The well-known singer-songwriter “Buffett of the North” Pat Dailey has died at the age of 83

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Beloved Great Lakes singer-songwriter Pat Dailey, known to his fans as the “Jimmy Buffett of the North” and the “Buffett of Put-in-Bay,” died Wednesday at his home at age 83.

According to a Facebook post by his son Reese, he died “peacefully” overnight. A cause of death was not given.

Dailey’s mix of hearty acoustic party songs, ballads and irreverent sing-alongs made him a fixture in the Lake Erie Islands area starting in 1978. The decades-long love affair between islanders continued each summer with his famous weekend appearance at the Beer Barrel Saloon. That tradition (and celebration) continued in 2007 at the “cozier” Boathouse Bar.

Dailey grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He traveled extensively around the country with his guitar before landing in this area on the recommendation of a friend.

Inspired by his time here, Dailey wrote many Gulf & Western-inspired songs, including “Put-in-Bay,” “Island Fever,” “Legend of the Lake,” the spirited “I Ain’t Drunk, I Just Been Drinkin’,” “Big Money Walleye,” and the fan favorite “Get Your Ass to Cleveland.”

As quick-witted and cheeky as Dailey could be, he also took haunting, introspective musical turns.

The 2017 ballad “Lake Keepers,” which commemorates the late Gordon Lightfoot, pointed out the importance of the Great Lakes basin and the need for the people of the region to care for it.

Dailey was friends with and frequently appeared as a guest on the Bob & Tom Radio Show, a program that also had ties to the Great Lakes region.

Dailey wintered at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, Florida. During his first winter stay there, he befriended legendary author, illustrator, poet and Renaissance man Shel Silverstein.

They maintained a fruitful friendship until Silverstein’s death in 1999. Olympia Records released their creative collaboration, a 17-track children’s album entitled “Underwater Land.”

Although he spent most of his cold days in Key West, Dailey treated his fans in northern Ohio to winter concerts and regularly appeared at the Peabody DownUnder on the east bank of the Cleveland Flats around the holidays.

These shows were always packed with fans who couldn’t wait for the next summer with their favorite baseball cap-wearing bard.

In online remembrances, Dailey was called a “legend,” “timeless,” and “unique.”