Kenny Chesney Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Jimmy Buffett
Chesney praise Buffett for painting "pictures and short stories in all the songs he wrote."
Kenny Chesney has paid a heartfelt tribute to his late friend and fellow musician, Jimmy Buffett. Speaking to PEOPLE, Chesney said of the beloved singer-songwriter, "Jimmy painted pictures and short stories in all the songs he wrote." The country music superstar then added, "He taught a lot of people about the poetry in just living, especially this kid from East Tennessee."
On Instagram, Chesney shared a personal memorial to Buffet, performing the song "A Pirate Looks at Forty," from Buffet's 1974 album A-1-A. "So goodbye Jimmy. Thanks for your friendship and the songs I will carry in my heart forever. Sail On Sailor," he wrote in the caption. Many of Chesney's fans and followers commented on the post, with one writing, "Part of carrying on his name belongs to you now Kenny." Someone else added, "Sail on Jimmy. What a beautiful tribute. He will be sorely missed." One more fan offered, "I can feel your heart break. Sorry that you have lost such a special friend. JB was a gem."
In a message shared last week, reps for Buffet stated, "The beloved singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett passed away at his home in Sag Harbor, Long Island on Friday September 1, 2023 surrounded by family and friends. Buffett, 76, had been fighting Merkel Cell Skin Cancer for four years. He continued to perform during treatment, playing his last show, a surprise appearance in Rhode Island, in early July."
"With a recording career that spanned more than fifty years and included hits such as 'Margaritaville,' 'Come Monday,' and 'It's Five O'Clock Somewhere,' Buffett was one of the most successful performers in popular music," the statement continued. "He filled arenas with fans who called themselves 'Parrot Heads,' and popularized a signature blend of folk, country and Caribbean music with lyrics that often reflected Buffett's world travels. A pilot and a sailor, Buffett wrote songs about his plane being shot at by Jamaican police ('Jamaica Mistaica'), getting lost in the Sahara Desert ('Buffet Hotel') and smugglers he had known around the Florida Gulf Coast ('A Pirate Looks at 40')."
The message added, "Buffett is survived by his wife of 46 years, Jane (Slagsvol) Buffett, his daughters Savannah Jane (Joshua) and Sarah Delaney, his son Cameron Marley (Lara), his grandson Marley Ray and devoted pack of dogs Lola, Kingston, Pepper, Rosie, Ajax and Kody. Also survived by his Montana sister, Laurie Buffett McGuane (Tom), their children Heather Hume, Anne Buffett McGuane, Maggie McGuane and Thomas McGuane IV; his Alabama sister, Lucy Buffett and daughters Mara Delaney Buffett O'Dwyer and Melanie Leigh Buffett; and many more wonderful cousins, nieces and nephews." Finally, Buffet's reps shared, "In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Jimmy Buffett's Foundation Singing for Change, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute or MD Anderson Cancer Center."