Jimmy Buffett, the singer-songwriter who popularized beach soft rock with the Caribbean signature "Margaritaville" and turned that pastry into an empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen soups, has died. He was 76.
"Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1, surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs," Buffett said in a statement posted on his official website and social media late Friday.
"He lived his life like a song until his last breath and will be missed by so many."

The statement did not say where Buffett died or the cause of death. An illness forced him to postpone concerts in May, and Buffett acknowledged on social media that he had been hospitalized, but did not provide further details. Released on February 14, 1977, "Margaritaville" quickly took on a life of its own, becoming a state of mind for the "haves", an excuse for low-key fun, and unrestrained life for "the old". , but not up”.
The song is a leisurely portrait of a loafer on his front porch, watching tourists sunbathe while a bed of shrimp boils. The singer has a new tattoo, probably hangover and regrets a lost love. There is a wrong salt cup somewhere.
"What appears to be a simple romp about getting a spot and mending a broken heart turns out to be a profound meditation on the often painful inertia of beach life," wrote Spin magazine in 2021. "Tourists come and go, one group is indistinguishable from another. Waves crash and break, whether anyone acknowledges it or not. All that means is that something has already happened and you're not even sure when."

The song, from the album "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes", spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 8. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 for its cultural and historical significance. , becoming a karaoke standard and helping to brand Key West, Florida as a unique music and travel destination known worldwide.
"There's no place like Margaritaville," Buffett told The Arizona Republic in 2021. "It was a fictional place in my mind based on my experiences in Key West and having to leave Key West, go to work and then go back to hang out at the beach."

The song soon inspired restaurants and resorts, turning Buffet's stated desire for the simplicity of island life into a multi-million dollar brand. He was the 13th richest celebrity in America by Forbes in 2016 with a net worth of $550 million.