Legendary singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett is best known for his song “Margaritaville,” a statement posted on his website and social media channels said Saturday. He is 76 years old.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” the statement read.
“He lived his life like a song until his last breath and will be missed immeasurably by many,” it added.
“Margaritaville,” Buffett’s most recognizable song, inspired restaurants and resorts and helped make Buffett a millionaire. In 2016, he ranked 13th on Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Celebrities with a net worth of $550 million.
Fans are cordially invited.”Parrots,” immediately paid tribute to the singer on his Facebook page.
“I am very sad. His music was a big part of my life,” wrote René Wolff-Bornstein. “The music will live on.”
Another Brett Davis called it “a sad day”, saying Buffett’s music was “really part of the soundtrack of my life”.
Some fans have cited “Margaritaville,” released in 1977 and launching her into national fame and American music history, according to her website.
Many have also cited the link to “A Certain Harbor” when recalling the singer: “But there’s a certain harbor/ So far so close/ I see the days disappear/ Finally disappearing.”
Buffett was born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast.
After learning guitar in college, he began playing on the streets of New Orleans before forming his first band, according to a biography on his website.
He later moved to Nashville, Tennessee to work for Billboard magazine and tried his luck as a singer, according to the biography. But Buffett “found his true voice” in Key West in the 1970s, according to the biography.
Fellow country singer Jeff Walker first let her stay at his Coconut Grove home, and then they drove to Key West in a 1947 Packard, she told graduating students at the University of Miami, where she received an honorary doctorate in music in May 2015.
“Needless to say, my life took a big and wonderful turn toward South Florida, and that has a lot to do with why I’m standing here today,” he said, under academic garb.
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