Singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett died after a four-year battle with a rare form of skin cancer, according to a statement on his official website.
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The site confirmed that Buffett, who died on Friday (September 1) at age 76, suffered from Merkel Cell Skin Cancer, which can grow quickly and spread to nearby lymph nodes and to other parts of the body in its early stage, according to the National Cancer Institute. The cancer is typically caused by sun exposure and a weakened immune and generally affects individuals aged 50 and older. It can appear as a single painless lump on sun-exposed skin
In April 2022, Buffett first canceled his tour after hospitalization and was scheduled to hit the road again with the Coral Reefer Band in March 2023. “Due to health issues and brief hospitalization, Jimmy will need to refrain from touring for the rest of the year,” read a statement on his site in September 2022. “On doctor’s orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal.”
On Christmas Day 2022, Buffett turned 76. By May 2023, Buffett was also forced to cancel another show in South Carolina after being hospitalized. “I had a sudden change of plans this week that affected us all,” wrote Buffett on his social media pages following the cancelation. “Two days ago, I was just back from a trip to the Bahamas, thawing out from the California ‘Winter Tour,’ and chomping at the bit to get to Charleston. I had to stop in Boston for a check-up but wound up back in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention.”
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He continued, “Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you. I also will promise you, that when I am well enough to perform, that is what I’ll be doing in the land of She-Crab soup. You all make my life more meaningful and fulfilled than I have ever imagined as a toe-headed boy sitting on the Gulf of Mexico.”
Throughout 2023, Buffet continued to perform during his treatment, including his final performance on July 2, a surprise 45-minute set during Mac McAnally‘s concert in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. McAnally, a session musician and longtime collaborator and guitarist Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, also co-wrote “Changing Channels,” off Buffett’s 1989 album Off to See the Lizard.
Prior to the July 2 show, Buffett played his final full concert on May 6 at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.
In lieu of flowers, Buffett’s family requests that donations be made to Jimmy Buffett’s Foundation Singing for Change, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, or Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
(Denver Post via Getty Images)
