Photo Credit: Jimmy Buffett
Singer and businessman Jimmy Buffett passed away on the night of September 1st. Buffett is best known for his hit song ‘Margaritaville.’ Margaritaville spawned the branding empire that the industry now associates with Buffett.
“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 a statement shared on the Jimmy Buffett website. He was seventy-six years old.
“Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you,” Buffett said in May when he was forced to cancel his Charleston, Sound Carolina concert. Back then, the musician was hospitalized after undisclosed health issues during his tour.
At that time, Jimmy thanked fans for their support, saying, “I also promise you that when I am well enough to perform, that is what I’ll be doing in the land of She-Crab soup. You all make my life more meaningful and fulfilled than I would have ever imagined as a (tow)-headed little boy sitting on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.”
Quoting Mark Twain, Buffett also wrote, “Challenges make life interesting. However, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
Born on December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Jimmy Buffett began his career as a country singer in Nashville. He worked with a cover band before going solo.
In the early ’70s, he secured his first record deal but didn’t gain much attention with his debut album. He then moved to Key West, Florida, and embraced the beach-bum persona. Signing with ABC-Dunhill Records, his 1973 album, ‘White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean,’ started to get him noticed.
But Buffett’s breakthrough came with his 1977 album ‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’ featuring the hit ‘Margaritaville.’
Buffett’s career spanned five decades, during which Buffett released many albums, headlined numerous tours, and had 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including Margaritaville in the Top 10. Jimmy Buffett’s most recent album was 2020’s ‘Songs You Don’t Know By Heart.’
Buffett made his debut on the richest celebrities list in 2023. His net worth is north of $1 billion.
The Margaritaville mogul built a fortune through his decades of touring and music royalties. A significant chunk of his valuation comes from his global licensing operation, Margaritaville Holdings. The venture stamps the Buffett brand on beach-themed restaurants, resorts, casinos, and hundreds of other branded products.
In 2017, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Holdings LLC partnered with real estate firm Minto Communities. Together, the companies are building Latitude Margaritaville—the first ‘active adult communities in some of the nation’s most popular destinations.’
