With Jimmy Buffett the effusive showman and James Taylor the introspective loner, the two ostensibly seemed worlds apart.
Both were sailors, and both (as Buffett joked in a recent tribute to Taylor) dealt with early fame, receding hairlines and getting healthy in later life.
As Taylor told Rolling Stone last year, the two were in touch regularly until Buffett’s health issues became more pronounced.
He loved, loved being Jimmy Buffett.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and great pleasure to announce the induction of Jimmy Buffett to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

James Taylor Inducts ‘Hero’ Jimmy Buffett Into Rock Hall: ‘There Won’t Be Another Like Him’