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Jimmy Buffett, Hospitalized After Bahamas Trip, Cancels Show

The 76-year-old performer canceled a Saturday performance in Charleston, S.C., for unspecified health reasons. He had resumed touring this year after canceling a series of shows in October.

By Jesus Jiménez

Jimmy Buffett, the singer-songwriter who has built a lucrative lifestyle empire on the basis of beach-bum anthems like “Margaritaville” and “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere,” canceled a show scheduled for Saturday in Charleston, S.C., after he was hospitalized for an unspecified illness.

Mr. Buffett, 76, said in a statement on Thursday that he had a “sudden change of plans this week” after returning from a trip to the Bahamas.

“I had to stop in Boston for a checkup but wound up back in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention,” he said. “Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you.”

Mr. Buffett said that he would perform again when he is “well enough.”

A representative for Mr. Buffett responded to a request for information about his condition by referring to his statement and declined to comment further.

It was unclear on Friday how long Mr. Buffett would refrain from performing. There were no events listed on his tour page , which told Parrotheads, as Mr. Buffett’s fans call themselves, to “stay tuned” for upcoming show announcements.

Nick Pezzorello, the president of a Charleston-based Jimmy Buffett fan club, said that the Lowcountry Parrothead Club wished Mr. Buffett a “speedy recovery” so that his fans “may enjoy and celebrate his music and lifestyle for many more years to come.”

“We will anxiously await his return to the Holy City,” Mr. Pezzorello said, referring to Charleston.

It was the second time in seven months that Mr. Buffett has had to reschedule shows because of his health. Citing “health issues and brief hospitalization” in September, Mr. Buffett canceled five shows that had been planned in Las Vegas, San Diego, Salt Lake City and Nampa, Idaho, in October.

“On doctor’s orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal,” an announcement on Mr. Buffett’s website said in September.

Mr. Buffett was soon back on the road, performing monthly since February. He rescheduled and performed two shows in Las Vegas in March and one in San Diego in early May. He also played in Key West, Fla., and Phoenix.

Last month, his hit “Margaritaville” from the 1977 album, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” was among 25 recordings that were added to the National Recording Registry .

The registry, which is part of the Library of Congress , designates recordings that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and “worthy of preservation for all time.”

When “Margaritaville” was released, the song stayed on the sales charts for months, “scoring with pop and country audiences alike, as well as teenagers and adults,” the Library of Congress said in a statement in April.

The song celebrates a life of sunny leisure and frozen drinks, from the opening lines, “nibblin’ on sponge cake, watchin’ the sun bake,” to its earworm refrain, “wastin’ away in Margaritaville, searchin’ for my lost shaker of salt.”

“Today, its lyrics are as memorized as any song in history,” the Library of Congress said, adding that the song is “as well known and omnipresent as ever — a regular component of bars, beach parties, karaoke and any place cool vibes are required.”

Jesus Jiménez is a general assignment reporter. More about Jesus Jiménez

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Jimmy Buffett Canceled Shows for Unspecified Health Issues in the Months Before His Death

The "Margaritaville" singer died on Friday at age 76

Paul Morigi/Getty for Capital Concerts Inc.

In  the months leading up to his death ,  Jimmy Buffett  faced health issues that prompted him to cancel or postpone several shows.

The "Margaritaville" singer, who died at age 76 on Friday, was hospitalized for health issues twice over the span of the past year.

In September 2022, Buffett announced on his website that he “needed to refrain from touring for the rest of the year,” citing “health issues and brief hospitalization," which led him to cancel his shows in Salt Lake City and Nampa, Idaho, in October, and postpone shows in Las Vegas to March 2023.

“On doctor’s orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal,” the announcement added at the time.

Months later in May, the singer-songwriter shared a letter on X, formerly known as Twitter , saying that he'd been admitted to the hospital again after a check-up in Boston, and would have to reschedule an upcoming show in Charleston, South Carolina. 

"I had a sudden change of plans this week that affected us all. 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," he wrote. "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."

Buffett once again didn’t specify what the health issue was, but noted, "Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you.” He then told fans that when he was “well enough to perform” he would be back on stage. 

The musician concluded his note with a thank you to his fans for their thoughts and prayers, as well as their loyalty over the years.

A few days later, Buffett updated fans to let them know he was on the road to recovery by documenting a fishing trip with friends. He said he would also do some paddling and sailing to “get myself back in good shape."

The "Come Monday" singer added that once he was feeling better, he would begin the process of scheduling shows. “I think playing is as therapeutic for me as it is for fans to listen and sing along," he wrote. "Looking forward to announcing a new date for Charleston as well as some new shows! Fins up!"

Buffett kept that promise and made a surprise performance in July during his friend and longtime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band Mac McAnally ’s concert at a Rhode Island waterfront bar. McAnally brought Buffett on stage during his performance of “It’s Five O'Clock Somewhere," during which concertgoers cheered as they sang along to the song. 

“Well, it is good to see an audience, let me tell you that,” Buffett told the crowd in what would be one of his final performances.

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On Friday night, Buffett’s social media channels and website announced that he had “passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs." 

