Margaretville singer Jimmy Buffett dies at the age of 76

CNN
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Jimmy Buffett, the tropical peripatetic poet whose popular tunes celebrated his laid-back lifestyle, inspired legions of loyal fans and created a lucrative business empire, has died, according to his statements. Official Website and multiple media.

He was 76 years old.

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

The statement continued, “He lived his life as a song until his last breath and he will be missed by many beyond measure.”

The cause of death was not disclosed.

The singer-songwriter was briefly hospitalized in May after a trip to the Bahamas. “I had to stop in Boston for a check-up, but I ended up back in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention,” he told his followers in a social media post.

Buffett posted a day later that he had soon returned home from the hospital, and thanked his followers for the “outpouring of support and well wishes.” He did not share his ailments, but said he would go “fishing with old friends, kayaking, sailing and getting in good shape” when he got home from hospital.

Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and raised in the coastal city of Mobile, Alabama. He moved to Key West, Florida, where he found his voice, says his website.

An amiable singer-songwriter with a penchant for clever wordplay, Buffett largely ignored pop music trends and was never a hit maker or an MTV darling. 1977’s “Margaritaville” was his only Top 10 hit.

But he built a massive cult of fans, known as “The Parrots”, who embraced his vision of a life he spent in slippers, full of beaches, boats, booze and weed.

Later in his career, he parlayed his enduring popularity into a best-selling book, a Broadway musical, a string of restaurants and resorts, and other ventures.

Buffett, which was entered into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame In 2006, he won two Country Music Association Awards during his career and was nominated twice for Grammy Awards.

Before his death, Buffett was preparing to release a new record, with songs previewed weekly on Margaritaville radio, according to his website.

Buffett leaves behind his wife, Jane Slgsvoll, and three children.