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Jimmy Buffett’s daughter Delaney penned a touching tribute to her father and thanked Parrotheads for their words of support following his death at the age of 76.
“I knew my dad my whole life, but in his final days, I saw who he was: a man whose spirit could not be broken,” Delaney wrote Wednesday on social media.
Buffett died on September 1 following a private, four-year battle with Merkel cell skin cancer. “Despite the pain, he smiled everyday. He was kind when he had every excuse not to be. He told us not to be sad or scared, but to keep the party going,” Delaney wrote.
“And as much as I’d like to use that as an excuse to drink myself into an oblivion worthy of his literary heroes, I know it’s not what he meant. Yes, he loved his weed and his wine, but the truth is, most of the time, he was just high on life, and that is what he wanted for everyone: to enjoy the fantastic trip that life can be.”
She continued, “My dad was the joy he sang about. He was the hardest working person I’ve ever seen. He was a great man and an even better dad to my brother, sister and me. He was generous with friends and strangers alike. He had a deep admiration for the people he worked with, and he never took himself too seriously, which is probably what I loved most about him.”
In the days following Buffett’s death, tributes have poured in from President Joe Biden, fellow artists like Paul McCartney and James Taylor, and collaborators like Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and Alan Jackson.
“Over the past few days, people have thanked me for sharing my dad with them, but I know he would have wanted me to thank his fans for sharing their lives with him,” Delaney wrote. “We are his family, but the stage was his home, and you, his band, and everyone on the road gave him the strength to keep going back. I’ll pass along something my mom said to me: ‘Whenever you feel sad or lost, look for the messages in his music. There are plenty.’”
Delaney also thanked Buffett’s team of doctors for their much-appreciated care during his cancer battle and Parrothead nation for their “tributes, stories and notes.”
“And finally, to my dad, thank you,” Delaney added. “You turned nothing into something and gave me everything. I will never be able to repay you or my mom for my beautiful life. I will love you forever, and I will always keep the party going (responsibly, of course).”