The statement — which was accompanied by a touching photograph of Buffett sitting on a boat — added: "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

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Jimmy Buffett’s headlining Summerfest performance in Milwaukee is canceled

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Jimmy Buffett ‘s headlining Summerfest performance has been canceled.

Organizers for the Milwaukee music festival announced Tuesday that Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band’s July 6 act was nixed from the lineup “due to circumstances out of our control.” Indie pop trio AJR, who will also open for Imagine Dragons on July 8, has been tapped as a replacement.

Although the festival did not disclose the reason for the cancellation, Buffett was hospitalized last month in Boston for unspecified health “issues that needed immediate attention,” the “Margaritaville” performer had said in a statement. The hospital stay had forced him to postpone a show in Charleston, S.C., at Credit One Stadium.

Representatives for Buffett and Milwaukee World Festival, which organizes the festival, did not immediately respond to The Times’ requests for comment.

Jimmy Buffett cancels South Carolina show after hospitalization

Jimmy Buffett announced he was hospitalized this week and was forced to cancel a show in South Carolina.

May 18, 2023

Buffet hasn’t performed since May 6 when he played in San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium, several weeks before his hospitalization. However, earlier this month, Buffett posted on social media that he was rehearsing and recording music .

“Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you,” Buffett said in his May hospital statement. “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.”

The Summerfest cancellation is just the latest one for the 76-year-old. In September, Buffett was briefly hospitalized “due to health issues,” and had to cancel the rest of his performances for the year. Several of his recent West Coast shows, including a pair at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and San Diego, were makeup shows from the fall.

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May 8, 2023

Buffett was originally announced as a Summerfest headlining act, alongside fellow 1970s singer-songwriter James Taylor , Dave Matthews Band , Zach Bryan, Zac Brown Band , Eric Church , Odesza and Imagine Dragons .

The festival, which is celebrating its 55th year, features a variety of performers across genres with Smokey Robinson , Earth Wind & Fire , rock band the War on Drugs , indie darling Japanese Breakfast , reggae and dancehall legend Sean Paul, hip-hop greats Three 6 Mafia and South Gate natives Cypress Hill , along with newer hip-hop acts, such as Coi Leray , NLE Choppa, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Trippie Redd .

Summerfest kicked off June 22 at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater and runs until July 8.

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Jimmy Buffett , the beloved “Margaritaville” singer who canceled a string of performances last fall due to an unspecified illness, has pulled out of a stadium concert planned for tomorrow after being newly hospitalized this week.

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“Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you,” he continued, using an old Bette Davis quote. “I will also promise you, that when I am well enough to perform, that is what I’ll be doing in the land of She-Crab soup.”

Buffett offered some hope to worried fans: “Thank you for your prayers and thoughts, your amazing years of loyalty, and just remember, ‘NOT YET!’”

The perennially touring singer-songwriter, whose other hits include “Come Monday” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” rescheduled five shows last September due to a brief hospitalization and recuperation from an undisclosed illness.

Buffett’s website lists no upcoming tour dates, with a note reading “Stay Tuned For Show Announcements.”

The Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band concert at Credit One Stadium in Charleston scheduled for this Saturday May 20th is being rescheduled. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date once announced. More information will be emailed to ticket purchasers… pic.twitter.com/ljKJ06hbiA — Jimmy Buffett (@jimmybuffett) May 18, 2023

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Jimmy Buffett Hospitalized Because ‘Growing Old Is Not for Sissies’

Jimmy Buffett is not currently in Margaritaville, but instead stuck in a hospital in Boston. The singer had to cancel a May 20 concert with the Coral Reef Band in Charleston on May 18 due to a medical emergency. “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,” Buffett wrote in a post to his fans on Twitter. “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. Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you.” Buffett then promised to be back on the road as soon as possible to meet up with the Parrot Heads of Charleston (a.k.a. “The land of She-Crab Soup). “Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts, your amazing years of loyalty, and just remember, ‘NOT YET!’” he added. Okay guys, we have now got to make sure Jimmy Buffett is famous by midnight as a thank you for all the years of getting “Cheeseburger in Paradise” stuck in our heads.

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Watch CBS News

Jimmy Buffett postpones tour dates for the rest of the year, citing health issues and "brief hospitalization"

By Victoria Albert

September 27, 2022 / 3:21 PM EDT / CBS News

Iconic singer Jimmy Buffett has postponed his tour for the remainder of the year, citing unspecified health issues and a "brief hospitalization." The 75-year-old, best known for hits like "Margaritaville" and "Come Monday," said he plans to resume touring next year. 

"Due to health issues and brief hospitalization, Jimmy will need to refrain from touring for the rest of the year," the tour said in a statement that Buffett posted to Twitter . "On doctor's orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal. Jimmy looks forward to getting back on stage next year." 

The statement did not provide specifics about Buffett's health issues or hospitalization. 

IMPORTANT TOUR UPDATE - see attached. For more information visit https://t.co/2WOWq6HYVY pic.twitter.com/jQj8gvcBdR — Jimmy Buffett (@jimmybuffett) September 27, 2022

The decision affects Buffett's five planned concerts for the rest of the year: two in Las Vegas, Nevada, and one each in California, Utah and Idaho. The Las Vegas concerts will be rescheduled from October to March 2023, the California concert will be held on a yet-unannounced date in 2023, and the Utah and Idaho concerts will be canceled, the statement said. 

