Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’ Singer, Dies at 76

variety.com:

Chris Morris Music ReporterSinger-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, whose laid-back, good-humored, often tropically-themed brand of ingratiating country-laced pop spawned a lucrative one-man business empire, died Friday.

He was 76. A cause of death was not immediately released. Buffett’s death was confirmed through a statement on his official website: “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. But Buffett’s boozy, punny, often marijuana-scented variety of tropical good-time music struck an abiding chord with an army of enthusiastic fans, who dubbed themselves “parrotheads” in reference to the colorful avian headgear they sported at the musician’s sold-out concerts.That faithful audience made Buffett a consistent record seller, even absent major radio hits.