Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’ Singer, Dies at 76

[Zeedox]

Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’ Singer, Dies at 76

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, whose laid-back, good-humored, often tropically-themed brand of country-laced pop spawned a lucrative one-man business empire, died Friday. He was 76. A cause of de…

variety.com

“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.”

Over the course of a 50-year professional career, Buffett collected just one top-10 pop hit: “Margaritaville,” a marimba-laced, tequila-soaked paean to kicking back on the beach in the aftermath of a breakup, which rose to No. 8 on the national charts.

 

[Gomez Adams]

Oh hell. My cousin is going to be absolutely crushed. They were good friends. Thanks to her, I got to meet him twice.

Back before I moved to Charleston, I actually liked Jimmy Buffet. But once I moved down there in 1989 it was all anybody played anywhere you went.

I actually insulted Buffett right to his face in 1990 or 91 the first time I met him. Not on purpose.

I rode with my cousin and her boyfriend down to Hilton Head for the concert. Jimmy had given her tickets and back stage passes. We were at this bar having a drink in the early afternoon after we got there (it's only about an hour and a half ride from Charleston) and Buffett was blaring on the PA system in the place. It was so loud we had to pretty much yell at each other to hear each other. I forget how it came up, but for some reason I finally yelled at my cousin, "I just wish somebody would turn this shit down".

A voice right behind me in my ear said, "Yeah, somebody really should shut that old mother-fucker up."

I turn around and there he is. I must have turned pure white because I about passed out. My cousin, her boyfriend and Jimmy just laughed their asses off. I mean doubled over, about to puke laughing. I was clearly set up for that shit.

He was a cool dude. He gave her tickets and passes again, I think it was a couple years later, when he played in North Charleston right down the street from where I was living at the time. He remembered me. I was just standing around keeping my pie-hole shut as he and my cousin talked and finally he looked at me and said, "you're being awfully quite over there this time around" and winked at me. They all laughed at me again.