Jimmy Buffett's cause of death confirmed as flag lowered at Margaritaville

Palm Springs, California - The biography on Jimmy Buffett's website has been updated to include the musician's cause of death, confirming that he had been diagnosed with Merkel cell skin cancer.

The Margaritaville resort in Palm Springs reportedly lowered its flag to half-staff after the death of the chain's founder Jimmy Buffett this weekend.
The Margaritaville resort in Palm Springs reportedly lowered its flag to half-staff after the death of the chain's founder Jimmy Buffett this weekend.  © Collage: Twitter/@ahasaka & RODIN ECKENROTH / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The Margaritaville singer-songwriter battled cancer for four years before he died Friday at age 76.

Buffett's official obituary notes that he "continued to perform during treatment, playing his last show, a surprise appearance in Rhode Island, in early July."

"Jimmy passed away peacefully ... surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs," his website says.

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"He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

Buffet, known for performing popular tunes such as Cheeseburger in Paradise and It's Five O'Clock Somewhere, built a lifestyle empire that encompassed dozens of Margaritaville bars, restaurants, hotels, and resorts across the US and beyond.

At least one of those destinations – the Margaritaville resort in Palm Springs – reportedly lowered its flag to half-staff this week in Buffett's honor, according to a photo on social media.

"If anyone is curious the flag IS at half mast at Margaritaville Palm Springs," X user @ahasaka captioned the image of a lowered American flag by a pool.

Another X user reported that a moment of silence was held for Buffett at the Margaritaville resort in Nassau, Bahamas, on Saturday.

How did President Joe Biden pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett?

President Joe Biden also shared a lengthy tribute to the late singer on the platform.

"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," he wrote, adding millions of fans "will continue to love him even as his ship now sails for new shores."

Buffett's family has asked that donations be made in his memory to the recording artist's foundation, Singing for Change, as well as to Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, both in Boston, and MD Anderson Cancer Center, based in Texas.

Cover photo: Collage: Twitter/@ahasaka & RODIN ECKENROTH / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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