in the early 1980s while he was part owner of the Autour de Rocher hotel and restaurant.
During the summer month, he would travel the East Coast on his sailboat. An avid pilot, Buffett owned a Dassault Falcon 900 that he often used while on concert tour and during his traveling worldwide. Throughout his life, he also owned a Boeing Stearman, Cessna Citation, Lake Amphibian, and Grumman Albatross.
On Thursday, August 25, 1994 around 3:00 pm Eastern time, Buffett crashed his Grumman G-44 Widgeon, N1471N, while attempting to takeoff in the waters off Nantucket, Massachusetts. The airplane nosed over, and Buffett was able to swim to safety, sustaining only minor injuries.
His father died May 1, 2003, at the age of 83 and then his mother died four months later on September 25 at the age of 82.
In 2015, Buffett spoke at the University of Miami’s graduation ceremony and received an honorary doctorate in music. Wearing flip flops and aviator sunglasses, he told graduates, from a line in his song “The Pascagoula Run”, that “it’s time to see the world, time to kiss a girl, and time to cross the wild meridian.”
Jimmy Buffett was a supporter of the Democratic Party and hosted fundraisers for Democratic politicians, including one for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
A species of crustacean discovered in 2023, Gnathia jimmybuffetti, was named after Buffett.
Jimmy Buffett died on September 1, 2023. The singer’s death was announced on his social media pages and on his website.
In a statement released by the family, they said “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.”
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