The death of singer-songwriter – and leader of the ‘Margaritaville’ industry – Jimmy Buffett, at the age of 76, has many musicians, celebrities and others paying tribute to him.
Buffett, who released more than thirty albums and wrote seven books, passed away on Sept. 1, according to a statement posted on his official website and social media pages.
Kenny Chesney, who joined Buffett for a remake of Buffett’s “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season” on Chesney’s 2018 album “Songs for the Saints,” posted a video Saturday morning from the beach in Key West, Florida, of him singing the song van Buffett sang “A Pirate Looks At Forty” on Instagram.
“So goodbye Jimmy. Thank you for your friendship and the songs I will carry in my heart forever. Sail On Sailor 🦜🌴🌊,” wrote Chesney who had appeared on the title track of Buffett’s 2004 release “License to Chill”. Chesney, Clint Black, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith also joined Buffett on “Hey Good Lookin'”, the first track on that album.
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Hillary Clinton Posted again on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Buffett’s family’s statement was posted on social media with the addition, “Good winds and next seas, dear Jimmy.”
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Elton John recalled, “Jimmy Buffett was a unique and valued entertainer. His fans adored him and he never let them down,” he said in an Instagram story. “This is the saddest news. A lovely man, gone way too soon. Condolences to (his wife) Jane and the family of (my husband) David (Furnish) and me.”
Alan Jacksonwho collaborated with Buffett on the Grammy-winning song “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” posted some lyrics from “Boats to Build,” a duet he appeared in from Buffett’s 2004 album “License to Chill.”
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Brian Wilsonwho co-founded the Beach Boys in 1961, evoked one of Wilson’s songs in a memorial post: “Love and Mercy, Jimmy Buffett.”
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Photographer Danny Clinch posted a picture of Buffett and talked about its provenance. “Jimmy was walking backstage near my portrait spot in Bonnaroo and was kind enough to sit down for a portrait,” he posted to X. “A lot of people gathered so we invited them to join him – he loved it and so did we! There’s nothing like spontaneity and going with the flow! What a memory!.”
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Political journalist and media personality Ed Krassenstein recalled how “it is impossible to have lived in America for the past fifty years without hearing Jimmy Buffett’s music, whether it be ‘Margarittaville’, ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’, ‘Come Monday’ or any of his other thirteen hits that made the charts. Billboard Hot 100.”
After misspelling “Margaritaville,” he went on to comment that it is “the most lucrative song ever written,” probably referring to the brand that spawned a restaurant chain, tequila, clothing, and food.
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David Letterman’s official Facebook account posted a snippet of Buffett’s performance on “Late Night with David Letterman,” performing “Distantly In Love” and “Come Monday.” Buffett told Letterman he was depressed and living in a Howard Johnson’s when he wrote the song, which became his first Top 40 single when it came out in 1974. pounds…and the rest is history,” Buffett said.
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Melanie Young of Living Blues magazine, posted a video of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan singing “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” and, in a separate post, a conversation in which Bob Dylan mentioned his respect for Buffett and listed him as one of his favorite songwriters . He was reminiscent of the songs “Death of an Unpopular Poet” and “He Went to Paris,” both of which appeared on Buffett’s 1973 album, “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean.”
According to American Songwriter magazine, the quote is legit.
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Author Don Winslow (“City of Dreams”)…. Posted a clip of Buffett singing “Margaritaville” and saying “RIP LEGEND.”
Author Alan Paul (“One Way Out”) posted a photo of Jimmy Buffett with Warren Buffett taken by George Lange showing the two changing. “Cruise on Jimmy, and thank you for all you’ve done for music and musicians (and Jose Cuervo, who should have given you a piece of the brand),” he said.
Incidentally, the two Buffetts were not related, but they were friends and the singer-songwriter also owned stock in Berkshire Hathaway, The Wall Street Journal reported. The “Margaritaville” songwriter was also a billionaire – though well below the status of Warren Buffett ($121.1 billion, according to Forbes).
Forbes also this year named Buffett “one of the highest-earning musicians in the world, with an estimated $1 billion net worth, including $570 million in touring and recordings, a music catalog worth approximately $50 million, and $140 million in planes, homes and (Berkshire) Hathaway) stock,” the Journal reported. “He once wrote a song about buying Berkshire Hathaway stock, ‘when it was cheap.'”
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Senior Entertainment Editor of Rolling Stone Marlow Stern posted an excerpt from the movie “Jurassic World,” in which Buffett has a cameo, drinking cocktails while others flee from a swarm of pterodactyls.
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Gwen Graham, a former U.S. Representative from Florida, recalled that Buffett helped found the “Save the Manatee” club with her father, former Florida Senator and Governor Bob Graham. “Jimmy cared. And did such a great job,” she posted. “He lives on not only through his music, but also through the manatees.”
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Sammy Hagar said to Jimmy Buffett, “We all want to be you.”
Musician Sammy Hagar, who has created his own lifestyle brands à la Buffett, recalled in an Instagram post how “Jimmy got us on Corona beer, tequila and margaritas. The first time I met Jimmy he said, ‘Oh , you’re the guy trying to get my job’ and I said, ‘Of course we all want to be you.’ Rest in paradise, Mr. Buffett.”
ABC News senior national affairs correspondent Deborah Roberts shared that she was so saddened by the loss of a sunny and happy voice in the music world. Jimmy Buffett is dead at the age of 76. You can’t drink a margarita without thinking about him and his hit “Margaritaville.” He brought joy and a beach feeling to so many of us. RIP.”
Historian Michael Beschloss Posted a portrait of Buffett.
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Vanity purse magazine ran a 1998 column with Buffett saying his life motto was “Never forget to duck.”
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Entertainment giant Live Nation recalled how “No one did music or life quite like Jimmy Buffett. His laid-back, island vibe brought endless joy to his fans through his music and live performances. He bid a sincere farewell to the music legend.”
Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & microphone cutter.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Buffett mourned by Elton John, Kenny Chesney and Hillary Clinton
