Jimmy Buffett’s Daughter Sheds New Light on His Final Days
Jimmy Buffett's daughter, Delaney Buffett, remembered her father as "the joy he sang about" in a touching tribute penned on social media, recalling him as cheerful and full of smiles in the days before his passing.
"I knew my dad my whole life, but in his final days, I saw who he was: a man whose spirit could not be broken," the 31-year-old filmmaker began in a statement shared Wednesday via Instagram.
"Despite the pain, he smiled everyday. He was kind when he had every excuse not to be. He told us not to be sad or scared, but to keep the party going. And as much as I'd like to use that as an excuse to drink myself into oblivion worthy of his literary heroes, I know it's not what he meant," Delaney continued. "Yes, he loved his weed and his wine, but the truth is, most of the time, he was just high on life, and that is what he wanted for everyone: to enjoy the fantastic trip that life can be."
Delaney described her father as "the joy he sang about" and "the hardest working person" she's ever known.
"He was a great man and an even better dad to my brother, sister and me. He was generous with his friends and strangers alike. He had a deep admiration for the people he worked with, and he never took himself too seriously, which is probably what I loved most about him," she admitted. "When I showed him the South Park episodes that parody him, he loved chuckling along. I remember teasing him about their Margaritaville blender jokes, and without missing a beat, he zinged me with 'You live off those f---ing blenders!' He got me there."
"Over the past few days, people have thanked me for sharing my dad with them, but I know he would have wanted me to thank his fans for sharing their lives with him," she wrote. "We are his family but the stage was his home, and you, his band, and everyone on the road gave him the strength to keep going back. I'll pass something along my mom said to me, 'Whenever you feel sad or lost, look for the messages in the music. There are plenty.'"
Delaney went on to thank the medical team and other professionals staffed with caring for her father, "I want to thank you for giving us more time together," she wrote in part. "I am eternally grateful."
"And finally, to my dad, thank you," she concluded, "You turned nothing into something and gave me everything. I will never be able to repay you or my mom for my beautiful life. I will love you forever, and I will always keep the party going (responsibly, of course)."
Buffett passed away at the age of 76 on Friday, Sept. 1, at his Sag Harbor home following a battle with Merkel cell carcinoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer.
Along with Delaney, the musician shared two other children with his wife Jane Slagsvol: daughter Savannah and son Cameron.
Next: Jimmy Buffett’s Sister Details Her Own Health Battle After Singer's Death
Solve the daily Crossword
