“On This Date…” September 1st, 2023: Jimmy Buffett Passes Away at the Age of 76

Today is September 1st and on this date in 2023, American Singer, Songwriter Jimmy Buffett would pass away at the age of 76.
Jimmy Buffett is not front of voice for critics and music historians when discussing the 1970’s Singer-Songwriter boom … the plaudits are usually reserved for artists like James Taylor, Carol King and Jackson Browne.
This is not to say those songwriters are not deserving of praise, of course they are…but so too is Buffett.
Below the facade he popularized of a Boozy-Beach-Bum vagabond, was as gifted a songwriter and storyteller that American Popular Music has ever produced.
As an example of his songwriting prowess I’d like to perform one of my favorites from the Buffett canon, “He Went to Paris”.
The song follows a young man’s search for meaning in the world, his adoption of family life, the tragedy of losing that family and finally the reflections of his life from the perch of an old man.
It is a beautifully written, minimally instrumented comment on fundamental human wonderings about our place in the universe … an answer that our main character arrives at as an old man and relays to the audience…”some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic…”
“He Went to Paris” is an example of songwriting of the highest caliber. Jimmy Buffett is able to lead us on a journey from young man, to married man, through world wars and tragedy to finally arrive with an old man in the islands ruminating over green label beers…and he does it all in under three and a half minutes.

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