Jimmy Buffett's Brave Last Days: Late Singer's Guitarist Says Star 'Didn't Want Anyone to Be Sad' About His Death

Two months after Jimmy Buffett passed away, his guitarist and a few other musicians honored his legacy at the Wednesday, November 8, CMA Awards.

Before the tribute, guitarist Mac McAnally spoke with reporters about how he's handling the grief, revealing he actually spent time with the "Margaritaville" crooner the day before he died from a rare skin cancer at age 76.

"I saw him 24 hours before he was gone, and he was smiling wider than his head and saying, ‘What a h--- of a ride, keep it going, keep the party going,’ and it's our intention to do that," McAnally shared.

"I didn't know what to say, and I didn't know if I could talk without crying, but I picked up a guitar and played, and we told a couple of tour stories and laughed," the musician said of his final hours with Buffett. "And he made sure that I knew that he wanted nobody to be sad, and everybody to keep the joy that he started rolling."

"He didn't want anybody to be sad," he emphasized. "Although you can't help losing somebody that you look up to to that level, but he didn't want anybody to be sad."

"Every connection I've ever had with Jimmy means something to me, because I wouldn't be here without him," McAnally declared.

When asked what he wanted fans to remember about the superstar, McAnally said, "He was just a big rolling ball of goodwill, and it didn't matter what level you saw him on. If you met him at the grocery store, you would think the same thing as if you saw him onstage for all these years. He was really the character that everybody thought he was. He was smiling at everybody he crossed paths with, every day of his life, including the last one."

The tribute was a success, with the guitarist playing alongside Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson, all of whom Buffett "loved so much," he shared.

Viewers adored the performance, with one person writing on social media, "Best part of the whole show!" while another echoed, "Best performance of the night. Truly the only reason I even watched. Should have been longer."

"Such a wonderful tribute to Jimmy, Mac. He will forever be my favorite musician to pass through this earth," penned a third fan. "You and Kenny just did such a great job of summoning that iconic Buffett energy. Thank you for that."

As OK! reported, Buffett's death was confirmed by a joint message on his social media accounts.

"Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs," the announcement read. "He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many."

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Fox News Digital spoke with McAnally.