Buffett has spent decades touring with his Coral Reefer Band each summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic hampered his ability to be on stage in front of his tens of thousands of loyal fans, known as "Parrotheads." During that time, he performed virtual concerts, including some for first responders. 

"You know, historically you think about it, in times like this you still have to have a little fun," Buffett told "CBS Sunday Morning"  in the summer of 2020. "You still have to have a rest from what's going on." 

When asked during that interview about his thoughts on mortality , which he has discussed openly in the past, Buffett said, "You know, there's an end coming up there." But the singer also expressed hope about the years to come. 

"At 73, you know, I look ahead at people that I know now," he said. "You know, we just lost one who was a dear friend and a great inspiration, Carl Reiner, at 98. That's who I look at up there. … And then I'll look at the 80-year-olds that are still doing it. And I look at the late-70-year-olds that are still doing it." 

"So, that's who I'm watching," he added. "And working seems to be the magic elixir when you are lucky enough to be an entertainer, or do things that you can still do at that age."

Victoria Albert is a Sr. News Editor at CBS News. Reach her at [email protected]

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• Live Concert Industry

Jimmy Buffett Cancels Charleston Tour Date After Suffering Undisclosed Medical Issues

Jimmy Buffett was forced to cancel his Saturday concert in Charleston, South Carolina, on Thursday morning after suffering from undisclosed health issues — “Growing old is not for sissies.”

Jimmy Buffett wrote on his Facebook page Thursday that his scheduled performance on Saturday, May 20, with the Coral Reefer Band would be rescheduled, with all tickets being honored once a new date is announced. The 76-year-old “Margaritaville” singer was hospitalized following undisclosed medical issues.

“Challenges make life interesting,”  wrote  Buffett, quoting Mark Twain. “However, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

“I had a sudden change of plans this week that affected us all. Two days ago, I was just back from a trip to the Bahamas,” he explained. “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.”

“Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you,” continued Buffett in the way only he can, before thanking fans for their support. “I also 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 would have ever imagined as a (tow)-headed little boy sitting on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.”

Unfortunately, this is the second time Buffett has been faced with hospitalization in less than a year. In September, he was also forced to suspend some tour dates for undisclosed health issues that landed him in the hospital. Thankfully, the singer was able to return to the stage in February. 

Jimmy Buffett’s most recent album was 2020’s  Songs You Don’t Know By Heart . He is one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with a  net worth as of 2023  of $1 billion.

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It’s time to get your fins out.

Legendary tropical rocker Jimmy Buffett is returning to venues all over North America to entertain Parrotheads from coast to coast from March through May this year on his ‘Second Wind Tour.’

And you wouldn’t believe it but we found some tickets to the “Cheeseburger In Paradise” crooner going for as low as $12 before fees on Vivid Seats.

That’s cheaper than a cold one at a concert.

Heck, while we’re at it, it’s probably less than what it costs to grab a margarita at one of Buffett’s Margaritavilles.

(Editor’s note: It is. The ‘Uptown Top Shelf Margarita’ at the Times Square Margaritaville costs $14.75 ).

It really is “Five O’ Clock Somewhere.”

So, if you want to make the pilgrimage to catch one of music’s most durable stars live this year, here’s everything you need to know.

All prices listed above were found at the time of publication and are subject to fluctuation.

Jimmy Buffett 2023 tour schedule

A complete calendar including all upcoming tour dates, venues and links to the cheapest tickets available for each show can be found below.

(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout .)

Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. 

They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event.

Jimmy Buffett set list

Buffett, 76, likes to keep his fans on their toes.

Thus, you never know what he’s going to play when you see him live.

Still, to give you an idea of what to expect, here’s Buffett’s set list from his most recent concert on Feb. 15 at the Hard Rock Live in Hollwood, FL courtesy of Set List FM :

01.) Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” 02.) “Pencil Thin Mustache” 03.) “Fins” 04.) “Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit” 05.) “Growing Older but Not Up” 06.) “Volcano” 07.) “Son of a Son of a Sailor” 08.) “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” 09.) “Come Monday” 10.) “Cheeseburger in Paradise” 11.) “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season” 12.) “Coconut Telegraph” 13.) “Little Martha” (The Allman Brothers Band cover) 14.) “Knees of My Heart”

15.) “The Wino and I Know” 16.) “He Went to Paris” 17.) “One Particular Harbour” 18.) “A Pirate Looks at Forty” 19.) “Back Where I Come From” (Mac McAnally cover) 20.) “Margaritaville”

21.) “Last Mango in Paris” 22.) “Tin Cup Chalice” (Jimmy Solo)

Want to dig a little deeper and see what Buffett has played at other recent live shows or go as far back as his first concert in 1970?

Set List FM has everything you need.

Classic rockers on tour in 2023

Now that you’ve snagged your Buffett tickets, you’re probably wondering “Who will I see next?”

Look no further.

Below, you’ll find just five of the biggest acts you won’t want to miss when they come to a city near you this year.

•  Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

•  Ringo Starr

•  The Beach Boys

•  The Eagles

Hoping to search for more options? Check out our list of the 52 biggest concert tours in 2023 here .

