Jimmy Buffett, enduring ‘Margaritaville’ singer turned mogul, dies at 76

Jimmy Buffett, the tropical troubadour whose folksy tunes celebrated his laid-back lifestyle, inspired legions of devoted fans and spawned a lucrative business empire, has died, according to his official website and multiple media outlets.

He was 76.

“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement released on his social page reads.

“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many,” the statement continued.

Buffett had been fighting Merkel cell skin cancer at the time of his death, according to an updated obituary on his official website. He had the disease for four years and continued to perform during treatment.

Jimmy Buffett performs as part of the 23rd Annual Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 24, 2009, in Mountain View, California.

The singer-songwriter was briefly hospitalized in May following a trip to the Bahamas. “I had to stop in Boston for a checkup but wound up back in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention,” he told his followers in a social media post.

Buffett posted a day later that he was soon headed home from the hospital, and thanked his followers for the “outpouring of support and well wishes.” He did not share what was ailing him, but said that he’d be going on a “fishing trip with old friends, along with paddling and sailing and get myself back in good shape” upon his return home from the hospital.

The music world pays tribute

Mourners paid tribute on social media Saturday, including country superstar Kenny Chesney, whose own sun-kissed approach owes a lot to Buffett.

Chesney tweeted, “So goodbye Jimmy. Thanks for your friendship and the songs I will carry in my heart forever. Sail On Sailor.” And he shared a video of himself singing Buffett’s song “Son of a Son of a Sailor” on a beach.

“The pirate has passed. RIP Jimmy Buffett. Tremendous influence on so many of us,” wrote Toby Keith.

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys wrote, “Love and Mercy, Jimmy Buffett.”

Elton John wrote on Instagram: “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.”

Paul McCartney shared his fond memories of Buffett as “one of the kindest and most generous people” on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Right up to the last minute, his eyes still twinkled with a humour that said, ‘I love this world and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it,’” McCartney wrote.

“So many of us will miss Jimmy and his tremendous personality, his love for us all and for mankind as a whole,” he said.

Amiable grooves and clever wordplay

Buffett was born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and raised in the port town of Mobile, Alabama. He moved to Key West, Florida, where he found his voice, his website says.

One of his first songs to draw attention was “Come Monday,” from his 1974 album “Living & Dying in ? Time.”

Years later he told David Letterman, “This is a song that kept me from killing myself in a Howard Johnson’s in Marin County. It hit, I paid the rent, got my dog out of the pound. … and the rest is history.”

It notably included the line, “I got my hush puppies on, I guess I never was meant for glitter rock ‘n’ roll,” staking his claim to going his own laid-back way.

Jimmy Buffett performs in Los Angeles in 1982.

Buffett, center, signs a contract with ABC/Dunhill Records in 1973 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Buffett poses for a photo on his sailboat in 1975.

Buffett performed in Florida in 1975.

Buffett appears as the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" in 1978. His breakout hit "Margaritaville" was released in 1977, and launched Buffett to national fame.

Buffett speaks with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1981.

Jimmy Buffett reacts as he watches the space shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center in November 1981.

Buffett visits with actor Vasili Bogazianos on the set of "All My Children" in 1982.

Buffett signs an autograph for a fan in Palm Beach, Florida in 1984.

Buffett sings the national anthem to kick off a Miami Miracle game in 1989. Buffet was part-owner of the minor league team.

Buffett performs in Mountain View, California in 1991.

Buffett is photographed during an interview in 1998.

Buffett with his son Cameron in 1999.

Actress Bai Ling, host Jay Leno, musical guest Buffett and comedian Arsenio Hall appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in 1999.

Buffett performs on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in 2003.

Buffett and Alan Jackson accept an award for their song "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" at the 2003 Country Music Association Awards.

Buffett stars alongside Luke Wilson in the 2006 film "Hoot." Buffett was also a composer and producer of the movie.

