With apologies to Cousin Rendell, here is the first installment of our annual two-part series looking back at musicians, actors, politicians and other cultural celebrities who died in 2023.
It's difficult to imagine a world without Jimmy Buffett, proud son of the Gulf Coast who made Margaritaville into a brand. He died at 76, leaving behind a whole lot of good times at the beach for the rest of us to enjoy. His last meal was a bowl of gumbeaux.
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