Watch Zac Brown, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney & Mac McAnally Honor Jimmy Buffett At CMAs

The late Jimmy Buffett was honored with a moving tribute at the Country Music Association Awards (CMA) last night. Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, the Zac Brown Band and Mac McAnally took the stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to perform a medley of Buffett’s hits.

Jimmy Buffett died at age 76 on September 1 after fighting Merkel Cell Skin Cancer for four years. Despite the diagnosis, Buffett continued to tour and record while receiving treatment. Jimmy Buffett's last public performance came in Portsmouth, Rhode Island on July 2, 2023.

Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally started the tribute with a tender rendition of Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks At Forty.” McAnally was the musical director of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band while Chesney first collaborated with Jimmy by contributing to two songs on Buffett’s 2004 album Licence To Chill. Kenny and Mac offered an acoustic duet on the 1975 classic. “Jimmy made a whole world full of friends,” McAnally sang in altering the song’s “just a few friends” lyric. “Thank you Jimmy,” Chesney proclaimed before the stage was turned over to the Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson.

Brown and Jackson started their portion of the medley by singing “Pirates & Parrots.” The band then came in for a joyous version of Buffett’s signature song, “Margaritaville.” Zac and Alan were sporting bright colored shirts with Brown going barefoot befitting “Margaritaville’s” tropical theme. Pictures of Buffett were displayed on a screen behind the performers throughout the medley.

Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett famously teamed up for the country music chart-topping 2003 single “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere.” Jimmy contributed to the Zac Brown Band’s “Knee Deep” single in 2010.

Watch the two performances making up the tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the CMAs below: