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Jimmy Buffett’s wife penned a message Saturday to the Parrotheads thanking them for their support following his death.
“As Jimmy said a few months ago, ‘growing old is not for sissies.’ These last few years have been unimaginably challenging for Jimmy and me, and we’re definitely not sissies,” Jane Slagsvol wrote in the letter posted on Buffett’s official website.
“One thing we both knew and experienced, through every difficult moment, was the feeling of being buoyed up by all the people in our lives. Everywhere we went, at arenas, at events, and even in the hospitals, we were surrounded by love. There is a whole world of people I want to thank for the incredible kindness you showed us.”
Buffett died September 1 following a four-year battle with Merkel cell skin cancer. Since his death, there has been an outpouring of tributes both from the “Margaritaville” singer’s musical peers and as well as his diehard Parrotheads fanbase.
“Since those early days and all through the decades, Jimmy’s fans became a big, boisterous family. Thank you for creating the world’s most joyful community,” Slagsvol wrote. “The smile that Jimmy beamed at you from the stage was sparked by your spirit. I think that’s why he loved performing so much. He was so grateful to the community you built around him. Your sympathy and support inspire and comfort me and my family.”
Slagsvol also thanked Buffett’s team of medical professionals over the past few years, as well as his musical collaborators throughout the years.
“Jimmy was love. Every cell in his body was filled with joy. He smiled all the time, even when he was deeply ill. And his sense of humor never wavered. Jimmy was always the optimist, always twinkling, always making us laugh,” Slagsvol added.
“One of the last songs Jimmy recorded was ‘Bubbles Up.’ He sings, ‘Just know that you are loved, there is light up above, and the joy is always enough. Bubbles up.’ Jimmy knew he was loved. Right until the end, he looked for the light. Thank you for giving joy to him and to me.”
In the days following Buffett’s death, tributes have poured in fromPresident Joe Biden, fellow artists likePaul McCartney, the Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit, andJames Taylor, and collaborators likeKenny Chesney,Zac Brown Band, and Alan Jackson.
