Jimmy Buffet's Guitarist Provides Insight Into His Final Hours
Mac McAnally and Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett was still smiling up until the very end.
The beloved singer-songwriter, who died at the age of 76 on Sept. 1, made sure to spread joy and good vibes even on his final day.
Guitarist Mac McAnally, a longtime member of Buffett's Coral Reefer band would know, since he was with Buffett just one day prior to his passing.
"I saw him 24 hours before he was gone," McAnally, 66, recently shared with Fox News Digital, revealing that his late friend wanted him to "keep the party going" in the wake of his death.
The legendary "Margaritaville" singer died at his home in Long Island after battling Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer that eventually metastasized into lymphoma.
While visiting Buffett before his death, McAnally said, "He was smiling wider than his head and saying, ‘What a hell of a ride, keep it going, keep the party going,’ and it's our intention to do that."
Since he wasn't sure he would be able to talk without crying while speaking to his friend for the last time, McAnally did what he and Buffett do best. "I picked up a guitar and played, and we told a couple of tour stories and laughed. And he made sure that I knew that he wanted nobody to be sad, and everybody to keep the joy that he started rolling, rolling."
McAnally was in attendance for the 2023 CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 8, where he participated in a moving musical tribute dedicated to the late icon.
The emotional presentation began with McAnally playing alongside Kenny Chesney, as the duo performed a heartfelt rendition of Buffett's "A Pirate Looks at Forty."
Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson then took the stage to put on an energized cover of the famous track "Margaritaville," while images of Buffett played on a slideshow in the background.
"What an honor to THE GREATEST Pirate our generation ever knew! RIP Jimmy Buffett as this world will never be the same without you!" one fan wrote in the comments under the YouTube video of the performance.
"It's a sad day in Margaritaville but a great tribute to the man and his music. Vaya con Dios, Jimmy," another added. "Thanks for the great music and memories."