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Update on the 2023 Tour

The show scheduled for Atlanta has been cancelled. No information is available right now on when it will be rescheduled.

During a recent Bing and Bong show before one of the recent shows Jimmy Buffett said “ tour dates will be announced in April “.

A recent post on Facebook: Clarification to tour schedule – there will not be an Alpharetta concert this Spring. As always, all tour information will be made available at JimmyBuffett.com.

50 thoughts on “ Update on the 2023 Tour ”

I pray St. Louis is one of the cities. If not, I may have to head to Fincinati.

We see him every year in Cincy. Hope he’s still going there.

Lets give Jimmy a break. Hey, if you want to go in a BIG way you’ll travel and spend the money. The plus is enjoying your parrothead friends. So cool! Yep we all have the best venues. Universal, and Worldwide, our Jimmy. I’ve beeen to 30 shows, a late bloomer, at 66, but no stopping me. If you cant make a show read his books, please. I would start w Wheres Joe Merchant. You’ll understand Tully, You’ll meet Mr Twain, probably Jerry Jeff is in there somewhere. I want JB to concert where I am too, but, wont be the first or last time I flew, took a train, made it a long trip, to see JB and the Coral Refeers. Stay cool, sea ya at tailgate – YEP PINE KNOB 50 yr celebration!!!

Maybe its the BIG MIGRATION time. We considered that on the Cabin Fever chat, and beyond. My fin friends. just plan on a road trip to make it happen. For me, always worth the journey! finzup

Oppps, ya, I was in my 29s at my first JB. The most people I ever made plans for was 25. dwindled down, to 2. Recently my best friend past away. Now , me. Once we graduated from lawn and obstructed views, my buddy made sure we had awesome seats. So, l’m ready for April announcements and what ever it might cost! I’ll be there close to front row!!!

florida dates

Praying for Alpine valley

Gotta see him there at least one more time.

I will be doing a pre party if Buffett does come to Alpine. Please stay in touch.

Wouldn’t be summer without Jimmy At Jones Beach….. Fins Crossed

Tampa Florida?

We want Jimmy to return the Frisco Texas – best tailgate ever!!

Amen! No better sharking lot party anywhere, and I’ve been to a few!

Yes!!!! I agree!!! However Cynthia woods pavilion is an amazing venue. Hope he will be there in 2023.

Salt Lake City please. I’m old enough to have attended both Cheeseburger Tours. Tick, tock. LOL <3 Thank you!

How about the Florida panhandle….. 🙂

We need Rex Kramer.

Please please please come to Alpine Valley this year!!

Are you coming back to Toronto?

This old lady wants to see him before it gets even harder for her to navigate with husband in wheelchair! JB, *please* put Pine Knob on your summer schedule! 🏝️🌺🌴🩴🏄‍♂️

Pine Knob, Please

Yes, pine knob, Michigan! Please!!

New Jersey please

I am hopefull the parrot party comes back to Maine. Always a great vibe and fun time.

Frisco TX.!! Best sharking lot party!!!

Holding out hope for Great Woods 🦜

Hoping for Bethel Woods again

I’m hoping for Alpine Valley. Rescheduled last year because of the weather and then we couldn’t go when it was rescheduled. Please!!!!

So Cal please!

Vegas again in the fall! My favorite place to see Jimmy. We make a week end of it!

Please come to Arizona!!!

Please come to Cincinnati OH!!!

Yessss! Fincinnati!!

2008 I was pregnant with my son and my husband made me a toilet out of an old chair. He took the old seat off and put a toilet seat on. He made a little ramp so you wouldn’t pee on your feet. We placed it in the woods somewhere and I bet it’s still there. Sue was better than going in a nasty porta potty 😊 I was 8 months pregnant and miserable. It was July 2008. Had my son just a couple weeks later. It was definitely a memory that I’ll always have. Been to several after and hopefully I’ll get one more in before he retires 😊

Great Woods Please!!!!

Please come back to Red Rocks ♥️

Yes yes YES!

the Coral Reefers have to make one more trip to the Northwest…Portland?

I’ve seen Jimmy Twice in Chicago and once At Pine Knob ! Love them all.

Loved Wrigley Field🙏🍔🦜🦜🌴

Pittsburgh 🤞🏼

Let hope so he been coming to Pittsburgh for years .

Yeah buddy! Pittsburgh, where the wild beach parties started! You’re welcome world!

Vegas again in October. Let’s get back on schedule!

The shows are like Gumbo, ya gotta be ready to take what ya can get. As for me, I’ll gladly take Salt Lake, Denver or Boise. And yeah, Dallas is the ultimate tail-gate, but the many coaches each take up 4 parking spaces leaving the rest of us to park in Oklahoma City….

Frisco TX 2023 – Fins Up!

Pittsburgh pa show please

Holding my breath and really hoping J.B. will return to Finzinnati this summer. The whole tri-state Parrothead Nation really, really looks forward to it every year!! 🦈😎

I just don’t get it. I’ve been going to riverbend for 18 years and he’s never announced dates this late.

Anywhere in Maryland or Virginia would be very appreciated.

Comments are closed.

