UPDATE 1:30 PM: Beloved “Margaritaville” singer Jimmy Buffett died of cancer, according to a new report. After the musician was diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago, the disease progressed to lymphoma. This was the 76-year-old’s cause of death, according to TMZ. “He lived his life in the sun, literally and figuratively,” a source told the outlet Friday, noting that Buffett had been on hospice since Monday.
His death was announced by his family on social media just months after he was forced to pull the plug on his shows following a series of hospitalizations.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” the tropical rocker’s loved ones said in a statement on Instagram.
“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.
Buffett began his musical career in Nashville, Tennessee, during the late 1960s as a country artist and recorded his first album, the country-tinged folk rock record Down to Earth, in 1970.
During this time, Buffett could be frequently found busking for tourists in New Orleans. Fellow country singer Jerry Jeff Walker took him to Key West on a busking expedition in November 1971.
Buffett then moved to Key West and began establishing the easy-going beach-bum persona for which he is known. He started out playing for drinks at the Chart Room Bar in the Pier House Motel. Following this move, Buffett combined country, rock, folk, calypso and pop music with coastal as well as tropical lyrical themes for a sound sometimes called "gulf and western" (or tropical rock).
During his career, Buffett made far more money from his tours than his albums and became known as a popular concert draw. He released a series of albums during the following 20 years, primarily to his devoted audience, and also branched into writing and merchandising. In 1985, Buffett opened a "Margaritaville" retail store in Key West, and in 1987, he opened the Margaritaville Cafe.
The “Margaritaville” hitmaker leaves behind his wife, Jane Slagsvol, whom he’s been married to since 1977, as well as his three children: Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron.
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