Kenny Chesney Reveals Jimmy Buffett’s Ashes Were Snuck Into His Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction
on Dec 04, 2025
In October 2024, Jimmy Buffett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sadly, though, he had passed away just a year earlier.
But what many fans may not know is that he was actually, in a way, present at his own induction.
How is that possible, you might ask? Well, it turns out that when Buffett’s good friends Kenny Chesney, James Taylor, and Mac McAnally, a longtime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, performed a group tribute at the ceremony, McAnally had actually snuck Buffett’s ashes in his pocket on stage.
During a recent interview with Howard Stern, Chesney explained how it all happened and how Buffett’s ashes ended up in McAnally’s possession.
“We were backstage, we were sitting back there warming up, trying to figure out our parts and stuff, and Mac comes up to me and he goes, ‘Look at this.’ And it was a small urn,” Chesney said. “And he had Jimmy’s ashes in his coat pocket. So Jimmy’s ashes were in Mac McAnally’s coat pocket on stage with us as he was getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
The “Summertime” singer revealed that Buffett’s daughter, Savannah, was the one who gave McAnally the ashes.
“So even after he passed, Jimmy found a way to join the party,” Chesney added.
For the tribute, the three music icons performed Buffett’s 1974 hit “Come Monday” while a large black-and-white photo of him was displayed in the background.
RELATED: STATE OF FLORIDA DECLARES “JIMMY BUFFETT DAY” TO HONOR HIS LIFE & LEGACY
Jimmy Buffett passed away at the age of 76 on September 1, 2023, after a private four-year battle with skin cancer.
A statement shared by his team confirmed that he was surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs at the time of his death.
He left behind his wife of 46 years, Jane, and their three children: Savannah, Delaney, and Cameron.
Watch Kenny Chesney share the story of how Jimmy Buffett attended his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction even after his passing in the video below.