Jimmy Buffett cancels the rest of his tour dates for the year after hospitalization

Jimmy Buffett has canceled the rest of his tour for the year.

All of the remaining dates on the tour have either been postponed or canceled after Buffett was hospitalized. According to a post on his Instagram page , Buffett was ordered by a doctor to recuperate and heal.

The post said Buffett looks forward to getting back on stage next year.

The following shows have been canceled or postponed:

• Oct. 8 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ MGM Grand Garden Arena (rescheduled to March 4, 2023)
• Oct. 10 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ Vivint Arena (Canceled)
• Oct. 12 — Nampa, Idaho @ Ford Idaho Center (Canceled)
• Oct. 15 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ MGM Grand Garden Arena (rescheduled to March 11, 2023)
• Oct. 22 — San Diego, Calif. @ Snapdragon Stadium (Postponed to 2023, exact date TBA)

Jimmy Buffett cancels Charleston concert due to hospitalization

by: Bethany Fowler

Posted: May 18, 2023 / 07:27 AM EDT

Updated: May 20, 2023 / 03:03 PM EDT

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WSPA) – Jimmy Buffett announced his Charleston concert Saturday has been canceled due to being hospitalized.

The concert was planned for Saturday at Credit One Stadium in Charleston.

Buffett posted on his Facebook page that while he was in Boston for a check-up, he was hospitalized “to address some issues that needed immediate attention.”

“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,” Buffett wrote.

The concert will be rescheduled. Buffet wrote on Facebook on Friday, May 19 thanking fans for the outpouring of support and well wishes as he works on getting himself back in good shape. He stated once he is in shape, he will look at the when’s and where’s of shows.

Buffett said all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date once announced.

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AJR pulls out as Jimmy Buffett's Summerfest replacement: 'A horrible, insane, scary year'

AJR will no longer headline Milwaukee’s Summerfest July 6 − a show announced just this week as a fill in for a canceled Jimmy Buffett gig − nor will they open for Imagine Dragons at the same venue, the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, for the festival’s closing night July 8.

The band of brothers −Adam, Jack and Ryan Metzger −has a good and sad reason for scrapping the shows, and other planned appearances in July: Their father is seriously ill.

“For a year now, our Dad has been getting sicker and sicker . It’s been a horrible, insane, scary, beautiful year, and in the short future, it feels like our time with Gary might soon be over,” the band posted on their Facebook page Saturday. “We hope you guys can understand, we gotta cancel the upcoming July shows and spend as much time with him as possible. … We’re all lucky to have had the best Dad ever, and to have known such a caring, generous, loving human being. Love you guys so much, and speak soon.”

Taylor Swift setlist: Here are all 44 songs on her epic Eras tour

All previously purchased tickets for AJR’s headlining show July 6 at Summerfest will be refunded. The Imagine Dragons show July 8 is still scheduled but there's no word yet if a new opener will be booked.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

AJR was announced as an opener for Dragons last year, but Summerfest officials didn’t announce the pop band’s own headlining show until last Tuesday.

Jimmy Buffett cancels concert: 'Margaritaville' singer hospitalized for 'issues that need immediate attention'

That’s because Jimmy Buffett was scheduled to headline the amphitheater July 6. But tickets for the ultimately canceled Buffett date never went on sale. In May, Buffett had to postpone a show after he was hospitalized . He has yet to resume touring.

Buffett never commented on the scrapped Summerfest show but festival officials said the appearance wasn’t happening “due to circumstances out of our control.”

There’s no word yet if Summerfest’s talent team will be able to announce a new amphitheater show for July 6 − but considering it’s less than a week away, the odds are not good. 

If indeed the venue goes dark during Summerfest, it will be only the third time that’s happened, excluding the canceled Summerfest in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Megadeth canceled an amphitheater show in 2019 just days ahead of the scheduled show, and Justin Bieber did the same in 2022, both for health reasons.

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Southern-Born Music Icon Jimmy Buffett Has Died

“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath.”

Erika Goldring/Contributor/Getty Images

Beloved singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett died Friday night at the age of 76. Per a statement from the singer’s website and posted on his social media, “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 til the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.” 

The “Margaritaville” singer had to cancel several shows earlier this year due to a few hospitalizations for undisclosed health complications. It has now been disclosed by his team that Buffett had quietly battled Merkel Cell Skin Cancer for the last four years.

Buffett was born on Christmas Day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, but grew up in Mobile, Alabama . His grandfather, James Delaney Buffett, made his living as a captain on a steamship and his father was in the Army Corps of Engineers, traveling to India and Africa before settling his family in the Alabama port city. Buffett grew up on the Gulf, listening to the stories of his grandfather that likely laid the foundation to inspire many of his greatest hits that often had nautical themes. 

When Buffett left Mobile for college, he stayed in the South. He first attended Auburn University but then graduated from Southern Mississippi University. Per the biography on his website , a fraternity brother taught him to play guitar to “garner attention from girls,” but ultimately it changed the trajectory of his life. From college Buffett went to busk the streets in New Orleans before moving to Nashville for a job with Billboard Magazine and to try to break into the world of country music. He released his first record, “Down to Earth” in 1970 but then he took a trip to Key West in 1971 where he truly found his musical voice. Per his website, this is where he began “telling the stories of the wanderers, the adventurers, and the forlorn.”  

