In the past, rock stars have done some questionable things with powders. But we have to give it up to Kenny Chesney, as he used his celebrity status to help sneak the very ashes of Jimmy Buffett into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dang, even in death the man knew how to make an entrance.
The revelation came earlier this week as Chesney was a guest on The Howard Stern Show. Here’s how it goes: Buffett was part of the last crop of 2024 inductees, honored among several deceased greats with the Musical Excellence Award. As such, the Hall chose Chesney, James Taylor, and guitarist Mac McAnally to induct Buffet, which included a performance of Buffett’s lesser known, decidedly more poignant “Come Monday.” As the trio were preparing backstage for their set, McAnally approached Chesney in earnest.
“Mac comes up to me and he goes, ‘Look at this,’ and it was a small urn,” Chesney said. “He had Jimmy’s ashes in his coat pocket. So Jimmy’s ashes were in Mac McAnally’s coat pocket onstage with us as he was getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
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As it turns out, though, the trio weren’t alone in hatching their ploy: Savannah Buffett, Jimmy Buffett’s eldest daughter, had actually handed off the mini-urn to McAnally. Is it very weird story? Yes. But it’s also so profoundly moving, and yet another wonderful chapter in the weird and wild life of the “Mayor of Margaritaville” himself.
“So even after he passed, Jimmy found a way to join the party,” Chesney said.
That has to be among the most touching tributes for Buffett, who passed in September 2023 at the age of 76 from lymphoma. Other such tributes over the years have included an April 2024 all-star concert featuring the likes of Paul McCartney, Eagles, and Zac Brown; the continued touring efforts of his Coral Reef Band; and even a rousing homage from The What podcast.
Still, just a couple of closing questions. After the show, were Buffett’s ashes made a permanent figure in the Hall, perhaps hidden in a beam or something? Was the tiny urn somehow beach themed? How much would the coat (with any remaining ashes) sell for at auction today? Is this somehow a better Buffett story than him name-dropping Brandie Carlisle to befriend “lesbian fisherwomen?” And did anyone ever drink a margarita rimmed with a little Buffett salt?
Check out Chesney’s interview below.