AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER Jimmy Buffett, best known for his 1977 hit “Margaritaville,” has died at age 76.

“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” said a statement on his website.

“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

Buffett’s classic chill-out anthem “Margaritaville,” about beachfront living with a drink in hand, spent 22 weeks on the Billboard chart, and helped launch his decades-long music career and a business empire.

Known as the “Mayor of Margaritaville,” he released nearly 30 studio albums of country, folk and tropical tunes, and also launched a line of resorts, restaurants and retail stores that capitalized on his laid-back, escapist image.

Born December 25, 1946, in the US state of Mississippi and raised in Alabama, Buffett began playing guitar in college and later started performing on the streets and in the clubs of New Orleans, according to his website.

He released his first record “Down to Earth” in 1970, and a year later traveled to Key West, Florida, a place that became synonymous with Buffett’s paradise-themed music and lifestyle brands.

He also penned bestselling books, appeared in movies and on television, and had a brief Broadway run with his musical “Escape to Margaritaville.”

© Agence France-Presse