In 1974, “Come Monday” off his fourth studio album made the Billboard charts, peaking at number 30, and that opened the doors for Buffett to tour the country, playing some of the most legendary music venues like Los Angeles’s The Troubadour. But then, in 1977, he released “Margaritaville,” and this laid-back anthem not only firmly established his music career, it later inspired the launch of a business empire of restaurants, resorts, a radio station, clothing, and more. 

Buffett went on to create 27 studio albums, countless hit songs, and he was nominated for two Grammy Awards. He was constantly on tour and his shows created their own world for his fans, dubbed “Parrotheads.” Buffett also wrote several New York Times bestselling books, made numerous film and television appearances and his life and music even inspired the Broadway show, Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville , which debuted in 2017.  

He also used his platform to help, creating the nonprofit Save the Manatee Club in 1981.  Per a message on Buffett's website, "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."

Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane (Slagsvol) Buffett, his daughters Savannah Jane (Joshua) and Sarah Delaney, his son Cameron Marley (Lara), his grandson Marley Ray and his dogs Lola, Kingston, Pepper, Rosie, Ajax and Kody. Also survived by his sister, Laurie Buffett McGuane (Tom), their children Heather Hume, Anne Buffett McGuane, Maggie McGuane and Thomas McGuane IV; his sister, Lucy Buffett and daughters Mara Delaney Buffett O’Dwyer and Melanie Leigh Buffett; and many more wonderful cousins, nieces and nephews.

Our thoughts are with all of them as well as all of the Parrotheads. Our fins are up in tribute.

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How Jimmy Buffett Turned “Margaritaville” Into a Way of Life

F ew songs have proven as lucrative as “Margaritaville,” a modest 1977 hit by the late singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett that became an anthem for an entire life philosophy. The track was the springboard for Buffett’s business empire—restaurants, apparel, kitchen appliances, and more—marketing the taking-it-easy message of its tropical print lyrics.

After just a few years of expanding that notion into other ventures, the “Parrot Heads” of Buffett’s fandom began to account for $40 million in annual revenue—and that was before the vacation resorts began popping up.

The Birth of an Anthem

“Margaritaville” was never intended to inspire this kind of devotion. It was written after Buffett, as an aspiring musician toiling in Nashville, found himself in Key West, Florida, following a cancelled booking in Miami and marveling at the sea of tourists clogging the beaches.

Like the other songs on his album, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes , it didn’t receive a lot of radio play. Instead, Buffett began to develop his following by opening up for The Eagles . Even at 30, Buffett was something less than hip—a flip-flopped performer with a genial stage presence that seemed to invite an easygoing vibe among crowds. “Margaritaville,” an anthem to that kind of breezy attitude, peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard charts in 1977. While that’s impressive for any single, its legacy would quickly evolve beyond the music industry’s method for gauging success.

What Buffett realized as he continued to perform and tour throughout the early 1980s is that “Margaritaville” had the ability to sedate audiences. Like a hypnotist, the singer could immediately conjure a specific time and place that listeners wanted to revisit. The lyrics painted a scene of serenity that became a kind of existential vacation for Buffett’s fans:

Nibblin' on sponge cake,

Watchin' the sun bake;

All of those tourists covered with oil.

Strummin' my six string on my front porch swing.

Smell those shrimp—

They're beginnin' to boil.

By 1985, Buffett was ready to capitalize on that goodwill. In Key West, he opened a Margaritaville store, which sold hats, shirts, and other ephemera to residents and tourists looking to broadcast their allegiance to his sand-in-toes fantasy. (A portion of the proceeds went to Save the Manatees, a nonprofit organization devoted to animal conservation.) The store also sold the Coconut Telegraph , a kind of propaganda newsletter about all things Buffett and his chill perspective.

When Buffett realized patrons were coming in expecting a bar or food—the song was named after a mixed drink, after all—he opened a cafe adjacent to the store in late 1987. The configuration was ideal, so all the way through the 1990s, Buffett and business partner John Cohlan began erecting Margaritaville locations in Florida, New Orleans, and eventually Las Vegas and New York. All told, more than 20 million people visit a Buffett-inspired hospitality destination every year.

From Beach Bum to Billionaire

Margaritaville-branded tequila followed. So, too, did a line of retail foods like hummus, a book of short stories, massive resorts, a Sirius radio channel, and drink blenders. Buffett even wrote a 242-page script for a Margaritaville movie that he had hoped to film in the 1980s. It’s one of the very few Margaritaville projects that has yet to come to fruition, but Buffett could hardly complain. Earlier this year, Forbes declared the singer/entrepreneur a billionaire .

In June, the first adults-only, all-inclusive Margaritaville resort opened in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. It joins the nearly two dozen other Margaritaville hotels around the world. Even for guests that aren’t particularly familiar with his music, “Jimmy Buffett” has become synonymous with comfort and relaxation just as surely as Walt Disney has with family entertainment. The association bodes well for a business that will eventually have to move beyond Buffett’s concert-going loyalists.

