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

The late Jimmy Buffett shared a special bond with country music, and the genre pays tribute to his legacy.

During Wednesday’s 2023 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Kenny Chesney, Mac McAnallyAlan Jackson and the Zac Brown Band have teamed up to perform in honor of the “Margaritaville” musician, who died on September 1 at the age of 76 from Merkel cell carcinoma.

Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally perform a tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the 2023 CMA Awards.

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Chesney, 55, and McAnally, 66, began a heartfelt performance. Sitting on chairs, the two country music stars teamed up for a stripped-down cover of “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” As footage of the late folk legend paddleboarding in sunny ocean waters played behind them, each of the singer-songwriters took on different lines before harmonizing them together.

“Jimmy made a whole world full of friends,” McAnally changed the lyrics to “just a few friends” in the song – creating a touching moment.

Jackson, 65, and Zac Brown, 45, then took the stage in ensembles the “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” singer would have appreciated — with the ’90s hitmaker wearing sunglasses and the “Chicken Fried” singer walking barefoot and wearing denim shorts. The two Parrotheads continued the sweet memory by singing the somber farewell song “Adios My Friend” and then poured one out for the late musician by playing his seminal hit “Margaritaville.” As the 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.

Alan Jackson and Zac Brown at the 2023 CMA Awards.

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Each of the artists who participated in the performance had a personal connection to Buffett. Chesney first collaborated with the “Cheeseburger in Paradise” musician on two tracks for Buffett’s 2004 album. Permission to relax: the title track as well as a remake of Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin'” featuring Jackson, Clint Black, Toby Keith and George Strait.

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

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McAnally was one of Buffett’s backing instrumentalists in the Coral Reefer Band until his death and produced dozens of songs for the artist on several of his albums. Three weeks after Buffett’s death, McAnally set out social media and shared an emotional statement, calling the musician “the closest brother I’ve ever had.”

Jimmy Buffett.

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Before Jackson worked with Buffett on 2004’s “Hey Good Lookin’,” the pair teamed up for the 2003 single “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere,” which spent eight weeks at No. Board US Hot Country Songs chart and sold more than three million copies in the United States.

They also collaborated on a song called “Boats to Build”, which also appeared on Permission to relax album, as well as 2006’s “Barefootin'” for the film Hoot. Jackson quoted lyrics from the song “Boats to Build” on social media after Buffett’s death, also writing, “RIP my friend.”

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The Zac Brown Band teamed up with Buffett on the 2010 single “Knee Deep.” You get what you give album. The song reached number 1 on the Board US Hot Country Songs chart and is still performed at the group’s concerts recently.

“I hope you’re knee-deep in water somewhere in heaven today, @jimmybuffett,” the band wrote on social media after Buffett’s death, referring to the song. “It was an honor to know you and make music with you. Fins up.”

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

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Source: HIS Education