'Margaritaville' Singer Jimmy Buffet Dies at Age 76

Sept. 2, 2023

NEW YORK — Jimmy Buffet, known for his hit song "Margaritaville" and many other songs that recounted his laid back lifestyle, has died at age 76.

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

The singer-songwriter was reportedly briefly hospitalized in May after traveling 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 wrote in a social media post.

Buffett also mentioned that he was soon headed home from the hospital, and thanked his followers for the “outpouring of support and well wishes.” He did not reveal 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 returning home from the hospital.

Buffett, who dubbed his brand of music “drunken Caribbean rock ‘n’ roll,” is best known for “Margaritaville,” which was released in 1977 and launched him into national fame and into the annals of the history of American music.

The song helped him build a brand, which included restaurants and resorts, a radio station, clothing and apparel, as well as food and drink items like beer, tequila, salad dressings and salsa. It also helped make him a billionaire, with Forbes magazine this month placing his net worth at about $1 billion.

Over the course of his career, Buffett received two Grammy Awards nominations, for “Hey Good Lookin’” — a cover of the Hank Williams classic — and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” a duet with country superstar Alan Jackson.