53 years after his first album Down to Earth came out, singer, songwriter, musician, and author Jimmy Buffet died at age 76.
Hits like “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise” propelled this musician to become a folk hero to his fans which were called “Parrott Heads”. He had become a billionaire hundreds of times over, says The New York Times, and had upcoming concerts in the spring, disappointing thousands of fans with his sudden death.
The singer suffered from Merkel cell carcinoma, which is a rare and aggressive skin cancer he has been fighting for the past four years. Despite the diagnosis, Buffett continued to perform and go on tour.
He has won many awards in his years of performing, including CMA Awards winner in 2003 and received two Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards in 2004 for Vocal Event of the Year and Single Record of the Year (IMDb).
Buffett had his breakthrough in his career after his seventh album which was Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes in 1977 according to ABC New York. His hit song “Margaritaville” became a top ten “Billboard” hit and his signature song.
The Life of the Party, One of a Kind and Poet of Paradise were just a few of the words used to recognize Buffett and his outstanding work. These words were from major news stations like CNN and Fox News.
Buffett passed away in his home in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York. He was a father of three children and was married for forty six years before he passed. The singer “lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many” (People).