Kenny Chesney, Mac McAnally, Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band Perform Jimmy Buffett Tribute at 2023 CMA Awards

The 2023 CMA Awards, cohosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, are airing live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on ABC

The late Jimmy Buffett shared a special connection with country music, and the genre is paying tribute to his legacy.

During the 2023 CMA Awards at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Kenny Chesney, Mac McAnally, Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band teamed up to deliver a tribute performance to the "Margaritaville" musician, who died on Sept. 1 at age 76 from Merkel cell carcinoma.

Related: CMA Awards 2023: See the Complete List of Winners

Chesney, 55, and McAnally, 66, kicked off the heartfelt performance. Sitting on stools, the two country music stars joined together for a stripped down cover of "A Pirate Looks at Forty." As footage of the late folk legend paddle boarding in sunny ocean waters played behind them, the singer-songwriters each took on different verses before harmonizing together.

“Jimmy made a whole world full of friends,” McAnally changed the lyrics to "just a few friends" in the song — making for a touching moment.

Jackson, 65, and Zac Brown, 45, then took the stage in ensembles the "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" artist would have appreciated — with the '90s hitmaker in sunglasses and the "Chicken Fried" singer going barefoot and dressed in denim shorts. The two Parrotheads continued the sweet memoriam by singing the somber farewell "Adios My Friend," and then poured one out for the late musician by playing his seminal hit "Margaritaville." As sweet photos played in the background and the performers rocked out, the moment felt like a true celebration of the late icon and his island escapist lifestyle.

Related: See Every Star Arriving at the 2023 CMA Awards in Nashville

Each of the artists who took part in the performance were personally connected to Buffett. Chesney first collaborated with the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" musician on two songs for Buffett's 2004 album License to Chill: its title track as well as a remake of Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'" with Jackson, Clint Black, Toby Keith and George Strait.

The two musicians later recorded a version of Buffett's 1974 track “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season" for Chesney’s 2018 album Songs for the Saints. "So goodbye Jimmy. Thanks for your friendship and the songs I will carry in my heart forever," wrote Chesney on social media after Buffett's death.

Check out PEOPLE's full CMA Awards coverage to get the latest news on country music’s biggest night.

McAnally was one of Buffett's backing instrumentalists in the Coral Reefer Band until his death and produced dozens of songs for the performer across several of his albums. Three weeks after Buffett's death, McAnally took to social media and shared an emotional statement, calling the musician "the closest thing I ever had to a brother."

Related: Kenny Chesney Says Jimmy Buffett 'Taught a Lot of People About the Poetry in Just Living'

Before Jackson worked with Buffett on 2004's "Hey Good Lookin'," the pair joined forces for the 2003 single "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere," which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and sold over three million units in the States.

They also collaborated on a song called "Boats to Build," which also appeared on the License to Chill album, as well as 2006's "Barefootin'" for the film Hoot. Jackson quoted the lyrics of "Boats to Build" on social media following Buffett's death, also writing, "RIP my friend."

Related: Bill Clinton, Elton John and More Stars Pay Tribute to Jimmy Buffett After His Death: 'The King of Cool'

Zac Brown Band teamed up with Buffett on the 2010 single "Knee Deep" from the band's You Get What You Give album. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and still gets performed in the group's concerts as of late.

"Hope you’re knee deep in the water somewhere in paradise today, @jimmybuffett," wrote the band on social media following Buffett's death, referencing the song. "We were honored to know you and to make music with you. Fins up."

The 2023 CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, are airing live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on ABC and will stream exclusively on Hulu the following day.

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