In a move that has fans of both country and tropical rock buzzing, Mac McAnally will join Nexstar’s Coast-to-Coast Countdown to 2026 as a performer. The 10-time Country Music Association Musician of the Year is set to honor his longtime friend and mentor, Jimmy Buffett, with a New Year’s Eve tribute.
Nexstar’s Countdown Features a Country Icon
The Coast-to-Coast Countdown to 2026 is a year-long series that brings together a diverse lineup of musicians. Alongside bands like Cheap Trick, Styx, and Foreigner, the show will feature McAnally, the Kevin Cronin Band, UB-40, The Marshall Tucker Band, 38 Special, and Bri Bagwell. Viewers can watch the show on local stations or stream it live on Nexstar’s website, where exclusive bonus content is available.
McAnally’s Storied Career and Buffett Connection
McAnally is known for writing hits for Alabama, Shenandoah, George Strait, and Kenny Chesney, in addition to Jimmy Buffett. He once said, “I made a little singer-songwriter album when I was a teenager still, and the same guy that gave me the record deal was the guy that had given Jimmy [Buffett] his first record deal, maybe eight, 10 years before that. And he sent Jimmy a copy of my first album and said, ‘This kid is a storyteller like you.'” That encounter sparked a lifelong friendship and musical partnership.
A Legacy of Storytelling and Joy
During a 2023 performance at Sunset Cove in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, McAnally shared how Buffett’s impromptu appearance there was a turning point. He reflected, “I hit the road with Jimmy, and I’ve gotten to travel the world and see things that I never would have seen if it weren’t for his well-chosen ambition. He was great at being an ambitious superstar. And he was also a generous superstar in that he took all of us with him on that plane, and we stayed in super nice hotels with him, and we saw things that we would never have seen without him.”
McAnally also spoke about the lasting influence Buffett has on his own music. “If you want to role model … he left all of this, all of this human joy music, and his whole life was just a big smile, wider than his head that spread to everybody else like a virus. And, I’m not as good at that as he was, but I have some of that to spread still, and I’m doing, you know, a junior minor league version of what he did.”
Looking Ahead to the New Year’s Eve Performance
McAnally expressed excitement about the New Year’s Eve show. He recalled his first visit to Las Vegas decades ago, noting, “And that was my first trip to Vegas … it was really glamorous and spoiled, and I was wearing hand-me-down overalls from my grandfather. I had sort of a Scottish afro because we didn’t know about conditioner in North Mississippi. And I’m in Las Vegas, and Wayne was just taking a scoop of Solo Cup full of hundred-dollar chips and saying, here we go, play.”
He plans to bring that same sense of joy to the countdown, performing at venues that once hosted Buffett and continuing to spread smiles through his music.
Key Takeaways
- Mac McAnally, a 10-time CMA Musician of the Year, will perform on Nexstar’s Coast-to-Coast Countdown to 2026.
- The artist honors Jimmy Buffett’s legacy with a New Year’s Eve tribute, reflecting on their decades-long friendship.
- The countdown features a wide roster of acts, including Cheap Trick, Styx, and Foreigner, and is available for streaming on Nexstar’s site.
The New Year’s Eve performance promises to blend country storytelling with the upbeat spirit that defined Buffett’s career, offering fans a unique celebration of music and friendship.
