LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Dozens of Jimmy Buffett fans went to the beach Sunday morning for one final farewell to the late singer.
A lot of fans told WPTV’s Victor Jorges this is the only way they know how to say goodbye to the legend. Just like Jimmy Buffett would’ve wanted it, his life was celebrated amid music, waves and his fans.
“He brings a gathering,” Richard Albanese of Lake Worth Beach. “Everybody is enjoying each other’s company and enjoying his music, and this… the beach.”
Dozens gathered at Lake Worth Beach with plans of honoring Buffett by paddling out at sea. Mother Nature had different plans but like true Buffett fans, people embraced the rain.
“The man talked about living your life easy,” Albanese said. “Life is not complicated, it’s what you make of it and he talked about enjoying your time.”
“It’s one of those things that you’re just here for the moment,” Jeff Eder of Ocean Ridge said. “It’s a really nice thing to do for someone who was really a nice person, genuinely, deep down.”
Fans like Albanese and Eder came out to thank Buffett for his music. They said when times got tough, his music was always there.
“We all have problems and everything but when you sit and have a Jimmy Buffett day, it’s all gone,” Albanese said.
“Relaxation, dreams of the islands, all the water stuff that he loved, and I love too,” Eder said.
Behind this seaside goodbye is Piper’s Angels, a local organization fighting for cystic fibrosis. Buffett was on the board for the non-profit before he passed away earlier this year.
“That’s the kind of guy Jimmy was,” Travis Suit said. “He just knew how to show up authentically for everything he did.”
Sunday felt like a hug for people who came together to live life like Jimmy. By the ocean, guitar in hand, and smiling from ear to ear.
“He left a lot of people happy, he made you happy, just sitting there listening to his music, just makes you happy,” Albanese said.
The beloved singer-songwriter passed away at his home in Long Island on Sept. 1 surrounded by family and friends.
He was 76 years old.
Fans in South Florida are holding his memory, and music, close to their hearts.
Drone footage courtesy of Jesse Pettifor/Palm Beach Drone Works.