Jimmy Buffett was best known for his hit songs “Margaritaville” and “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” as well as his laid-back island vibe until his untimely death at the age of 76 on September 1, 2023.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement on his Instagram read. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
In addition to millions of Parrotheads – an endearing name given to diehard Buffett fans – the country singer was loved by his wife of 45 years, Jane Slagsvol.
How Many Times Was Jimmy Buffett Married?
Prior to finding his life partner in Jane, Jimmy was married to a woman named Margie Washichek. They tied the knot in 1969, but their marriage was short-lived. They split just two years later in 1971.
“I flunked out of college. I learned to play the guitar, lived on the beach, lived in the French Quarter, finally got laid and didn’t go to Vietnam,” he wrote in his 1998 autobiography, A Pirate Looks At Fifty. “I got back into school, started a band, got a job on Bourbon Street, graduated from college, flunked my draft physical, broke up my band, and went out on the road solo. I signed a record deal, got married, moved to Nashville, had my guitars stolen, bought a Mercedes, worked at Billboard magazine, put out my first album, went broke, met Jerry Jeff Walker, wrecked the Mercedes, got divorced, and moved to Key West.”
When Did Jimmy Buffett and Jane Slagsvol Get Married?
While Jimmy managed to keep his private life quiet throughout his decades-long career, it is said that Jimmy met his future wife in Key West, Florida, in 1971, while she was a student at University of South Carolina. They would go on to marry in 1977.
“I started another band,” he wrote, “worked the road, had my second and last hit, bought a house in Aspen, started spending summers in New England, got married, broke my leg three times in one year, had a baby girl, made more records, bought a bigger boat, and sailed away to St. Barts.”
The couple’s marriage was not all rainbows and tropical cocktails, however. They hit a rough patch in the early 1980s and separated. “I’d been with Jimmy since I was child, through the craziest times, and I didn’t have a clue who I was. So I left. I got sober,” she told TIME magazine.
“I got separated from the right girl, sold the boat, sold the house in Aspen, moved back to Key West, worked the road, and made more records. I rented an apartment in Paris, went to Brazil for Carnival, learned to fly, went into therapy, quit doing dope, bought my first seaplane, flew all over the Caribbean, almost got a second divorce, moved to Malibu for more therapy,” he continued in his autobiography, before he “got back with the right girl,” referring to their 1991 reconciliation.
They would remain happily married for 32 more years until his death in September 2023. The couple made their final public appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 12.
Did Jimmy Buffett and Jane Slagsvol Have Children?
Jimmy and Jane welcomed two biological children, daughters Savannah Jane and Sarah Delaney, throughout their marriage. They also adopted a son, Cameron.
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