‘He made you realize that it was always 5 o’clock somewhere’: Tributes pour in as Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’ singer, dies at 76

Jimmy Buffett, a giant of American pop music, passed away from lymphoma on Friday, September 1. He was 76 years old.

For half a century, his fun and sun-drenched songs were the soundtrack of the lives of his margarita-loving fanbase, often dubbed Parrotheads. Author Walter Isaacson paid tribute to Buffet and his carefree lifestyle on X, formerly known as Twitter:

News anchor Jake Hamilton remembered him affectionately.

Per USA Today, Buffett was exceptionally creative and did not limit himself to music. He ventured into literature, cinema, and even Broadway. He even built a hospitality brand around his laid-back lifestyle. Buffet was a savvy entrepreneur whose curiosity and industriousness saw him achieve daunting success in his business endeavors.

Buffett boasted a net worth of $1 billion, ranking him among the wealthiest musicians in the industry. Beyond his entertainment success, Buffett founded the Margaritaville Cafe, a flourishing restaurant chain with over thirty locations. Margaritaville Holdings LLC, the parent company, also owns other restaurants and hotels.

Born in 1946 in Mississippi, Jimmy learned to sail from his grandfather and quickly fell in love with life on the tides. He made his foray into music at Auburn University and found his early fanbase in Nashville, but his identity as a musician took shape in Key West, where he started fusing Calypso with his folk-pop sound.

According to his official website, Buffett left the world surrounded by those who loved him most, “family, friends, music, and dogs.” As the world mourns his passing, the Parrotheads are sporting their signature Hawaiian shirts in his honor.

His wife, Jane, and their children, Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron survive him.