Jimmy Buffett, ‘Margaritaville’ Singer and Hawaii Five-0 Guest Star, Dead at 76
Jimmy Buffett, the singer best known for detailing his times in “Margaritaville,” died on Sept. 1. He was 76.
Buffett had been hospitalized in Boston in May to address undisclosed “issues that needed immediate attention.” Though a cause of death was not officially shared, TMZ is reporting that it was skin cancer/lymphoma.
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“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st, surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” reads a message posted to Buffett’s official Instagram account. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
In addition to “Margaritaville,” which was released in 1977 and was so iconic it spawned a chain of eateries, Buffett’s best-known songs include “‘Come Monday,” “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor” and “Cheeseburger In Paradise.”
Fans of CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot also know Buffett from his recurring role as Frank Bama, a pilot friend of Joe White’s (Terry O’Quinn) who first appeared in Season 2 and would occasionally help out Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and the task force.
Buffett also guest-starred in a Season 12 Blue Bloods episode as Dicky Delaney, a con man who would pass himself off as, well, Jimmy Buffett, to finagle free drinks and meals from fawning Parrotheads. (Buffett also played himself at the end of that same episode.)
Hawaii Five-0 boss Peter Lenkov and Buffett’s Blue Bloods scene partner Donnie Wahlberg have both paid tribute to the singer/sometime actor.
Asked how he would like to be remembered, in a 2020 Rolling Stone feature, Buffett said simply, “He had a good time and made a lot of people happy.”
