Jimmy BuffettJimmy Buffet has made his living from a love of the islands, singing about 'Boat Drinks,' 'Fins' and, of course, 'Margaritaville.' And now the beloved entertainer is using his influence to raise money for those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, along with the help of some famous friends.

Hosting 'CMT Presents Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live From the Gulf Coast,' Jimmy will be joined during the 90-minute special by Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Allen Toussaint, Sonny Landreth and Jesse Winchester, plus a few surprise guests. The evening, he says, has more significance than just to raise much-needed funds.

"There are always welcome breaks in every storm but the unfortunate reality is that this disaster is not going away for a while -- but a few hours of fun, void of the constant reminders of the situation, is a good thing and that is basically what I do," says iconic singer.

This will be a reunion for Jimmy with some of his guest stars. He sang with the Zac Brown Band for a taping of 'CMT Crossroads,' and collaborated with Kenny -- along with Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait, on the 2004 version of Hank Williams' classic, 'Hey Good Lookin.'

Jimmy is one of several high-profile celebrities who have worked to help bring personal awareness to the crisis in the Gulf. Trace Adkins recently spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper about the disaster, and also appeared in a two-hour telethon on 'Larry King Live. And Keith Urban used his time accepting his CMT Award for Male Video of the Year to urge people to pray for families affected in the Gulf.

Jimmy's Gulf Coast benefit concert will air live -- and commercial-free -- on July 1 at 8:00 PM ET on CMT.



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