'Margaritaville' singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76

Jimmy Buffett. Pic/AFP

Jimmy Buffett, the singer and businessman whose breezy song 'Margaritaville' established a way of life for thousands of adoring Parrotheads, has died, People Reported. He was 76.

The singer-songwriter, whose new album Equal Strain on All Parts was due out later this year, died with his family and friends by his side, according to a statement posted on his social media and website on Saturday.

"Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs," the statement which was accompanied by a touching photograph of Buffett sitting on a boat "read. "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

Buffett was forced to delay a show in May after being hospitalised in Boston "to address some issues that needed immediate attention," he said in a statement released on Twitter.

"Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you," he said.

"I also will promise you, that when I am well enough to perform, that is what I'll be doing in the land of She-Crab soup. You all make my life more meaningful and fulfilled than I would have ever imagined as a tow-headed little boy sitting on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico."

Buffett was born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and spent some time growing up in Alabama. He is survived by his wife Jane and their children Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron. Thanks to his mother Mary, who spent her time off from the shipyard working with the Mobile Theatre Guild in Alabama, he grew up with a passion for musical theatre.

His debut album, Down to Earth, came out in 1970, but he didn't become popular until 'Margaritaville' from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes became a success seven years later.

The timeless song, "Sunkissed," which was recognised by the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016, altered the course of Buffett's career by giving rise to a successful brand that now includes resorts, restaurants, clothing, and beverages.

Over the course of his career, Buffett has published more than 30 albums and has received nominations for two Grammy Awards, for the duet with Alan Jackson, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," which was released in 2003, and for "Hey Good Lookin," a song written and performed in 2004 with Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Clint Black, and Toby Keith. That song and "Knee Deep," which he co-wrote with the Zac Brown Band, were both No. 1s in the country.

Along with writing best-sellers and being a generous philanthropist, Buffett launched the nonprofit Save the Manatee Club in 1981 with then-Florida Governor Bob Graham.

The musician was reportedly a billionaire in 2023, according to Forbes, and his assets included $140 million in planes, residences, and shares of Berkshire Hathaway in addition to an anticipated $570 million in earnings from touring and recording.

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