American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has died. The singer, author and businessman was 76 years old. According to a statement on his website he died peacefully on the night of September 1, surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.
Although Buffett released numerous albums and singles, his 1977 classic Margaritaville was his only really big hit. However, that hit became the foundation for his business empire. Business magazine Forbes estimated the singer’s fortune at one billion dollars this year. His Margaritaville franchise included restaurants, resorts and merchandise.
One of Jimmy Buffett’s more recent songs, “Down at the Lah De Dah,” spent two weeks at number 1 on RadiJohan’s top 10 countdown in 2020.
According to The Washington Post the singer was good friends with Warren Buffett, the well-known investor. Apparently they even had a DNA test done to establish if they were related but that was not the case. Warren Buffett, himself a billionaire, is said to have acted as a mentor to his musical namesake, who called him “Uncle Warren.”
According to the New York Post, Buffett had to cancel performances in recent months after a number of hospitalizations. His cause of death has not been disclosed.