Jimmy Buffett: Margaritaville Singer and Island Escapism Icon Dies at 76

Jimmy Buffett was an American singer-songwriter, author and businessman, famous for his laid-back island lifestyle songs and his fans, known as Parrotheads. Born James William Buffett on December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, he made his name playing in Key West.

Buffett released his debut album in 1970 and had his breakthrough with "Margaritaville" in 1977. His best-selling album, Songs You Know by Heart (1985), sold more than seven million copies. In 2003, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," his duet with Alan Jackson, spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the country chart. His 1998 memoir A Pirate Looks at Fifty reached No. 1 on the New York Times list.

Buffett built a business empire around Margaritaville, including restaurants, hotels and retirement communities, and had an estate of about $275 million. He sold over 20 million records. He married Jane Slagsvol in 1977, and they had three children. He played his last full concert in San Diego in May 2023. He died at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, on September 1, 2023, at age 76, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.

Achievements: "Margaritaville" (1977), Songs You Know by Heart (1985), "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" (2003), memoir A Pirate Looks at Fifty (1998), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2024).

Birth: December 25, 1946 - Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Profession: Singer-songwriter, author and businessman.

Interesting Facts: He formed the Coral Reefer Band in 1975. He wrote several bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction.