American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, author of the hit Margaritavilledied at the age of 76. “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of 1er September, surrounded by his family, his friends, his music and his dogs”said a statement posted on Mr. Buffett’s official website and on his social networks. “He lived his life like a song until his last breath and he will be missed by many”is added.
The press release does not give more details about the circumstances of his death. But the disease had forced him to postpone concerts in May, Mr. Buffett having confided on social networks that he had been hospitalized, without giving further details.
“Margaritaville”, karaoke standard in the United States
Born on December 25, 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Jimmy Buffett grew up in the port city of Mobile, Alabama. He released his first record, Down to Earth, in 1970 and released seven more at a steady rate. The song Come Mondayfrom his fourth studio album Living and Dying in ¾ Timenotably ranked in 1974 at the 30e place on the charts in the United States.
And came Margaritavillethe tube of a lifetime, released on February 14, 1977 and which quickly became a success. “What seems like a simple ditty about getting drunk and mending a broken heart turns out to be a deep meditation on the often painful inertia of beach life”wrote the magazine Spin in 2021.
Taken from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, the song spent twenty-two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ranking at number 8e rank. Hugely popular in the United States, where she became a karaoke standard and helped make Key West, Florida a distinct music and world-famous destination, she was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016. for its cultural and historical significance.
Over the course of his life, Jimmy Buffett took part in more than 50 studio and live albums, often accompanied by his Coral Reefer Band, and was constantly on tour. He earned two Grammy Award nominations, two Academy of Country Music Awards and a Country Music Association Award. But music critics have never been kind to Mr. Buffett or his repertoire, including his “beach snack bar” songs like Purposes, Come Monday Or Cheeseburgers in Paradise.
He was greeted at each of his concerts by his legions of fans, called “Parrot Heads”, who regularly came with parrots, toys, cheeseburgers, sharks and flamingos on their heads, flower necklaces around their necks. and garish Hawaiian shirts, to celebrate his jovial music. “It’s pure escapism, that’s all it is, he declared to thearizona republic in 2021. I’m not the first to do this, and I probably won’t be the last. »
His style, a mixture of country, pop, folk and rock, has been enriched over the years with instruments and tones more commonly found in the Caribbean, such as steel drums. The reference music magazine Rolling Stonesin a review of the album Life on the Flip Side, released in 2020, heaped praise on it, humorously commenting, “ He continues to write the utopia of pop music with the cold and friendly warmth of a multimillionaire with whom you would not hesitate to share a [bière] IPA in a tropical vibe at 3pm, especially if its Gold card was on the bar when the last round was on. »
A beach brand that has become a financial empire
Jimmy Buffett’s most famous song has indeed allowed him above all to make his life an empire, inspiring the creation of restaurants, resorts and related products, transforming his supposed desire for the simplicity of island life into a brand. to several million dollars. In 2016, he ranked thirteenth among the richest American celebrities, according to Forbeswith a net worth of $550 million.
The evolution of Mr. Buffett’s brand began in 1985 with the opening of a series of Margaritaville-themed stores and restaurants in Key West, followed in 1987 by the opening of the first Margaritaville Café, nearby . Over the next two decades, dozens of such establishments opened in Florida, New Orleans, and California.
The brand has since expanded into dozens of categories, including resorts, men’s and women’s apparel and footwear, a radio station, a beer brand, iced tea, tequila and rum. , interior decoration and food products such as salad dressing, or a cruise line “Margaritaville at Sea”. There is even a romantic musical, Escape to Margaritaville, derived from the famous song.