On September 1, 2023, the infamous Jimmy Buffett passed away due to merkel cell carcinoma, a particularly aggressive form of skin cancer, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York.
Buffett was an inspiration to an assortment of beach bums up and down the coast. He gained notoriety through his hit single “Margaritaville,” which debuted in 1977. His music was described as a mix between “gulf and western.”
Buffett was an avid fan of the Caribbean, Gulf Coast, and the Florida Keys. He was born on December 6, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where both of his parents were dock workers. However, Jimmy was raised in Mobile, Alabama, and attended St. Ignatius Catholic School. This is where he picked up the trombone.
In 1964, he started classes at Auburn University. He linked and then started classes at the University of Southern Mississippi. He started playing small gigs. He graduated in 1969 and moved to New Orleans where he played in a cover band on Bourbon Street. In 1970, he moved to Nashville hoping to make it big as a country artist while working for Billboard Magazine. Also in 1970, he released his debut album titled Down to Earth. It wouldn’t be until the later 70’s that Buffett started to get much attention.
Buffett would go on to open the first of his Margaritaville stores in 1985. He ended up moving away from his home in the Keys due to its increasing popularity. He made his home in St. Barts in the Caribbean.
Jimmy wrote music for various films such as Urban Cowboy. He also appeared in many movies and TV shows in the later years of his life.
Buffett was also into flying as he owned several aircrafts. In 1994, he crashed one of his planes in the waters near Nantucket, Massachusetts, while taking off. He swam himself to safety.
Jimmy Buffett is a one-of-a-kind artist who paved the way for artists like him. He was famous for telling stories within his songs, and, if you ask some, he was the best at it. His love for the coast, which he expressed through his music, has inspired many in the same way. Jimmy is survived by his wife, Jane (Slagsvol) Buffett; two daughters, Savannah Jane Buffett and Sarah Buffett; a son, Cameron; two grandsons; and two sisters, Lucy and Laurie Buffett.
