CMA Awards Take Fans to Margaritaville With Jimmy Buffett Tribute
Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett , Alan Jackson. Getty Images (3)Fans were transported to Margaritaville during the 2023 CMA Awards’ tribute to Jimmy Buffett following his death earlier this fall. Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Mac McAnally and Zac Brown Band all joined forces to honor the late musician on Wednesday, November 8, as part of the 57th annual awards show. Chesney, 55, and McAnally, 66, began the tribute with a sweet rendition of “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” At one point, Chesney switched the lyrics to sing, “Jimmy made a whole world of friends,” and pointed up to the sky at the end, adding, “Thank you, Jimmy.” Zac Brown and Jackson, 65, took the stage next. Brown, 45, sang, “Adios my friend” before Jackson joined him in performing Buffett’s most iconic song, “Margaritaville.” As the pair belted out the lyrics, photos of Buffett’s life on stage and with his musical pals played in the background. Related: The Best Fashion From the 2023 CMA Awards
Fans were transported to Margaritaville during the 2023 CMA Awards’ tribute to Jimmy Buffett following his death earlier this fall.
Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Mac McAnally and Zac Brown Band all joined forces to honor the late musician on Wednesday, November 8, as part of the 57th annual awards show.
Chesney, 55, and McAnally, 66, began the tribute with a sweet rendition of “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” At one point, Chesney switched the lyrics to sing, “Jimmy made a whole world of friends,” and pointed up to the sky at the end, adding, “Thank you, Jimmy.”
Zac Brown and Jackson, 65, took the stage next. Brown, 45, sang, “Adios my friend” before Jackson joined him in performing Buffett’s most iconic song, “Margaritaville.” As the pair belted out the lyrics, photos of Buffett’s life on stage and with his musical pals played in the background.
Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs and more country musicians sang along to the track from the audience. “Salt! Salt! Salt!” they yelled in unison as the chorus rang out among the crowd. All of Bridgestone Arena was brought to their feet as the singers concluded the heartwarming — and moving — tribute.
Before taking the stage, McAnnally, — who was part of Buffett’s The Coral Reefer Band — gushed about what being part of the CMA Awards tribute meant to him.
“Well, it just lights up every pore in my soul. I stood shotgun next to the guy for four decades plus and [we’d] been working on the records back to 1980 and been on the road with him for the last 35 years,” he said during an On the Red Carpet interview on Wednesday. “And we just finished his final album that I didn’t know was his final album until we finished it. But Kenny, and Alan, and Zac and the guys, we’re all honored to know him and to get to honor him. And he’s gonna be laughing at us from right above tonight.”
Buffett died on September 1 “surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” according to a statement shared on his Instagram account. The “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” singer was 76.
Two days later, Buffett’s cause of death was revealed. According to an obituary, he had been privately “fighting Merkel cell skin cancer for four years.” Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare type of skin cancer that develops when cells grow “out of control” and can spread quickly to other parts of the body, per the American Cancer Society.
In the wake of his passing, celebrities honored Buffett’s memory with sweet social media tributes. Chesney was among one of the first stars to post a message, writing via Instagram, “So goodbye Jimmy. Thanks for your friendship and the songs I will carry in my heart forever. Sail On Sailor 
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