Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson to Lead Jimmy Buffett CMAs Tribute

Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and more will lead a musical tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett at the upcoming 2023 CMA Awards. The country superstars will join Zac Brown Band and Mac McAnally to perform a medley of some of Buffett's songs to salute his indelible influence on country music.

The Country Music Association announced the news in a press release Wednesday (Nov. 1), but did not share which of Buffett's songs will be part of the tribute.

Chesney revived Buffett's 1974 hit "Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season" for his 2018 Songs for the Saints album. The "Margaritaville" singer joined him for the new version.

Jackson worked with Buffett on multiple occasions, but their most notable duet was on "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," released in 2003. "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for eight total weeks, and it crossed over to the mainstream Hot 100, where it rose to No. 17. The song won a CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year.

McAnally was a longtime member of Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, and Zac Brown Band had their own close connections to Buffett's life and music, promising for a heartfelt tribute to the influential singer-songwriter. Buffett died "peacefully" on Sept. 1, surrounded by his loved ones, according to a statement on his website. He was 76 years old.

The 2023 CMA Awards are set to air live from Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 8, on ABC and will be available for streaming on Hulu the following day. Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning are returning to host the show for the second consecutive year.

*Remember: The best way to watch the CMA Awards is on ABC with ToC on your phone.

See Inside Jimmy Buffett's Staggering $6.9 Million Palm Beach Mansion

Jimmy Buffett sure knew how to live the good life. His former 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 4,039-square-foot mansion in the exclusive Eden Properties neighborhood in Palm Beach is exactly the kind of laid-back home you'd expect the superstar to relax in when he was off the road.

The interior centers around a combined dining and living room with eye-popping vaulted ceilings topped off by skylights, while a massive wall of mahogany-framed sliding glass doors looks out over the pool area outside. The kitchen is decorated in gleaming white, and each of the bedrooms has its own attached bathroom, while the massive master suite also has sliding glass doors that open to both the pool and a bathroom that looks like it belongs in a high-end resort.

The exterior of the house is just as striking, centered around a sparkling pool of deep cobalt blue. The pool area features plenty of lounging, and a loggia just outside the living room offers open-air dining. There are lush gardens, brick paths that walk through elaborate pergolas and a fountain. The property also features a two-car garage with a guest suite overhead, and it offers deeded access to the beach nearby.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker