James William Buffett was an American singer-songwriter, musician, novelist, and businessman who lived from December 25, 1946, to September 1, 2023. Buffet is most known for his tropical rock music, which frequently depicts a “island escapism” way of life. Buffett recorded “The Big 8” hit songs with his Coral Reefer Band, performing them live at every performance.
In addition, These songs include “Margaritaville” (1977), which is ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America’s list of “Songs of the Century,” “Come Monday” (1974), “Fins” (1979), “Volcano” (1979), “A Pirate Looks at Forty” (1974), “Cheeseburger in Paradise” “Son of a Sailor” (1978), “One Particular Harbour” (1983), and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” are some of his other well-known tunes.
Career
Along with his excellent singing career, Buffett also had a successful writing career. He was also engaged in the development of two restaurant chains, Jimmy’s Margaritaville and the now-defunct Cheeseburger in Paradise, both of which were named after two of his best-known songs. Buffett had a $1 billion net worth in 2023, making him one of the wealthiest musicians in the world. His ardent supporters are referred to as “Parrotheads”.
Furthermore, Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, at the age of 76 from skin cancer (found in 2019) that had progressed to lymphoma, barely five days after entering hospice care.
Musical Genre:- Buffett
As he stated on his 1978 live CD You Had To Be There, Buffett started referring to his music as “drunken Caribbean rock ‘n’ roll”. Earlier, Buffett and others had used the term “gulf and western” to describe their musical genre as well as those of other artists with a similar sound.
The name is derived from aspects of his early songs, particularly from country music and themes related to the Gulf Coast. In a review of his music, a critic said that it combined “tropical languor with country funkiness into what some called the Key West sound, or Gulf-and-western.”
The phrase is a pun on the phrase “Country & Western” as well as the name of the defunct conglomerate and parent company of Paramount Pictures, Gulf and Western. Buffett’s sound was described as a “special Gulf Coast blend of country, pop, folk, and rock, topped by his swaying voice” by The Associated Press in 2020. Buffett’s music is defined as “blend Caribbean, country, rock, folk, and pop music into a good-natured concoction variously categorized as “trop rock” or “gulf and western” in the DC Metro Theatre Arts magazine’s review of his musical Escape to Margaritaville.
Charitable Work:- Buffett
Moreover, Buffett took part in a variety of charitable endeavors. Buffett and former Florida governor Bob Graham established the Save the Manatee Club in 1981. A law was established in Florida in 1989 establishing the “Save the Manatee” license plate with a picture of a West Indian manatee and financing for the Save the Manatee Club. In honor of the singer, one of the two manatees at Mote Marine Laboratory has been trained to engage with scientists.
Furthermore, He also supported the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory for many years and generously donated to it. In order to help hurricane victims in Florida, Alabama, and the Caribbean hit by the four major storms that year, Buffett held his Surviving the Storm disaster relief performance in Orlando, Florida, on November 23, 2004, raising money for the cause.
Death
He passed away at the age of 76 on September 1, 2023, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, surrounded by his friends, family, music, and dogs, just five days after entering hospice care. His primary malignancy, lymphoma, a secondary cancer that emerged from Merkel Cell skin cancer in the spring of 2023, ultimately caused his death. He had previously been diagnosed with Merkel Cell skin cancer in 2019.
