Mississippi’s most legendary yacht rocker is now a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The late Jimmy Buffett was included in this year’s class – even though he wasn’t officially nominated – when the 2024 inductees were announced back in April. On Saturday night, the singer-songwriter who passed away last year from cancer was recognized by the Hall for “musical excellence,” a non-voted route for stars to get their due.
After fellow class of 2024 inductee Dave Matthews sang a solo acoustic version of Buffett’s 1974 song “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” James Taylor made his way to the stage in Cleveland, Ohio, to induct Buffett as part of the class’ Musical Excellence Awards.
“For so many of us, Jimmy was like a heroic figure in a Greek myth. His adventure was our adventure. We got to share his huge love of this life. He loved being Jimmy Buffett,” Taylor said. “He was larger than life but somehow at the same time always right sized and always authentic. Jimmy was the self-made man and a poet, and there won’t be another like him.”
Taylor then joined Kenny Chesney and Coral Reefer Mac McAnally for a performance of Buffett’s “Come Monday” to close out his induction.
2000 Inductee @JamesTaylor joins @KennyChesney and @MacMcAnally in a rendition of 2024 Inductee @JimmyBuffett‘s classic “Come Monday.” Tune in NOW on @Disneyplus to watch the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. #RockHall2024 pic.twitter.com/C1sgKQnjIy
— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) October 20, 2024
Born in Pascagoula on Christmas day of 1946, Buffett was raised in Mobile, Ala., before learning to play the guitar during his first year of college at Auburn University. He continued strumming while a student at Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi. By the time his senior year rolled around, Buffett was playing six nights a week on Bourbon Street in New Orleans before he decided to hit the road to Nashville post-graduation.
After a futile attempt at being a folk-country singer, a fateful trip to Key West, Fla., in 1991 inspired Buffett to move into more of a beach bum soft rock style. The decision paid dividends. By the end of 1974, his “Margaritaville” had spent 22 weeks on the charts, peaking at No. 8 as listeners related to the island escapism lifestyle Buffett was portraying through his tunes.
Within no time, Parrotheads – the name Buffett fans lovingly called themselves – were flocking everywhere as Buffett went on to release 30 studio albums, multiple New York Times bestselling books, a Broadway play, and win numerous awards.
Buffett passed away at the age of 76 on Sept. 1, 2023, of Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare skin cancer he had been diagnosed with four years earlier. His death shook members of the music community and Parrotheads alike, leaving the entire industry and its fans mourning. Saturday’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was just the latest route fellow artists have taken to honor Buffett. Earlier this year, a show called “Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett” was held in Los Angeles and featured performances by Paul McCartney, Eagles, Jon Bon Jovie, and Jackson Browne.
Buffett was joined by 10 others as part of the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class: A Tribe Called Quest, Dave Matthews Band, Mary J. Blige, Foreigner, Kool & The Gang, Peter Frampton, Ozzy Osbourne, MC5 (Musical Excellence Award), Norman Whitfield (Musical Excellence Award), and Dionne Warwick (Musical Excellence Award).
