Jimmy Buffett died of a rare skin cancer

 

 Jimmy Buffett died of a rare skin cancer. Popular singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett died Friday after 

living four years with Merkel cell skin cancer, 

According to an announcement posted Sunday on 

his website.

Buffett, 76, was known for his beach-themed soft rock music with hits like "Margaritaville" and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."

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"He continued to perform during treatment, playing his last show, a surprise appearance in Rhode Island, in early July," the post read.

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare form of skin cancer that has a high risk of recurrence and can metastasize within two to three years of diagnosis, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

About 3,000 new cases of Merkel cell carcinoma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, the group said.

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The Mayo Clinic notes that Merkel cell carcinoma occurs most often in older people, and the risk of developing it can be increased by prolonged sun exposure or a weak immune system.

Buffett postponed the concert in May after being hospitalized to address what he said were "some issues that require immediate attention."

His family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Buffett's Singing for Change Foundation as well as Brigham and

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Women's Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Born in Pascagoula, Miss., on Christmas Day 1946, Buffett was also an author and business owner, with a host of brands including Margaritaville restaurants and Land Shark beer.