LOS ANGELES — The death of music and lifestyle icon Jimmy Buffett was not met with dark clothing, crying or other elements of traditional mourning.
Of course it isn’t.
Margaritaville’s diners flocked to the mayor and raised their glasses, fittingly remembering the 76-year-old beachside rock.
Lee Jameson said he visited Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Universal’s CityWalk in Los Angeles County upon hearing Saturday.
“We woke up, heard the news, immediately got in the car and went straight to Margaritaville when it opened,” he said at the restaurant named after Buffett’s hit song.
“It’s 11 in the morning here, but it’s five o’clock somewhere,” he said, referring to a duet Buffett recorded with singer Alan Jackson.
Buffett died peacefully Friday night, according to a statement posted on his website. The cause of death was not immediately released. He was battling cancer when he died, two familiar sources told NBC News.
Nathan Kniffen explains how Parrotheads, a term used to describe Buffett’s fans, can commemorate the musician who created an alternative perspective for millions.
“I don’t think he wanted people to mourn him, he just wanted everyone to come out and live the life he lived and celebrate life for what it was,” she said at the Universal Citywalk restaurant. , one of nearly 30 in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Emma Hamrick said she and Niffen attended one of Buffett’s last shows at the venue.
“Looking back now, it was a really incredible moment that we’re going to cherish for the rest of our lives,” Hamrick said.
Patricia Lopez was among the many fans who gathered at the Margaritaville Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, the singer’s home state.
“All parrot heads hurt today,” he told West Palm Beach’s NBC affiliate WPTV.
Back at CityWalk, Buffett was honored with one of several toasts to his career and achievements.
“Jimmy Buffett was not only an artist, he was also a curator of vibrations,” said the organizer of the toast. “Somewhere around 5 o’clock, everyone put down their oars and toasted the king.”
