Zac Brown Band joined the list of artists paying tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett when the band launched into a performance one of Buffett's most classic songs at a recent show. Fans caught ZBB sharing a rendition of "Margaritaville" at a concert Gilford, New Hampshire, which served to honor the music legend.
The band's frontman Zac Brown launched into an energetic rendition of the song as the rest of the band, including singer and guitarist Caroline Jones, provided backup. The crowd sang along with the beachy 1977 hit, and Brown shared some words about Buffett during the performance.
The singer mentioned the CMT Crossroads episode the band taped with Buffett in 2009, calling it "one of the greatest honors" of his life.
"We will mourn him and we will celebrate one of the most incredible lives of any artist that I've ever seen," Brown told the crowd. "...Such an incredible American poet and soul."
Buffett frequently collaborated with country artists, and after performing with Zac Brown Band on CMT Crossroads, the two acts came together to record the single "Knee Deep," which appeared on the band's You Get What You Give album. The song became a No. 1 hit. The band and Buffett collaborated once again on a new version of the band's "Same Boat," released in September 2022.
Zac Brown Band also took to social media to remember Buffett, sharing a clip of him from the "Knee Deep" music video.
"Hope you're knee deep in the water somewhere in paradise today, @jimmybuffett. We were honored to know you and to make music with you. Fins up," the group wrote alongside the post.
Buffett has a storied music catalog all his own, and he certainly found success in the country genre, teaming up with artists like Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney and many more throughout the years. Buffett passed away on Friday, Sept. 1, after a battle with a form of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. He was 76.
