LOS ANGELES − In a night filled with wildly eclectic musicians honoring Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl Thursday, Paul McCartney captured the range of the "Margaritaville" bard's impossibly wide web of global friendships and joy of living.
Entering the stage late in the "Keep The Party Going" tribute concert, McCartney, 81, spoke about being invited to Buffett's home a week before the party-loving singer/songwriter died of skin cancer in September at age 76.
"He was in a pretty bad way, but he still had a twinkle in his eye," said McCartney, who sat behind the piano to perform the song he had played for his dying friend − the classic ballad "Let It Be." In Thursday's performance, McCartney jammed along with the Eagles and Don Henley.
For the next and final song, McCartney joined music stars − as diverse as Sheryl Crow and Pitbull − for Buffett's signature "Margaritaville," with Sir Paul proudly hoisting a Las Vegas-sized margarita onstage.
"This is a man with a margarita right here," said Mac McAnally, the longtime guitarist from Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, who served as "musical captain" for the evening.
Here's who else kept the Buffett party going in the star-studded concert attended by fans including Al Pacino, Courteney Cox, Larry David and Sean Penn.
Honorary Coral Reefer Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile rocked
Crow said she was "an absolute nobody" when Buffett hired her in 1989 to join his Coral Reefer Band.
"I know Jimmy is laughing his ass off," the singer said before breaking into "Fins."
"I need to see some fins!" Crow said, instructing the crowd to put up their “land shark” fins during the song. There were fins on stage, fins to the left and fins to the right.
Carlile spoke of bonding with Buffett over their mutual love of fishing ("that was our language") before belting soulful versions of two classics, "Tin Cup Chalice" and "Come Monday."
Snoop Dogg blows smoke at 'My main man Jimmy B' with 'Doggystyle' classic
Stage presenter Judd Apatow thought it might have been the suspicious smoking going on backstage that was making him hallucinate what he had seen on stage.
"I swear to God I just saw Snoop Dogg sing 'Gin and Juice' with the Coral Reefer Band," Apatow said.
It's true. The rapper and Buffett friend Snoop Dogg performed the classic song from his 1993 "Doggystyle" album in tribute to "my main man Jimmy B," singing the familiar words with the audience in between onstage puffs.
"Last time I saw you we smoked like there was no tomorrow," Snoop Dogg said from the stage before clearing out, leaving a cloud of smoke.