Kenny Chesney leads the 2023 CMA tribute to Jimmy Buffett
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 ceremony.
Chesney, 55, and McAnally, 66, started the tribute with a sweet rendition of “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” At one point, Chesney changed the lyrics by singing, “Jimmy made a whole world of friends,” then pointed to the sky at the end and added, “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 delivered the lyrics, photos of Buffett’s life on stage and with his musical friends played in the background.
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Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs and more country musicians sang along to the song from the audience. “Salt! Salt! Salt!” they shouted in unison as the chorus rang through the crowd. The entire Bridgestone Arena was on its feet as the singers closed the heartwarming – and moving – tribute.
Before taking the stage, McAnnally, who was part of Buffett’s The Coral Reefer Band, talked about what it meant to him to be part of the CMA Awards tribute.
“Well, it just lights up every pore in my soul. I stood next to the man for forty years [we’d] I worked on records until 1980 and have been on the road with him for the past 35 years,” he said during a On the Red Carpet job interview on Wednesday. “And we just finished his last album, which I didn’t know was his last album until we finished it. But Kenny, and Alan, and Zac and the guys, we’re all honored to know him and to honor him. And he’ll be laughing at us from above tonight.’
Buffett died on September 1 “surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” according to a statement on his Instagram account. The singer of ‘It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere’ was 76.
Two days later, Buffett’s cause of death was revealed. According to an obituary, he had been privately battling Merkel cell skin cancer for four years. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare form of skin cancer that occurs when cells “get out of control” and can quickly spread to other parts of the body, according to the American Cancer Society.
In the wake of his death, celebrities honored Buffett’s memory with sweet tributes on social media. Chesney was one of the first stars to post: writing via Instagram“So goodbye Jimmy. Thank you for your friendship and the songs that I will carry in my heart forever. Sail on sailor 🦜🌴🌊.”
Chesney, who performed with Buffett many times over the years, shared a video of himself playing guitar and singing “A Pirate Looks At Forty” for the late singer.
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McAnally waited a few weeks before finding the words for his public tribute. “The closest I ever had to a big brother left this world on September 1st,” he wrote via Instagram that same month. “What I can say in lieu of the right words that keep being evaded is what an honor it is and has been to ride shotgun with a one-man fountain of positive energy who saw fit to take me under his wing. years ago.”
For his part, Jackson has recently been dealing with health issues of his own. The “Livin’ on Love” singer went public with his Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease diagnosis in September 2021 after quietly battling the disease for more than a decade.
“I have this neuropathy and neurological disease,” Jackson explained during one Today interview at the time. “It’s genetic that I inherited from my father. … There is no cure for it, but I have suffered from it for years. And it is becoming increasingly clear.”
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Jackson’s ailment didn’t stop him from taking the stage Wednesday — or honoring Buffett when he passed away. “Coasts distant shores / That’s where I’m going / I’ve got the stars to guide my way / Sail into the daylight,” he captioned a photo with Buffett in September, quoting their 2004 hit, “Boats to Build.” He added: “RIP my friend, @jimmybuffett.”
Zac Brown Band paid tribute to Buffett in September sharing the music video for their 2010 song, ‘Knee deep.’ The group, led by Brown, captioned the clip by writing, “I hope you’re knee deep in water somewhere in paradise today, @jimmybuffett. We were honored to know you and make music with you. Fins up. #kneedeep #finsup #jimmybuffett.”
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