Photo: Raphael Pour-Hashemi via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0 ) (left), Jean_Nelson/Depositphotos (right)
Jimmy Buffett was a beloved musician who remains an inspiration today. On top of the fans who loved his music and cheerful demeanor, he was also cherished by his musician peers. Buffett passed away in September 2023 at the age of 76, and to celebrate his life and legacy, a star-studded concert was thrown a few days ago at the Hollywood Bowl. Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, and Snoop Dogg were in attendance and among them was Paul McCartney, who shared a poignant story about the final days of his good friend Jimmy.
The former Beatle began by praising the late “Margaritaville” singer. “Like everyone else in the building has said tonight, this is one great man,” McCartney said. “He was generous, he was funny, he’d done just about everything in his life.”
McCartney then delved into his kindness with a heartwarming memory: “And I say he was so generous. I was on holiday with him and I forgot to bring my guitar. So he had his own guitar strung left-handed for me. And then the next time I saw him, he’d had one custom made left-handed for me. So I love Jimmy.”
The British singer then recalled being asked to sing for Buffett at his home by his wife Jane Slagsvol. “Just in the last week of his life, I was invited up to his house by Janie,” McCartney said on stage at Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett, just before his performance. “And I was invited up there to sing a couple of songs for Jimmy, and he was in a pretty bad way, but he still had that twinkle in his eye. So I thought I’ll sing one of those songs that I sang to him tonight.”
The former Beatle then took to the piano. There, he played a sorrowful “Let It Be” under a starry background that later formed a portrait of the late singer. During the song, McCartney was joined by the Eagles, who were also good friends of Buffett. The Coral Reefer Band, Buffett’s longtime touring band, also played at the event and were introduced to the stage one by one by McCartney after his own performance.
You can watch McCartney’s performance at Jimmy Buffett’s tribute concert below.
Paul McCartney shared a poignant story about Jimmy Buffett at a tribute concert celebrating the life and legacy of the “Margaritaville” singer.
h/t: [People]
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