Jimmy Buffett’s Wife Pens Moving Tribute To Late Music Icon: “Every Cell In His Body Was Filled With Joy”

Jane Slagsvol, Buffett’s wife of 46 years, broke her silence on the singer’s death over the weekend.

Jimmy Buffett’s wife opened up about the singer’s passing in a moving message shared to his official website over the weekend.

"As Jimmy said a few months ago, ‘growing old is not for sissies.’ These last few years have been unimaginably challenging for Jimmy and me, and we’re definitely not sissies," Jane Slagsvol, Buffett’s wife of 46 years, wrote. "One thing we both knew and experienced, through every difficult moment, was the feeling of being buoyed up by all the people in our lives. Everywhere we went, at arenas, at events, and even in the hospitals, we were surrounded by love. There is a whole world of people I want to thank for the incredible kindness you showed us."

"Since those early days and all through the decades, Jimmy’s fans became a big, boisterous family. Thank you for creating the world’s most joyful community,” her message to Parrotheads continued. “The smile that Jimmy beamed at you from the stage was sparked by your spirit. I think that’s why he loved performing so much. He was so grateful to the community you built around him. Your sympathy and support inspire and comfort me and my family."

Buffett died on September 1, 2023 after a quiet, four-year battle with Merkel cell carcinoma. The “It’s 5 O'Clock Somewhere” singer was 76 years old.

Slagsvol went on to thank the medical professionals who cared for her husband throughout his cancer fight.

"You gave him hope, even at the most hopeless moments,” she wrote. “Thank you for your tenacity in seeking the best solutions at each stage of his illness. You were honest, brave, and empathic; you showed us such dignity and goodness. I could not have asked for a better team of professionals.”

Slagsvol and Buffett married in 1977 and share three children together.

“Jimmy was love,” she went on. “Every cell in his body was filled with joy. He smiled all the time, even when he was deeply ill. And his sense of humor never wavered. Jimmy was always the optimist, always twinkling, always making us laugh."

“One of the last songs Jimmy recorded was ‘Bubbles Up.’ He sings, ‘Just know that you are loved, there is light up above, and the joy is always enough. Bubbles up.’” Slagsvol concluded. “Jimmy knew he was loved. Right until the end, he looked for the light. Thank you for giving joy to him and to me.”

“Bubbles Up” is featured on Buffett's final album, Equal Strain on All Parts, due out this fall.

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