Singer Jimmy Buffett passes away at 76
Known for his country music, Margaritaville singer Jimmy Buffett passed away on Friday (September 1), reports said on Saturday. The 76-year-old singer-songwriter's official website issued a statement confirming his death. The cause of his death has, however, not been revealed yet. Apart from music, Buffet was also a renowned author and had ventured into the food and beverage business, too, launching two restaurant chains.
Was surrounded by family, friends in his last hours
"Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs. He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many," read an official statement on Buffett's Instagram handle. He is survived by his second wife, Jane Slagsvol, and three children: Sarah, Savannah, and Cameron.
'He lived his life like a song'
His music career spanned nearly 5 decades
The late singer's music career spanned nearly 50 years, with numerous songs that hit the right chord with the audience. As surprising as it may sound, despite his long career, he had only one song, Margaritaville (1977), that ever made it to the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was ranked eighth on the list, where it spent 22 weeks.
He released multiple platinum and gold albums
Throughout his career, Buffett was known for delivering multiple hit songs. He, in fact, released at least four platinum and a total of eight gold albums, per reports. His compilation album, Songs You Know By Heart, which was released in 1985, sold about seven million copies. Similarly, the 1992 compilation titled Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads made a sale of four million copies.
Buffet owned restaurants that named after his songs
Two of Buffett's most popular numbers were Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise. He even launched restaurant chains Margaritaville Cafe in 1985 and Cheeseburger in Paradise in 2002. The latter underwent an ownership change in 2012 and was shut down in 2020. Condoling his death, a fan wrote on his Instagram handle: "An absolute legend. May he finally enjoy that cheeseburger in paradise."
