When Jimmy Buffett was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was honored with a performance by Kenny Chesney, MacMcAnally and James Taylor. Buffett, who passed away on September 1, 2023, was remembered with a performance of “Come Monday.”
“I’m gonna remember this moment forever with MacMcAnally and James Taylor, honoring our friend Jimmy Buffett,” Chesney said after the performance.
This isn’t the first time Chesney honored his good friend. Earlier this year, the East Tennessee native performed as part of an all-star lineup honoring Buffett. Chesney joined iconic artists like Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, the Eagles, Eric Church, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Brown and more in playing some of Buffett’s biggest hits in memory of the legendary singer.
Chesney performed Buffett’s 1997 hit, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” along with “Back Where I Come From,” a single for Chesney in 1996.
When news of Buffett’s passing was announced, Chesney posted two clips on social media honoring Buffett, both an acoustic performance of “A Pirate Looks At Forty” while sitting on a beach, and a performance with Buffett of his biggest hit, “Margaritaville.”
“So goodbye Jimmy,” Chesney captioned the two clips. “Thanks for your friendship and the songs I will carry in my heart forever. Sail On Sailor.”
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Buffett passed away from Merkel cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” Buffett’s family announced on social media after he passed away. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
Chesney recently celebrated another No. 1 hit with “Take Her Home.” the first single from his latest BORN album.
“We were kind of done with the record, but we’re never really done … I’m just so thankful that I live in a town where you can wake up one day and have a song like ‘Take Her Home’ sent to you,” Chesney said at a party celebrating the song’s success. “It’s part of the magic of this town, and I really appreciate it.”
Chesney has another hit at radio with“Just To Say We Did,” also from BORN.
“There’s a lot of music on this record that holds a significance for me or they wouldn’t have made the record,” the 56-year-old told his record label. “I think the most authentic one for me is ‘Just To Say We Did.’ It truly is a part of my DNA, my life experiences, but it doesn’t have to be the experiences that we describe in the song. It can be anything you do with friends, with family — whatever it is to create connection and the intimate details that later in life that you’re going to look back on.”
Find all of Chesney’s music and upcoming shows at KennyChesney.com.