He landed the hit of his life in 1977: Jimmy Buffett stormed the charts with “Margaritaville”. Later, the singer was also successful as a businessman.
US singer Jimmy Buffett has died at the age of 76, according to information on his social media channels. “He lived his life like a song to his last breath and will be missed immeasurably by so many,” it said in a statement shared on his social media channels and website.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.” Buffet, whose best-known hit is 1977’s “Margaritaville,” mixed genres like country, pop and rock with Caribbean flair in his music.
Reactions: From Joe Biden to Elton John
The entertainer was “a poet of paradise” and “an American music icon,” said US President Joe Biden in a White House statement. He and his wife Jill met Buffett personally: “He was the same person off the stage as he was on – full of goodwill and joy, using his talent to bring people together.”
Former US President Bill Clinton also paid tribute to Buffett. “I will always be grateful to him for his kindness, generosity and great accomplishments over the years,” Clinton wrote on Platform X. In 2000, Buffett performed on the South Lawn of the White House for the then-officer’s birthday celebration.
Fellow musician Elton John wrote in an Instagram story: “Jimmy Buffet was a unique and valued entertainer. His fans adored him and he never let them down.”
Details of the location, exact time of death and possible causes of Buffett’s death were not initially known. The singer was born in 1946 in the US state of Mississippi. After university he went to Nashville to get started as a musician. But success came later.
“The Caribbean and the Gulf Coast were Buffett’s muses, and nowhere more so than Key West, Florida,” wrote the New York Times. “When I found Key West and the Caribbean, I wasn’t really successful,” the paper quoted as saying from a 1989 interview. “But I found a lifestyle and I knew that everything I did would be compatible with my lifestyle had to.”
He created an empire
According to the Washington Post, he embodied this image with his tanned face, blond hair and ever-present smile. But Buffett was also growing into a businessman. The New York Times wrote that he had built an empire that included restaurants, a hotel chain and clothing. In 2023, Forbes estimated Buffett’s net worth at $1 billion. In addition to his music, he also published books. His fans are called “Parrot Heads”.
Buffet is survived by his wife, Jane Slagsvol Buffett, to whom he had been married since the late 1970s, and three children.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
