Jimmy Buffett Obituary

Remembering Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett, the musician and singer-songwriter who popularized the “beach bum” lifestyle, passed away at his home in Sag Harbor, New York on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 after privately battling Merkel cell skin cancer for four years. Buffett was 76 years old.

Born James William Buffett on Dec. 25, 1946, the singer was raised in Alabama and moved to New Orleans after graduating from University of Southern Mississippi in 1969. Buffett credited his commitment to connecting with his audience to the year he spent in New Orleans performing on street corners and in front of crowds in the Bayou Room on Bourbon Street.

The laid-back performer once shared that he did not care for performers who took themselves too seriously and preferred to give his audience something to remember with fun, lively performances.

Buffett moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1970 to further his career in country music while he worked as a journalist for Billboard Magazine.

It was not until after the release of his first album in 1970 that he exited Nashville and moved to Key West, Florida to discover his love for island life. Following his move, Buffett began rapidly creating music and releasing albums.

Best known for his successful musical career in the genres of tropical rock, calypso, folk rock and country, Buffett released over 30 albums over the course of his 52 years in the music industry. Of those albums, eight have been certified gold and nine have been certified platinum or multi-platinum. The musician described his genre of music as “drunken Caribbean rock-and-roll."

Outside of the music industry, Buffett was a successful author and businessman. The rock-and-roller wrote five books, four of which made the New York Times Best Seller list, as well as two children’s books.

As a businessman, Buffett created his Margaritaville brand as a way to promote the island lifestyle that his fans, known as “Parrotheads,” were so fond of. Buffett licensed a line of restaurants, casinos and hotels under the Margaritaville name, as well as apparel, accessories, beverages and spirits, cruises, retirement communities and created Margaritaville Records in 1992 through MCA Records.

Outside of his Margaritaville brand, the music mogul started Mailboat Records in 1999 as a label to release his live albums. Buffett also partnered with Anheuser-Busch in 2006 to create Landshark Lager and was a partial owner of two Minor League Baseball teams.

Buffett was an outspoken supporter of environmental conservation, especially in respect to marine life and ocean animals. He founded the Save the Manatee Club with former Florida Governor Bob Graham in 1981 and started a campaign to introduce a “Save the Manatee” license plate in 1986. He was also a major donor to the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory, and lobbied for the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

More recently, Buffett performed a free concert on the Gulf Coast of Alabama to draw tourism to the area in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Buffett has also performed in a number of hurricane relief concerts following Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne and Irma among others.

Buffett is survived by his wife of 46 years, Jane (Slagsvol) Buffett, his daughters Savannah and Sarah, his son Cameron, his grandson Marley Ray and his beloved dogs Lola, Kingston, Pepper, Rosie, Ajax and Kody. Buffett is also survived by his sisters, Laurie and Lucy.

Rachel Newnam is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email ren5102@psu.edu