Jimmy Buffett: American singer-songwriter who penned hits such as 'Margaritaville' dies aged 76

American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has died at the age of 76.

Buffett's death was confirmed via a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. The statement read: “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of 1 September surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs. He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

No cause of death has been confirmed as of yet.

The musician was famed for his beach-theme easy-listening hits, with his biggest song, 'Margaritaville', released in 1977. The song peaked at number eight in the US Billboard Chart and stayed in the charts for 22 weeks.

He became a cult figure within the music industry, particularly in the States, where groups of his fans coined the moniker 'Parrotheads'. The Parrotheads embraced Buffett's laidback style and celebrated his beach-inspired way of life.

Buffett was inducted into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006 and throughout his career won two Country Music Association awards. He was also nominated twice for Grammy Awards.

Buffett launched a successful chain of casual dining restaurants named after his biggest hit 'Margartitaville', with the first location opening in Key West, Florida in 1985. The chain currently operates more than 30 locations throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Australia.