Jimmy Buffett performs at the 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Buffett surfs in St. Barts in 2007.

Buffett gives the "fins up" gesture while performing in 2009.

Stephen M. Ross and Buffett attend the renaming event of the Dolphins stadium in 2009.

Buffett celebrates the grand opening of the Margaritaville Casino in Las Vegas in 2011.

Buffett guest stars in an episode of "Hawaii Five-0" with actress Lauren German in 2011.

Buffett appears on NBC News' "Today" show in 2013.

Buffett talks with New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham after an NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings in 2014. According to a FOX 8 interview, Buffett was a Saints fan "since day one."

Buffett receives an honorary doctorate in music from the University of Miami in 2015.

Buffett, right, performs with actor Chris Pratt at an after-party for the premiere of "Jurassic World" in 2015. Buffett had a small cameo and a Margaritaville restaurant was featured in the film.

Buffett poses with business partner John Cohlan at the Margaritaville resort in Hollywood, Florida in 2016.

Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands with Buffett at a campaign event for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Jimmy Buffett surprises theatergoers during the curtain call for "Escape to Margaritaville," a musical based on Buffett's songs, in 2017.

Buffett attends the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar party with his wife Jane Slagsvol and daughter Sarah Buffett.

Buffett performs the national anthem before the NFC Championship game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams in New Orleans in 2019.

Matthew McConaughey, James Corden Reba McEntire and Jimmy Buffet pose for a selfie on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in 2019.

Buffett performs in New Orleans in 2022.

In pictures: Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett

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An amiable singer-songwriter with a penchant for clever wordplay, Buffett largely ignored pop music trends and was never a hitmaker or an MTV darling. His “Gulf & Western” style married country and Caribbean music.

He famously put “Margaritaville” on the map in 1977. It was his only Top 10 song and became his signature.

Its opening lines became instantly identifiable: “Nibbling on spongecake, watching the sun bake, all of the tourists covered with oil …”

And the chorus has been part of countless singalongs: “Wasted away again in Margaritaville, searching for my lost shaker of salt… Some people claim that there’s a woman to blame, but I know, it’s my own damn fault.”

Adored by his ‘parrotheads’

Buffett built an enormous cult of fans, affectionately known as “Parrotheads,” after the legendary Deadhead fans of the Grateful Dead.

“The audience are so much fun for me to look at,” he said. “I mean, they’re as entertaining to me as I hope I am to them.”

Other must-play concert tunes included “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fins,” “Volcano” and “Why Don’t We Get Drunk.”

His followers lovingly embraced his vision of life spent in flip-flops, full of beaches, boats, booze and weed.

“From New Orleans to the Gulf Coast down into St. Barts and other places, I still can find magic in most of those places where people think there isn’t any left,” he said.

A savvy marketer, Buffett later parlayed the “Margaritaville” mythos to power his career through decades of lucrative concert tours – and branding of restaurants, casinos, retirement communities, bestselling books and even a musical.

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett performs with The Coral Reefer Band at The Omni Coliseum on September 4, 1976 in Atlanta, Georgia.

His worth was estimated at $1 billion, according to Forbes.

Buffett, who was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006, won two Country Music Association awards during his career and was twice nominated for Grammy Awards.

A rare misstep came with a 2018 Broadway show, “Escape to Margaritaville,” shaped out of his best-known tunes.

Even the brutal New York Times review noted the irony of Buffett’s slacker image against his staggering success: “Mr. Buffett, Margaritaville’s prototype and mastermind, has a wife and family and 5,000 employees; he works nonstop.”

Before his death, Buffett was preparing to release a new record, with songs previewed weekly on Radio Margaritaville, according to his website.

Loyal to his party credo until the end, he left a forthcoming song titled, “My Gummy Just Kicked In.”

Buffett leaves behind his wife, Jane Slagsvol, and three children.

CNN’s Michelle Watson, Nouran Salahieh, Megan Thomas and Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.