After it was announced on Friday that the singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett had died, a wave of tributes came from his lifelong fans, including presidents, actors and at least one sports team.
News of the “Margaritaville” singer’s death was published in a statement on his website; it did not say where he died or specify a cause. Mr. Buffett had rescheduled concerts set for this spring, saying he had been hospitalized for unspecified “immediate” health concerns.
Mr. Buffett’s music was often described as “Gulf and Western,” and his fans referred to themselves as “Parrotheads” and came from all walks of life.
A day after Mr. Buffett’s death was announced, President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, offered their condolences to Mr. Buffett’s family.
“A poet of paradise, Jimmy Buffett was an American music icon who inspired generations to step back and find the joy in life and in one another,” President Biden said in a statement, adding that Mr. Buffett’s songs were witty and wistful, celebrating “a uniquely American cast of characters and seaside folkways.”
Former President Bill Clinton looked back fondly on Mr. Buffett’s performance at the White House.
“I’ll always be grateful for his kindness, generosity, and great performances through the years, including at the White House in 2000,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “My thoughts are with his family, friends, and legion of devoted fans.”
Major sports franchises and fellow entertainers also recognized the singer’s death on social media. The Miami Heat N.B.A. team wrote on X that Mr. Buffett had been a longtime season ticket holder and that “Jimmy knew well the power that music and sports has of bringing people together.” And the country music singer Toby Keith wrote on social media, “The pirate has passed,” calling Mr. Buffett a “tremendous influence on so many of us.”
Lawrence Leritz, an actor and choreographer, met Mr. Buffett much earlier in his career, in the 1980s, when Mr. Buffett had a small role on the soap opera “All My Children.” At the time Mr. Leritz, who played a bellboy and a waiter on the show, didn’t know who Mr. Buffett was, and offered him some acting advice.
Mr. Leritz recalled that Mr. Buffett said: “I’ve never done this before. I’m kind of nervous. Any tips?” He said he advised Mr. Buffett to treat the scene like a normal conversation — deliver the lines and genuinely listen to what the other actor is saying. Eventually Mr. Leritz pieced together whom he had been talking to, and now, he said, it’s a memory he holds dear.
“I think about him all the time,” Mr. Leritz said. “A lot of actors try to act tough, but he was just so sweet and open.”