Not that Buffett was ever looking to leave them behind. In 2018, Buffett opened his first Margaritaville-themed retirement community in Daytona Beach. More than 10,000 Parrot Heads quickly registered their interest in securing a residence and watching the sun set while idling in a frame of mind that Buffett slowly but surely turned into a reality.

A version of this story ran in 2017; it has been updated for 2023.

This article was originally published on mentalfloss.com as How Jimmy Buffett Turned “Margaritaville” Into a Way of Life .

Jimmy Buffett to be remembered via Florida roads and license plates

TALLAHASSEE --- Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed bills that will honor the late singer Jimmy Buffett, designating Florida A1A as “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway” and creating a “Margaritaville” specialty license plate.

The highway bill (HB 91), which lawmakers passed unanimously during the legislative session that ended in March, will attach Buffett’s name to A1A from Key West to the Georgia border.

“With this road naming, we are paying tribute to Jimmy not only as a musical icon, but also a fierce protector of Florida's natural treasures and our precious manatees,” Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, a Davie Democrat who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said in a statement.

The other bill (HB 403) will make changes to the state’s specialty license-plate program and create a series of potential new plates, including one displaying the name of the Buffett song “Margaritaville.”

Buffett died Sept. 1 at age 76 of a type of skin cancer.

Born in Mississippi, his brand became synonymous with the Florida Keys.

In his 1994 song “Everybody's Got a Cousin in Miami,” Buffett waxed “I am umbilically connected to the temperate zone/ It brought me life, it brought me love/ I never have outgrown.”

Twenty years earlier, he released an album called “A1A,” which featured several nautical-themed songs, including a concert favorite, “A Pirate Looks at Forty.”

Proceeds from the sale of the “Margaritaville” license plate are slated to benefit the SFC Charitable Foundation, also known as Singing for Change, which Buffett founded.

“Margaritaville” was Buffett’s highest charting solo single from his 1977 album “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”

The state tourism-market agency Visit Florida promotes online Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant in Key West, saying “once only a state of mind is now a state of being.”

Buffett is already associated with the state’s Save the Manatee license plate, which is the seventh most-popular specialty plate. It benefits the Save the Manatee Club, which Buffett helped establish in the 1980s with the late Gov. Bob Graham.

As with most specialty plates, the Margaritaville plate must reach 3,000 pre-sales before it can go into production and must maintain that number year after year.

Other new plates that will be offered for pre-sale are Clearwater Marine Aquarium; general aviation; The Villages; Cure Diabetes; Recycle Florida; Boating Capital of the World; Project Addiction: Reversing the Stigma; and Service Organizations.

The bill, which will take effect Oct. 1, also will change the designs of several plates already on the road and exempt Florida college license plates from the 3,000 minimum-sale requirement. The bill also will allow the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to reauthorize discontinued collegiate license plates.

The state’s specialty tag program offers 113 different designs, with another 30 in pre-sale.

Copyright 2024 WGCU

Willie Nelson Cancels More Concert Dates Amid Ongoing Health Issue

After following doctor's orders, the country music legend needs a little more time.

By Andrew Roberts - June 27, 2024 10:08 pm EDT

Willie Nelson was forced to pull out of more performances on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, opting to play it safe with an unspecified health issue. According to USA Today , Nelson was scheduled for a performance in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Thursday and announced the cancellation on social media.

"Willie Nelson will not be performing at tonight's show in Virginia Beach. We expect Willie to return to the tour shortly," the statement reads . "Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Celisse will perform as scheduled. In addition, Lukas Nelson and Family along with some special guests will play his own set which will include Willie's classics and other songs."

The latest cancellation comes after a string of cancellations earlier in June. He was set to perform at shows in Georgia, Charlotte, and Raleigh, but pulled out. The cancellation for Thursday is coming close to the weekend, meaning more shows could be added to the cancellation list for Nelson. Be sure to check out reports before heading out. The country legend's next concert should be on Friday in Syracuse, New York.

Nelson recently celebrated his 91st birthday in April and showed few signs of slowing down. He spoke with CBS Mornings in 2023 and teased when he might want to finally hang old Trigger up for a final time.

"I haven't quit," the country music legend said. "Maybe I should, but ... after every tour. I said, this is it. And then get the urge again to go back." Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in November and released a new album in May titled The Border. He also had a pair of memorable collaborations, first with Beyonce and a duet version of "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" with Orville Peck, following his own solo cover in 2006.

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Jimmy Buffett-themed cruise line adds second ship, but it's too big for Port of Palm Beach

Executives of classica cruise lines have yet to say what their plans are for the cruise ship bought from carnival cruise lines; the ship is too big to operate out of palm beach..

The Jimmy Buffett-themed cruise line has bought a second ship from Carnival Cruise Line but don't expect it to operate out of the Port of Palm Beach ; it is too big.

There has been speculation for some time that Classica Cruise Operator LTD, the entity that owns Margaritaville at Sea Paradise , was looking to add a second ship.

The Paradise , Classica Cruise's only ship, offers three-day, two-night sailings to Grand Bahama from the Port of Palm Beach. Executives of Classica Cruise have declined to comment about the purchase or its plans for Costa Atlantica, a 23-year-old vessel. It is 959 feet long, about 200 feet longer than Margaritaville at Sea Paradise . The length limit for a vessel at Port of Palm Beach is about 800 feet.

