“He told me life was too short not to take every good opportunity that came along and go live it.” -Kelly Slater
It was a emotional Labor Day weekend for folks around the world after it a was announced that music legend Jimmy Buffett had sadly passed away. Jimmy’s fanbase spans generations from old grey hairs that have been grooving since the 70s to young kids who are just discovering Jimmy’s treasure trove of a catalog and all ages in between. It comes as no surprise that one of the best surfers in world was not only avid listener but an admirer of the man. This is Kelly Slater’s tribute to Jimmy:
“I grew up listening to Jimmy Buffett with my family. His music basically outlined the lives we desired…fishing, diving, dreaming about being in the tropics, playing music, and just living the dream.
I met Jimmy in France in 2010 about 8 years or so after my dad died and the first day I told him how much he reminded me of my own father and from that moment on he kind of became a surrogate to me, occasionally calling me from some far off land telling me he missed me and I had to come visit him wherever he was. He told me life was too short not to take every good opportunity that came along and go live it.
I’m not sure I’ve met many people with as positive an attitude who were as welcoming and giving as Jimmy has been to me, just one of the many thousands of friends he’s had around this world. He laughed about making a living out of 3 chord songs and once told me, ‘Ya know, if Jack (Jack Johnson) would just let me do his marketing I could make him a looooot of money!’
Yesterday Jimmy passed on to the next life. And I’m having a tough time accepting that. But I do feel blessed to have had some really incredible memories every single time I hung out with him, whether it was him flying me to my brother’s bachelor party in Key West, joining us for a surf and a dinner in Hossegor, making me play a song with him at his restaurant, or giving me his guest house in Palm Beach for the night and taking me for a round of golf the next day.
I really don’t want to believe such a fine man is gone but I’m thankful and lucky for the times we had. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, Jimmy, and I know you’d be smoking a joint with a drink in your hand and a huge smile on your face like any good pirate would. Thanks for being one of the good guys. It was a real dream to know you. 🥲 And as he always signed off…Fins Up!”
RIP Jimmy. You will be missed.
