When Jimmy Buffett was diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago, the devastating news was a double blow to his family.
As the singer-songwriter, who died Sept. 1 at age 76, battled a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma, Laurie Buffett McGuane, his younger sister, was told she also had cancer.
“Jimmy and I were diagnosed with cancer around the same time,” Laurie, 74, tells PEOPLE. “It was four years ago and Jimmy was actually diagnosed first. When Jimmy found out [I had cancer] he brought the whole family and dogs to Montana to be with me.”
Laurie — who had pancreatic cancer — says her and her brother’s diagnoses came at a time when the COVID pandemic was in full swing, meaning the family had to spend quality time outside eating together.
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Jimmy Buffett performs in New Orleans in May 2022.
Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage
Although she underwent surgery at Duke University and sought treatment in Montana and is now cancer-free, Laurie says she and her late brother, whom she called Bubba, had each other to lean on during tough times.
“Jimmy and I became closer because of our cancers. We talked before and after the scan,” she recalls. “We shared a club that no one wants to enter. I’m amazed Jimmy didn’t make it.”
Laurie — affectionately known as Lala by her family — adds that the “Margaritaville” singer has been a source of inspiration while undergoing treatment and helped her continue to live as normally as she could.
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“I rode my horse during treatment and tried to get on with my life the same way Jimmy did,” says Laurie, who is married to writer Tom McGuane.
Buffett has kept his battle with cancer private, but has been forced to cancel shows in recent months due to illness – something Laurie said devastated him, knowing how important his Parrothead fans are to Buffett.
“Jimmy wanted to do the shows he had to cancel,” she says. “He brought joy to many. I’m very emotional now. When Jimmy was born, I felt safe. Even though I have Tom, it will be a whole new thing for me to be without my brother Jimmy.”
Laurie and Buffett, along with their sister Lucy (or Lulu), grew up in Alabama. Even as a young man, Buffett had a nurturing spirit; Laurie recalls the time she broke her leg in the eighth grade, and Buffett made a special trip to the grocery store to buy chocolate milk for her to have when she got home from the hospital.
Laurie can still recall Buffett’s early days as a musician, playing bars in New Orleans and believing that one day he would make it.
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“Jimmy always had a dream that he followed to the end,” she says. “He did a lot of things in between, but he hit Key West when he was pretty much unknown, and he never let up, until the crowds started coming to hear him perform. He was a phenomenal person.”
She adds that she and Lulu were among the family members at Buffett’s side when he died, and that the siblings shared childhood memories with the star in his final days.
After his death, Laurie shared an old childhood photo on Instagram, writing: “Lulu and I were just with Bubba. We talked about our childhood, which only siblings can relate to. I told him I’ve known him longer than anyone on the planet. He smiled with those twinkling blue eyes and shook my hand.”
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