The Costa Atlantica, already renamed "Margaritaville at Sea Islander," can accommodate 2,680 passengers, nearly double that of the Paradise ship. The Costa Atlantica operated a range of itineraries for the Costa Cruises line, a subsidiary of Carnival Cruise lines. It had been closely associated with the Chinese market and was part of a joint partnership between Carnival and China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

According to VesselsValue, a company that provides data on ships, Costa Atlantica was constructed by STX Finland. It has an estimated value of $65 million. Port of Palm Beach spokeswoman Yaremi Farinas said the port does not know what the plans are for the new vessel but confirmed its length prevents it from operating out of the Port of Palm Beach.

More on the new cruise ship: The Margaritaville at Sea Islander

More: Why a $10.9 million dredging project is a win-win for the Port of Palm Beach and beachgoers

In a statement emailed to The Palm Beach Post, Executive Director Michael Meekins said the cruise line notified the Port that new investors are acquiring ownership and control of the company, adding that the management is comfortable with the ownership change and looks forward to more years of shared success.

The Post reported in June that the Margaritaville Paradise ship was generating strong revenue. In June 2022, its first full month of operation, the passenger count was 13,688 and the following month, it doubled to nearly 27,000. Nearly 43,000 passengers boarded the vessel in July 2023, 59% more than the same month of a year ago.

The Costa Atlantica remains registered in the Bahamas. It is still at dock with Carnival Corp., according to a Maritime Executive, and has not been used since the pandemic.

So what port will be the home base for Margaritaville at Sea Islander? Possible sites include PortMiami and Port Everglades.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at  The Palm Beach Post , part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at [email protected] . Help support local journalism. Subscribe today

I feel most insignificant gazing up at the stars or pondering what happens inside a supermassive black hole. Or, you know, reading how Harvard researchers recently said aliens could be on Earth passing as humans, which, correct me if I’m wrong, is the plot of “Men in Black.”

Other times, a Jimmy Buffett cruise does the philosophical trick.

Haven’t you heard? A new Margaritaville at Sea cruise just launched from Port Tampa Bay with trips to Mexico and Key West. The vessel is an ode to the musician who died in 2023 at 76. In his life, Buffett became a marketing behemoth on behalf of Total Relaxation, a spokesperson for the delusion of leaving one’s problems in the snowy driveway, embodying the son of a son of a sailor and getting schnockered on sugary margs.

Per our reporter, the ship’s soaring premises house a large teal flip-flop, margarita chandeliers, floating fish, flying parrots and a replica of Buffett’s personal seaplane. A message on the side of the vessel declares the time always five o’clock. There’s a Port of Indecision buffet, a Fins Up fitness center, a Cheeseburger in Paradise burger bar and endless opportunities to tune out life in pursuit of pickleball and vacation meats.

Buffett’s empire, which grew to include restaurants, stores, vacation clubs, marijuana and more, represents a fantasy; anyone from Florida knows that falling asleep face-down on the sand is a dermatology invoice waiting to happen. And while it’s tempting to punch down at Parrotheads for partaking, the reality is that this cruise sounds … fun. Whatever Buffett was like in private, he built a massive, colorful persona that will long outlive him.

Here’s the sunscreen rub: The deaths of our icons make us take stock of our own smaller lives. What I mean is, we’re all going to die someday — this is going great, pour a rum runner! — and we better have our proverbial cruise ships in order. When the living think back on us, a set of imagery will spring to mind. The iconography of our life. The dressings of our memory. The salt on our rim.

In the spirit of the man who esoterically wrote “My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus,” let’s play a game. If someone were to fashion a cruise ship experience around your personal universe, how would that materialize? Email me, I beg you, and I’ll publish the best answers in my next newsletter .

I’ll go first. My cruise ship would be littered with Diet Coke cans that have two warm gulps left in the bottom. There would be a laundry facility, but the laundry would never get done. For entertainment, we’re talking gallons of cold sauvignon blanc and a portable karaoke machine with one busted microphone and the complete catalog of Destiny’s Child. Four half-read novels would litter every table, not a single coaster in use.

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As a Gemini, my cruise would party hard for three to five days, which does not sound all that different from the Margaritaville cruise. However, after getting a mysterious aura behind the eye, the ship would need to dock back at the home port and go dark. When potential new customers try to book a trip, my customer service bot would reply a week later with, “Sorry, just seeing this.”

My cruise would be an acquired taste, as would yours, as is Margaritaville at Sea. But, hey, in these times rife with internet judgment, high interest rates and societal pressure to never be cringe, it might be exciting for us all to become a little more acquired. Who wants their legacy to be “large format beige tile that will aid in resale”? What cruise ship can be decorated with sensible slacks and sound financial decisions?

Go off, Margaritaville at Sea! Blast “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” a song that made my parents feverishly attempt to fast-forward the tape deck every time. Serve ersatz Huli Huli chicken and yoga mimosas. Deploy the character actor in the plushy parrot suit. Cascade forth from Tampa Bay as a gaudy, confident reminder to steer our freakish ships, however uneven they may sail.

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Stephanie Hayes is a columnist offering her thoughts on current events, life and culture. She can be reached at [email protected].

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