Las Vegas icon Jimmy Buffett dies at 76
Singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett died Friday night at the age of 76.
"Jimmy passed away peacefully on the evening of September 1 surrounded by family, friends, music and his dog," a statement on his website said. “His life was like a song and he will be deeply missed by many until his last breath.”
The statement did not disclose the cause or location of death. However, sources told TMZ that Buffett had skin cancer that turned into lymphoma. He spent much of the last year in the hospital.
Buffett - Born in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Raised in Mobile, Alabama, released more than 30 albums during a 53-year career. Most of the music is a unique blend of rock, country and folk music, accompanied by the hypnotic rhythms of calypso steel drums.
Although 17 of those albums went gold or platinum, Buffett is still best known for his 1977 hit single "Margaritaville." ’ Leaving Margaritaville again. "
"Margaritaville" made Buffett an icon among baby boomers and won him a fiercely loyal following of fans known as "parrot heads" who flock to his music in leis and flashy Hawaiian shirts meeting.
"There's no place like Margaritaville," the singer told The Arizona Republic in 2021. "It was a made-up place in my head, basically based on my experiences in Key West and the need to get out and go to Key West." Go, was born. "On the way to work and then back and spending time at the beach."
MILLION DOLLAR BRAND
"Margaritaville" was such a phenomenon that Buffett was able to turn it into a bar/restaurant empire. After the first attempt failed in Gulf Shores, Alabama, a second Margaritaville opened in Key West, Florida, in 1985, followed by franchises in Florida, New Orleans and California.
The most famous Margaritaville opened in 2003 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. It features five bars, two patios overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, and a volcano that pours margaritas into two 300-gallon blenders.
Although the desert is a far cry from the tropical setting of Buffett's songs, Margaritaville transformed Las Vegas into the center of the Parrot Heads.
Although Buffett has never made an official appearance in Las Vegas, he makes sure to stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on nearly every tour he tours with his backing band, Coral Reefer.
Casinoville
In 2011, Buffett expanded his Las Vegas restaurant and bar and opened the first Margaritaville casino in an adjacent space—even though his casino empire was supposed to have opened in Mississippi years earlier Margaritaville Casino Resort in Biloxi.
In 2007, Harrah's Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) announced plans to build the $700 million property on the site of the former Biloxi Grand Casino and Biloxi Magic Casino. The Great Recession of 2008, however, had other plans. The riverfront project was ultimately built without a hotel at a cost of $48 million and opened in 2012 by Buffett and Grand Casinos founder Tom Brosiq. (Buffett performed at the grand opening.)
Although the Margaritaville Biloxi closed just two years after opening, the setback had little impact on the Margaritaville brand. It now includes resorts, cruise lines, apparel, footwear, food and liquor.
In 2016, Buffett ranked 13th on Forbes' list of America's richest celebrities with a net worth of US$550 million.
Despite Buffett's financial success, he never gave up on his first love. He continued to tour until a few months before his death. A hospitalization last year forced the singer to postpone two major MGM shows in October 2022 until March of this year. The rescheduled March 11 show was his final appearance in Las Vegas.
Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane Slagsvol, whom he married in 1977, and three children: Savannah, Sarah and Cameron.
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Source: www.casino.org
