Where was Jimmy Buffett from? Birthplace, college, hometown, and all about the legendary musician in wake of his passing

Jimmy Buffett, the famous singer and songwriter, passed away at the age of 76, on September 1, 2023. He was well known for his beach-themed songs as he dubbed the "Carrabean rock and roll" genre of music.

Buffett's hometown was Pascagoula, located in Mississippi, United States, where he was born on December 25, 1946, as per Billboard. Jimmy went to the University of Southern Mississippi and earned a bachelor's degree in history.

The man was also a gifted businessman who dabbled in the hospitality department and owned several resorts, restaurants, casinos, cruises, and merchandise stores as the chairman of Margarita Holdings LLC.

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All about Jimmy Buffett's life

On Friday, September 1, 2023, the Margaritaville singer passed away peacefully, as per NPR. His official website and social media accounts released a statement on Saturday, saying:

"Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs. He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

While Jimmy Buffett was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, his family soon shifted to Mobile, Alabama. It was a port town and the Gulf of Mexico taught him the escapism and wanderlust which he later ensued in his songs.

Buffett first attended Auburn University and learned to play the guitar from a fellow fraternity member. However, he soon flunked out of college due to bad grades.

He joined a junior college called Pearl River Junior College in Poplarville, Mississippi, in 1966 and played on New Orleans's streets to manage expenses.

While his music career started taking flight and he began building a fan base with his band, The Upstairs Alliance, he stuck to his studies. In 1969, the singer earned a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, according to NBC.

He also married his girlfriend Margie Washichek at the time.

Jimmy Buffett's music style took a turn when he went on a vacation in 1971 with Jerry Jeff Walker, as per his official website.

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Jimmy's unique genre of music

Jimmy Buffet's popular hits like Margaritaville, A Pirate Looks at Forty, and Cheeseburger in Paradise depict a wanderer's life, free-spirited and adventurous, as per Billboard.

Earlier, Jimmy Buffett was focused on becoming a folk-country singer and moved to Nashville after earning his bachelor's degree. However, a trip to Key West changed his perspective on life and music genre to the "Carrabean rock and roll" style.

The trip gave birth to the song Margaritaville in 1977, which also became the name of his restaurant chain founded in 1985.

In 2021, Jimmy Buffett revealed in an interview with the Arizona Republic:

"There was no such place as Margaritaville. It was a made-up place in my mind, basically made up about my experiences in Key West and having to leave Key West and go on the road to work and then come back and spend time by the beach."

Soon after the Key West trips in 1971, Buffett divorced his first wife Margie Washichek in 1972. He formed his Coral Reefer Band in 1975 and married his second wife Jane Slagsvol two years later during the time Margaritaville was released and he was becoming fairly famous, as per People.

According to NPR, the song achieved great success and was up for 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was of great historical significance as it earned its place in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.

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Jimmy Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane Slagsvol, and their three children, Savannah, Sarah, and Cameron.