Born on Christmas Day in 1946, Buffett was raised in Alabama and lived in Nashville before eventually relocating to Florida to begin his music career in earnest. There, he dabbled in various genres, eventually helping to found the tropical rock sound alongside artists like Bertie Higgins and E.C. Davis. However, it wasn't until 1977, when he released "Margaritaville," which featured on the album "Changes in Latitude," that his fame skyrocketed.

The success of "Margaritaville" also presented lucrative opportunities upon which Buffett smartly capitalized. Over the years, he launched a chain of restaurants, a beer brand, a vacation resort, and more. The success of those ventures gave him a net worth of $1 billion at the time of his death, according to Forbes.

Throughout his career, which spanned more than half a century, Buffett released more than 30 albums. His musical endeavors earned him two Grammy nominations, along with five CMA Awards nominations and one win.